View source for Sermon

{{Short description|Oration by a member of the clergy}}
{{Other uses}}
[[File:John Pettie - A roadside sermon.jpg|thumb|''A Roadside Sermon'' by [[John Pettie]]]]
{{Christianity sidebar|expanded=Related}}
{{Rhetoric}}
A '''sermon''' is a religious discourse<ref>{{cite web |title=Definition of SERMON |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sermon |website=www.merriam-webster.com |access-date=9 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> or [[oration]] by a [[preacher]], usually a member of [[clergy]]. Sermons address a [[scriptural]], [[theological]], or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Preaching and Teaching by R.C. Sproul |url=https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/preaching-and-teaching |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Ligonier Ministries |language=en-US}}</ref> Elements of the sermon often include [[Expository preaching|exposition]], [[exhortation]], and practical application. The act of delivering a sermon is called '''preaching.''' In [[secular]] usage, the word ''sermon'' may refer, often disparagingly, to a lecture on [[moral]]s.

In [[Christianity|Christian]] practice, a sermon is usually preached to a [[church (congregation)|congregation]] in a place of worship, either from an elevated architectural feature, known as a [[pulpit]] or an [[ambon (liturgy)|ambo]], or from behind a [[lectern]]. The word ''sermon'' comes from a [[Middle English]] word which was derived from [[Old French]], which in turn originates from the Latin word {{Lang|la|sermō}} meaning 'discourse.' A ''[[sermonette]]'' is a short sermon (usually associated with television broadcasting, as stations would present a sermonette before [[Sign-off (broadcast)|signing off]] for the night). The [[Christian Bible]] contains many speeches without interlocution, which some take to be sermons: Jesus' [[Sermon on the Mount]] in Matthew 5–7<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%205-7;&version=9|title=Matthew 5-7 – King James Version|publisher=Bible Gateway}}</ref> (though the gospel writers do not specifically call it a sermon; the popular descriptor for Jesus' speech there came much later); and [[Saint Peter|Peter]] after [[Pentecost]] in Acts 2:14–40<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%202:14-40;&version=9;|title= Acts 2:14-40 – King James Version|publisher=Bible Gateway}}</ref> (though this speech was delivered to non-Christians and as such is not quite parallel to the popular definition of a sermon).

In [[Islam]], the equivalent of a sermon is called a ''[[khutbah]]''.

==Christianity==
{{See also|Homiletics}}
[[Image:Bloch-SermonOnTheMount.jpg|thumb|''The [[Sermon on the Mount]]'' by [[Carl Heinrich Bloch]], 1877]]

In Christianity, a sermon is typically identified as an address or discourse delivered to a [[Church (congregation)|congregation]] of Christians, typically containing theological or moral instruction. The sermon by Christian orators was partly based on the tradition of public lectures by classical orators.<ref>The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition. 1970-1979. The Gale Group, Inc. [https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/preaching Free Dictionary website] Retrieved 21 Nov. 2018</ref> Although it is often called a [[homily]], the original distinction between a sermon and a homily was that a sermon was delivered by a clergyman (licensed preacher) while a homily was read from a printed copy by a [[layman]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shaheen |first=Naseeb |chapter=Shakespeare and the Anglican liturgy: Homilies & Sermons |year=1999 |title=Biblical References in Shakespeare's Plays |publisher=University of Delaware |pages=30–34, p. 32 |isbn=978-0-87413-677-7}}</ref> In the 20th century the distinction has become one of the sermon being likely to be longer, have more structure, and contain more theological content. Homilies are usually considered to be a type of sermon, usually [[#Narrative sermons|narrative]] or [[#Biographical sermons|biographical]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vos |first=Cas J. A. |year=2005 |title=Theopoetry of the Psalms |series=Volume 53 of Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature |location=Cambridge, England |publisher=Clark International |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=41yvAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA316 316] |isbn=978-0-567-03078-8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Wenzel |first=Siegfried |year=2005 |title=Latin Sermon Collections from Later Medieval England: Orthodox Preaching in the Age of Wyclif |url=https://archive.org/details/latinsermoncolle00wenz |url-access=limited |location=London |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/latinsermoncolle00wenz/page/n38 14] |isbn=978-0-521-84182-5}}</ref> {{See below|{{section link||Types}} below}}.

