The Promise of Promise: Retrospect and Prospect of a Homiletical Theology
Abstract
North American homiletical theology has been increasingly retrieving and revising a theology of promise for preaching. This article offers a Forschungsbericht concerning the use of promise in homiletical theology. It does so initially by retracing traditions of promise with respect to multiple theological concerns: the dialectic of promise and law in the gospel, the role of promise in eschatology, Word and Sacrament, and in theologies of the scriptures with respect to Old and New Testaments. The essay next considers the place of promise in contemporary homiletics. It discusses treatments of promise in the work of North American homileticians James Kay, Dawn Ottoni Wilhelm, David Lose, Olin Moyd, Christine Smith, David Schnasa Jacobsen, Richard Lischer, and Paul Wilson as well as briefly treating promise in light of the broader concerns of Eunjoo Mary Kim, Kenyatta Gilbert, Dale Andrews, and Ronald Allen and Joey Jeter. The article suggests future promising areas of research and lays a groundwork for future scholarly contributions.For articles: All articles published in Homiletic are the exclusive property of the Journal. All copyright rights to the article shall be owned by and be in the name of the Academy of Homiletics. The Academy of Homiletics in turn grants all authors the right to reprint their articles in any format that they choose, without the payment of royalties, subject to giving proper credit to the original publication with Homiletic. The Academy of Homiletics also permits articles to be copied for non-profit educational use provided proper credit is given to Homiletic. Authors may self-archive their articles in an institutional repository or other online location, provided proper credit is given to Homiletic.
For reviews: All reviews commissioned by Homiletic are the exclusive property of the Journal. Reviews are considered a work made-for-hire, and, as such, all copyright rights to the review shall be owned by and be in the name of the Academy of Homiletics. The Academy of Homiletics in turn grants all review authors the right to reprint their reviews in any format that they choose, without the payment of royalties, subject to giving proper credit to the original publication with Homiletic. The Academy of Homiletics also permits its reviews to be copied for non-profit educational use provided proper credit is given to the review author and the Journal. Authors may self-archive reviews in an institutional repository or other online location, provided proper credit is given to Homiletic.