The word ''sermon'' is used contemporarily to describe many famous moments in Christian (and Jewish) history. The most famous example is the [[Sermon on the Mount]] by [[Jesus|Jesus of Nazareth]]. This address was given around 30 AD,<ref>Kent, Emerson. [http://www.emersonkent.com/speeches/sermon_on_the_mount.htm Sermon on the Mount]. EmersonKent.com. ''Famous Speeches In History''. Retrieved 13 July 2015.</ref> and is recounted in the [[Gospel of Matthew]] ([[s:Bible (King James)/Matthew#Chapter 5|5:1–7:29]], including introductory and concluding material) as being delivered on a mount on the north end of the [[Sea of Galilee]], near [[Capernaum]]. It is also contained in some of the other gospel narratives.

During the later [[history of Christianity]], several figures became known for their addresses that later became regarded as sermons. Examples in the early church include [[Saint Peter|Peter]] (see especially [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]] [[s:Bible (King James)/Acts of the Apostles#Chapter 2|2:14b–36]]), [[Stephen]] (see [[s:Bible (King James)/Acts of the Apostles#Chapter 7|Acts 7:1b–53]]), [[Tertullian]] and [[John Chrysostom]]. These addresses were used to spread Christianity across Europe and [[Asia Minor]], and as such are not sermons in the modern sense, but evangelistic messages.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}}

The sermon has been an important part of Christian services since [[early Christianity]], and remains prominent in both [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] and [[Protestantism]]. [[Lay preacher]]s sometimes figure in these traditions of worship, for example the [[Methodist local preacher]]s, but in general preaching has usually been a function of the [[clergy]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Frank |first1=Thomas Edward |title=Polity, Practice, and the Mission of The United Methodist Church |date=2006 |publisher=Abingdon Press |isbn=978-0-687-33531-2 |pages=206–7 |language=en}}</ref> The [[Dominican Order]] is officially known as the ''Order of Preachers'' ({{Lang|la|Ordo Praedicatorum}} in [[Latin language|Latin]]); [[friar]]s of this order were trained to publicly preach in [[vernacular]] languages, and the order was created by [[Saint Dominic]] to preach to the [[Cathar]]s of southern France in the early 13th century. The [[Franciscans]] are another important preaching order; Travelling preachers, usually friars, were an important feature of late medieval Catholicism. In 1448 the church authorities seated at [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Angers|Angers]] prohibited [[open-air preaching]] in France.<ref>Dictionary of the Middle Ages. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1988. v. 10, p. 77. {{ISBN|9780684182773}}.</ref> If a sermon is delivered during the Mass it comes after the Gospel is sung or read. If it is delivered by the priest or bishop that offers the Mass then he removes his [[Maniple (vestment)|maniple]], and in some cases his [[chasuble]], because the sermon is not part of the Mass. A bishop preaches his sermon wearing his [[mitre]] while seated whereas a priest, or on rare occasions a deacon, preaches standing and wearing his [[biretta]].

In most denominations, modern preaching is kept below forty minutes, but historic preachers of all denominations could at times speak for several hours,<ref>Francis, 10</ref> and use techniques of [[rhetoric]] and theatre that are today somewhat out of fashion in mainline churches.

During the Middle Ages, sermons inspired the beginnings of new [[religious institute]]s (e.g., [[Saint Dominic]] and [[Francis of Assisi]]). [[Pope Urban II]] began the [[First Crusade]] in November 1095 at the [[Council of Clermont]], France, when he exhorted French knights to retake the [[Holy Land]].

The academic study of sermons, the analysis and classification of their preparation, composition and delivery, is called [[homiletics]].

A controversial issue that aroused strong feelings in [[early modern Britain]] was whether sermons should be read from a fully prepared text, or extemporized, perhaps from some notes.<ref>Francis, 13–14</ref>  Many sermons have been written down, collected and published; published sermons were a major and profitable literary form, and category of books in the book trade, from at least the Late Antique Church to about the late 19th century.<ref>Francis, 19–21</ref> Many clergymen openly recycled large chunks of published sermons in their own preaching.<ref>Francis, 14</ref> Such sermons include [[John Wesley]]'s ''[[Forty-four Sermons]]'', [[John Chrysostom]]'s ''Homily on the Resurrection'' (preached every Easter in Orthodox churches) and [[Gregory of Nazianzus|Gregory Nazianzus]]' homily "On the Theophany, or Birthday of Christ" (preached every Christmas in Orthodox churches).  The 80 sermons in German of the [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] [[Johannes Tauler]] (1300–1361) were read for centuries after his death.

[[File:Martin Luther Preaching to Faithful (1561).jpg|thumb|[[Martin Luther]] Preaching to Faithful (1561)]]
[[Martin Luther]] published his sermons (''[[Postil|Hauspostille]]'') on the Sunday lessons for the edification of readers. This tradition was continued by [[Martin Chemnitz]] and [[Johann Arndt]], as well as many others into the following centuries—for example [[CH Spurgeon]]'s stenographed sermons, ''[[Charles Spurgeon#Metropolitan Tabernacle|The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit]]''.<ref>Spurgeon, C.H., ''Spurgeon's Sermons'', Baker 2003, {{ISBN|0-8010-1113-2}}</ref> The widow of [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] [[John Tillotson]] (1630–1694) received £2,500 for the manuscripts of his sermons, a very large sum.

===Lutheranism and Reformed Christianity===
[[File:Doop van Prins Maurits in de Grote Kerk te Apeldoorn ds.dr. H. Berkhoff tijdens, Bestanddeelnr 254-8166.jpg|thumb|A [[Reformed Christianity|Reformed]] Christian minister preaching from a [[pulpit]], 1968]]
The [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] led to [[Protestant]] sermons, many of which defended the [[schism (religion)|schism]] with the Roman Catholic Church and explained beliefs about the Bible, theology, and devotion.<ref>Hans J. Hillerbrand, ''Encyclopedia of Protestantism: 4-volume Set'', Routledge, Abingdon-on-Thames, 2016, p. 1843</ref> The distinctive doctrines of Protestantism held that [[justification (theology)|justification]] was by [[sola fide|faith alone]], and convincing people to believe the Gospel and place trust in God for their salvation through Jesus Christ was the decisive step in salvation.

The [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Church]]es gave importance to both the preaching of the Gospel and the celebration of the [[Eucharist]] during the [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] ([[Divine Service (Lutheran)|Divine Service]]).<ref name="Wandel2006">{{cite book |last1=Wandel |first1=Lee Palmer |title=The Eucharist in the Reformation |date=2006 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-85679-9 |pages=97–98 |language=en}}</ref> Lutheranism largely preserved the order of the Mass, including the position of the sermon within it, while giving it more prominence.<ref name="Wandel2006"/> In the [[Reformed Christianity|Reformed]] (Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Anglican and Congregationalist) churches, the sermon came to replace the Eucharist as the central act of worship. While Luther retained the use of the [[lectionary]] for selecting texts for preaching, the Swiss Reformers, such as [[Ulrich Zwingli]], [[Johannes Oecolampadius]], and [[John Calvin]], notably returned to the patristic model of preaching through books of the Bible. The goal of Protestant worship, as conditioned by these reforms, was above all to offer glory to God for the gift of grace in Jesus Christ, to rouse the congregation to a deeper [[faith]], and to inspire them to practice works of love for the benefit of the neighbor, rather than carry on with potentially empty rituals.

=== Evangelical Christianity ===
With regard to [[evangelical Christianity]], in the 18th and 19th centuries during the [[Great Awakening]], major (evangelistic) sermons were made at [[Revival meeting|revivals]], which were especially popular in the United States. These sermons were noted for their "[[Fire and brimstone|fire-and-brimstone]]" message, typified by [[Jonathan Edwards (theology)|Jonathan Edwards]]' famous "[[Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God]]" speech. In these sermons the wrath of God was intended to be made evident. Edwards also preached on ''Religious Affections'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/JonathanEdwards|title=Jonathan Edwards|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> which discussed the divided Christian world.

During [[camp meeting]]s, [[Methodist]] preachers are known for their sermons aimed at encouraging congregants to experience the [[born again|New Birth]] (first work of grace) and [[entire sanctification]] (second work of grace).<ref name="Kimbrough2007">{{cite book|last=Kimbrough|first=S. T.|title=Orthodox and Wesleyan Ecclesiology|year=2007|publisher=St. Vladimir's Seminary Press|language=en|isbn=9780881412680|page=221}}</ref>

In Evangelical Christianity, the sermon is also called the "message". It occupies an important place in [[Worship service (evangelicalism)|worship service]], half the time, about 45 to 60 minutes.<ref>Bruce E. Shields, David Alan Butzu, ''Generations of Praise: The History of Worship'', College Press, USA, 2006, p. 307-308</ref><ref>Franklin M. Segler, Randall Bradley, ''Christian Worship: Its Theology and Practice'', B&H Publishing Group, USA, 2006, p. 145</ref><ref>Pew Research Center, 
[https://www.pewforum.org/2019/12/16/the-digital-pulpit-a-nationwide-analysis-of-online-sermons/ The Digital Pulpit: A Nationwide Analysis of Online Sermons], pewforum.org, USA, December 16, 2019</ref> This message can be supported by a powerpoint, images and videos.<ref>Christina L. Baade, James Andrew Deaville, ''Music and the Broadcast Experience: Performance, Production, and Audience'', Oxford University Press, USA, 2016, p. 300</ref> In some churches, messages are grouped into thematic series.<ref>Susan Cartmell, ''UnCommon Preaching: An Alternative to the Lectionary'', Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2015, p. 27</ref> The one who brings the message is usually a [[pastor]] trained either in a [[bible college]] or independently.<ref>Michel Deneken, Francis Messner, Frank Alvarez-Pereyre, ''La théologie à l'Université: statut, programmes et évolutions'', Editions Labor et Fides, França, 2009, p. 61</ref> Evangelical sermons are broadcast on the radio, on television channels ([[televangelism]]), on the Internet, on [[web portal]]s, on the website of the churches <ref>Sébastien Fath, ''Dieu XXL, la révolution des mégachurches'', Éditions Autrement, França, 2008, p. 151-153</ref><ref>Christine Gudorf, Zainal Abidin, Mathen Tahun, "Aspirations for Modernity and Prosperity", Casemate Publishers, USA, 2015, p. 82</ref> and through social media like [[YouTube]] and [[Facebook]].<ref>Mark Ward Sr., ''The Electronic Church in the Digital Age: Cultural Impacts of Evangelical Mass Media '', ABC-CLIO, USA, 2015, p. 78</ref>

=== Roman Catholic ===
{{Further|Popular sermon}}
Roman Catholic preaching has evolved over time but generally the subject matter is similar. As the famous St. [[Alphonsus Ligouri]] states, "With regard to the subject matter of sermons. Those subjects should be selected which move most powerfully to detest sin and to love God; whence the preacher should often speak of [[Four last things|the last things]] of death, of judgment, of Hell, of Heaven, and of eternity. According to the advice of the Holy Spirit, 'Remember your last end, and you shall never sin.' (Eccl. vii. 40)."<ref>{{cite book|chapter=[[s:Sermons for all the Sundays in the year/Instructions to Preachers|Instructions to Preachers]] |title=Sermons for all the Sundays in the year|year=1882|publisher=Dublin|first=Alphonus|last=Liguori|author-link=Alphonsus Liguori}}</ref>

Among the most famous Catholic sermons are St. [[Francis of Assisi]]'s Sermon to the Birds, St. [[Alphonsus Liguori]]'s Italian [[s:Sermons for all the Sundays in the year|Sermons for all the Sundays in the year]], St. [[Robert Bellarmine]]'s sermons during the counter-reformation period in [[s:Sermons from the Latins|Sermons from the Latins]], the French [[s:The Sermons of the Curé of Ars|The Sermons of the Curé of Ars]] by St. [[John Vianney]] and the [[s:The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church|Old English sermons]] of [[Ælfric of Eynsham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.traditionalcatholicsermons.org/wordpress/ |title=Traditional Catholic Sermons |website=www.traditionalcatholicsermons.org |access-date=April 26, 2022}}</ref>

==Islam==
''[[Khutbah]]'' ({{langx|ar|خطبة}}) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the [[Islam]]ic tradition. In societies or communities with (for example) low literacy rates, strong habits of communal worship, and/or limited [[mass-media]], the preaching of sermons throughout networks of congregations can have important informative and prescriptive [[propaganda]] functions<ref>
Compare: {{cite book
| last1                 = Jackson
| first1                = Gregory S.
| chapter               = 24: America's First Mass Media: Preaching and the Protestant Sermon Tradition
| editor1-last          = Castillo
| editor1-first         = Susan
| editor2-last          = Schweitzer
| editor2-first         = Ivy
| title                 = 	A Companion to the Literatures of Colonial America
| url                   = https://books.google.com/books?id=YQxWlGD1D9YC
| series                = Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture
| location              = Malden, Massachusetts
| publisher             = Blackwell Publishing
| date      = 2005
| page                  = 402
| isbn                  = 9781405152082
| access-date            = 2017-02-05
| quote                 = Historically, the American sermon has been one of the most vital forms of mass media. Few aspects of society have remained outside its purview and regulation.
}}
</ref>
for both civil<ref>
{{cite book
| last1                 = Cooper
| first1                = John P. D.
| chapter               = 8: Propaganda
| title                 = Propaganda and the Tudor State: Political Culture in the Westcountry
| url                   = https://books.google.com/books?id=C37l-enYEScC
| series                = Oxford historical monographs
| location              = Oxford
| publisher             = Clarendon Press
| date      = 2003
| page                  = 221
| isbn                  = 9780199263875
| access-date            = 2017-02-05
| quote                 = [...] the most important of the homilies for our purposes is the tenth, 'An Exhortacion concerning Good Ordre and Obedience to Rulers and Magistrates'. It may have been written by [[Thomas Cranmer|Cranmer]] himself, although we cannot be sure. The sermon is proof that Tudor royal propaganda was directed at a mass audience.
}}
</ref>
and religious authorities—which may regulate the manner, frequency, licensing, personnel and content of preaching accordingly.<ref>
{{cite book
| last1                 = Bitzel
| first1                = Alexander
| chapter               = The theology of the sermon in the 18th century
| editor1-last          = van Eijnatten
| editor1-first         = Joris
| title                 = Preaching, Sermon and Cultural Change in the Long Eighteenth Century
| url                   = https://books.google.com/books?id=rxdF_RS5ugQC
| series                = A New History of the Sermon
| volume                = 4
| location              = Leiden
| publisher             = Brill
| date      = 2009
| page                  = 61
| isbn                  = 9789004171558
| access-date            = 2017-02-05
| quote                 = The decrees of the [[Council of Trent]] that have to do with preaching spend a great deal of effort on regulation, stipulating where and when preaching has to occur, who is allowed to preach, how the vocation to be a preacher works, and so on. Episcopal oversight over preaching is particularly precisely regulated. Behind this juridicial regulation lies the attempt to avoid, under all circumstances, the penetration of Protestant preachers into Roman Catholic congregations.
}}
</ref><ref>
Compare: {{cite book
| editor1-last          = McCullough
| editor1-first         = Peter
| editor2-last          = Adlington
| editor2-first         = Hugh
| editor3-last          = Rhatigan
| editor3-first         = Emma
| title                 = The Oxford Handbook of the Early Modern Sermon
| url                   = https://books.google.com/books?id=kjtBQiMy5ZkC
| series                = Oxford Handbooks of Literature
| location              = Oxford
| publisher             = Oxford University Press
| date      = 2011
| page                  = xv
| isbn                  = 9780199237531
| access-date            = 2017-02-05
| quote                 = The volume concludes with three appendixes of primary sources to aid understanding of the theories, reception, and regulation of preaching. The third of these ('Preaching Regulated') assembles in one place for the first time all the official acts and proclamations that governed preaching in England, Scotland and Ireland from the Reformation to the late seventeenth century.
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite book
| last1                 = Ropi
| first1                = Ismatu
| chapter               = 11: Governmentalization of Religious Policies
| title                 = Religion and Regulation in Indonesia
| url                   = https://books.google.com/books?id=ApjZDQAAQBAJ
| location              = Singapore
| publisher             = Springer
| date      = 2017
| page                  = 146
| isbn                  = 9789811028274
| access-date            = 2017-02-06
| quote                 = [General [[Alamsyah Ratu Perwiranegara|Alamsjah]],] the first Minister of Religious Affairs to develop the model of religious harmony in practice [...] developed a variety of policies increasingly instrusive in nature. [...] [T]he regime regulated how the ''kuliah subuh'' (sermon following the dawn prayer) should be presented through radio broadcasts.[...] It also made rules on the allowable terms, methods and contents of ''dakwah'' in sermons to audiences.[...] Moreover, certain technicalities on delivering ''dakwah'' or preaching were also tightly regulated. For example, the instructions of the Directorate-General of Islamic Guidance contained guidelines for the use of loudspeakers in mosques, and other smaller Islamic places of worship like ''mushalla'' and ''langgar''.
}}
</ref>

==Types==
There are a number of different types of sermons, that differ both in their subject matter and by their intended audience, and accordingly not every preacher is equally well-versed in every type. Some types of sermon include:
<!-- New links in alphabetical order please -->
* {{anchor|Biographical sermons}}[[Biographical]] sermons – tracing the story of a particular biblical character through a number of parts of the Bible.
* [[Evangelistic]] sermons (associated with the Greek word ''[[kerygma]]'') – seeking to convert the hearers or bring them back to their previous faith through a recounting of the [[foundational story]] of the religion, in Christianity, the [[Good news (Christianity)|Good News]]. 
* [[Expository preaching]] – [[exegesis]], that is sermons that expound and explain a text to the congregation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Perry |first=Simon |title=How Biblical is Expository Preaching? |url=http://www.simonperry.org.uk/#/exposition/4550415875 |work=The Baptist Times |access-date=April 13, 2011}}</ref>
*Fast sermons - Between January 1642 and April 1649, these were regular sermons preached in the [[Parliament of England|English Parliament]] on the fourth Wednesday of every month.<ref>Larminie, V., [https://historyofparliamentonline.org/themes/religion/fast-sermons Fast Sermons], ''The History of Parliament'', accessed on 3 October 2024</ref>
* Historical sermons – which seek to portray a biblical story within its non-biblical historical perspective.<ref>Schüch, Ignaz (1894) ''A manual of homiletics and catechetics: the priest in the pulpit'' (Boniface Luebbermann, editor and translator) Benziger, New York, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ITQsAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA169 p. 169], [http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/15157571 OCLC 15157571]</ref>
* [[Hortatory]] sermons (associated with the Greek word {{Lang|grc-latn|didache}}) – exhort a return to living ethically, in Christianity a return to living on the basis of the gospel.
* Illuminative sermons, also known as proems ({{Lang|he-latn|petihta}}) – which connect an apparently unrelated biblical verse or religious question with the current calendrical event or festival.<ref>Holtz, Barry W. (1984) ''Back to the Sources: Reading the classic Jewish texts'' Summit Books, New York, [https://books.google.com/books?id=rQ_FVFlRhxsC&pg=PA198 p. 198], {{ISBN|0-671-45467-6}}</ref>
* Liturgical sermons – sermons that explain the [[liturgy]], why certain things are done during a service, such as why [[Mass (liturgy)#Communion rite|communion]] is offered and what it means.<ref>Schüch, Ignaz (1894) ''A manual of homiletics and catechetics: the priest in the pulpit'' (Boniface Luebbermann, editor and translator) Benziger, New York, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ITQsAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA170 p. 170], [http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/oclc/15157571 OCLC 15157571]</ref>
* {{anchor|Narrative sermons}}Narrative sermons – which tell a story, often a parable, or a series of stories, to make a moral point.
* [[Redemptive-Historical Preaching|Redemptive-historical preaching]] – sermons that take into consideration the context of any given text within the broader history of salvation as recorded in the canon of the bible.
* Topical sermons – concerned with a particular subject of current concern;

Sermons can be both written and spoken out loud.

==Delivery methods==

Sermons also differ in the amount of time and effort used to prepare them. Some are [[Manuscript|script]]ed while others are not.

With the advent of [[reception theory]], researchers also became aware that how sermons are listened to affects their meaning as much as how they are delivered.  The expectations of the congregation, their prior experience of listening to oral texts, their level of scriptural education, and the relative social positions—often reflected in the physical arrangement—of sermon-goers vis-a-vis the preacher are part of the meaning of the sermon.

[[Albert Raboteau]] describes a common style of Black preaching first developed in America in the early 19th century, and common throughout the 20th and into the 21st centuries:

{{blockquote|The preacher begins calmly, speaking in conversational, if oratorical and occasionally grandiloquent, prose; he then gradually begins to speak more rapidly, excitedly, and to chant his words and time to a regular beat; finally, he reaches an emotional peak in which the chanted speech becomes tonal and merges with the singing, clapping, and shouting of the congregation.<ref>
Albert Raboteau, ''A Fire in the Bones, Reflections on African-American Religious History'' (1995), pp. 143–44
</ref>}}

=== Impromptu preaching ===

''Impromptu preaching'' is a sermon technique where the preacher exhorts the congregation without any previous preparation. It can be aided with a reading of a [[Bible]] passage, aleatory opened or not, or even without any scriptural reference.

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit gives disciples the inspiration to speak:<BR>
Matthew 10:16-20<BR>
{{poem quote|16: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
17: But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
18: And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
19: But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.
20: For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.}}

According to some people, when Jesus says "take no thought how or what ye shall speak" he is saying that it is better not to script your speeches or sermons, but to let the Holy Spirit of your Father speak through you. Others see the expression as simply a comforting exhortation not to worry or be anxious, but to rest confident that God is in control (cf. Phil. 2:12-13). In other places the apostle Paul emphatically underscored the importance of diligent work in study and preparation (I Tim. 4:13-16; II Tim. 2:15).

Today impromptu preaching is practiced by unprogrammed [[Quakers]], [[Mennonites]] and some [[Pentecostals]].

=== Extemporaneous preaching ===

''Extemporaneous preaching'' is a style of preaching involving extensive preparation of all the sermon except for the precise wording. The topic, basic structure and scripture to be used are all determined in advance, and the preachers saturate themselves in the details necessary to present their message so thoroughly that they are able to present the message with neither detailed notes nor perhaps even an outline. Consequently, unprepared preachers may find themselves unable to deliver a message with the same precision as people using detailed notes or memorizing detailed aspects of their speech.

While some might say this style is distinct from impromptu preaching, and that the preacher gives no specific preparation to their message, what Charles Spurgeon referred to as "impromptu preaching" he considered to be the same as extemporaneous preaching.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Spurgeon|first1=C.H.|title=Lectures to my students : complete & unabridged.|date=1989|publisher=Ministry Resources Library, Zondervan Publishing House|location=Grand Rapids, Mich.|isbn=978-0-310-32911-4|pages=140|edition=New ed. containing selected lectures from series 1, 2 and 3.}}</ref> In his sermon "The Faculty of Impromptu Speech", he describes extemporaneous preaching as a process of the preacher immersing himself in the Scriptures and prayer, knowing it so well that he only needs to find the appropriate words in the moment that the sermon is given. He states,

{{blockquote|Only thoughtless persons think this to be easy; it is at once the most laborious and the most efficient mode of preaching[.]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Spurgeon|first1=C.H.|title=Lectures to my students : complete & unabridged.|date=1989|publisher=Ministry Resources Library, Zondervan Publishing House|location=Grand Rapids, Mich.|isbn=978-0-310-32911-4|pages=142|edition=New ed. containing selected lectures from series 1, 2 and 3.}}</ref>}}

[[Henry Ware Jr.]] states,
{{blockquote|The first thing to be observed is, that the student who would acquire facility in this art, should bear it constantly in mind, and have regard to it in all his studies and in his whole mode of study.{{quote without source|date=April 2012}}}}

On the other hand, it is distinct from many other forms of [[memorization|memorized]] preaching. Proponents claim that the importance of preaching demands it be extemporaneous.

{{blockquote|A reflecting mind will feel as if it were infinitely out of place to present in the pulpit to immortal souls, hanging upon the verge of everlasting death, such specimens of learning and rhetoric.|author=Charles Finney{{quote without source|date=April 2012}}}}

The style was popular in the late 19th century among [[Baptist]] ([[Primitive Baptist]] especially), [[Methodist]], [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]], and some [[Presbyterians]] preachers, such as [[Blackleach Burritt]].<ref>{{cite book|url=http://www.worldcat.org/wcpa/ow/14079585 |title=Sketch of Rev. Blackleach Burritt and related Stratford families : a paper read before the Fairfield County Historical Society, at Bridgeport, Conn., Friday evening, Feb. 19, 1892|first=Marcius D|last=Raymond|publisher=M.D. Raymond|year=1892}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tvo6AAAAMAAJ&dq=family+of+blackleach+burritt,+jr+and+peleg+burritt,+jr&pg=PA11|title=The Family of Blackleach Burritt, Jr|first=Alice|last=Burritt|publisher=Gibson Brothers|year=1911}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/biographicalske04dextgoog |quote=Sketch of the life of Rev. Blackleach Burritt. |title=Biographical Sketches of the Graduates of Yale College with Annals of the College History|first=Franklin B|last=Dexter|publisher=Henry Holt & Company|year=1903|page=[https://archive.org/details/biographicalske04dextgoog/page/n117 103]}}</ref> Some of the more famous [[preacher]]s who employed it were [[Charles Haddon Spurgeon]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Spurgeon|first1=C.H.|title=Lectures to my students : complete & unabridged.|date=1989|publisher=Ministry Resources Library, Zondervan Publishing House|location=Grand Rapids, Mich.|isbn=978-0-310-32911-4|pages=140–153|edition=New ed. containing selected lectures from series 1, 2 and 3.}}</ref> [[Charles Grandison Finney]] and [[Peter Cartwright (exhorter)|Peter Cartwright]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2007}}

==Secular usage==
In informal usage, the word ''sermon'' is used in secular terms, usually disapprovingly,<ref>{{cite web |title=sermon noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes {{!}} Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com |url=https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/american_english/sermon |website=www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com |access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref> to refer to "a long talk in which someone advises other people how they should behave in order to be better people".<ref>{{cite web |title=sermon |url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sermon |website=dictionary.cambridge.org |access-date=18 February 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
'''Buddhism'''
*[[Dharma talk]] (Dhamma talk)
*[[Pariyatti]]
*[[Agga Maha Pandita]]

'''Christianity'''
*[[Expository preaching]]
*[[Extemporaneous preaching]]
*[[Popular Sermon of the Medieval Friar]]
*[[Preacher]]
*[[List of preachers]]
*[[Redemptive-Historical Preaching|Redemptive-historical preaching]]

'''Judaism'''
* [[Jewish ethics]]
* [[Jewish meditation]]
* [[Rabbinical literature]]
* [[Midrash]]
* [[Musar literature]]

'''Islam'''
*[[Nahj al Balagha]]
*[[Qur'an reading]]
*[[The Sermon for Necessities]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
* Francis, Keith A., Gibson, William, et al., ''The Oxford Handbook of the British Sermon 1689-1901'', 2012 OUP, {{ISBN|0199583595}}, 9780199583591, [https://books.google.com/books?id=G8EgmQCCyvQC&pg=PA14 google books]

== Further reading ==
*  Corran, Mary Cunningham and [[Pauline Allen]], eds. ''Preacher and Audience: Studies in Early Christian Homiletics'' (A New History of the Sermon; Brill, 1998) 
* d'Avray, David L. ''The preaching of the friars'' (Oxford University Press, 1985)
* DeBona, Guerric, OSB. ''Fulfilled in Our Hearing: History and Method of Christian Preaching'' (Paulist Press. 2005) on Catholic preaching
* Donavin, Georgiana, Cary J. Nederman, and Richard Utz, eds. ''Speculum Sermonis: Interdisciplinary Reflections on the Medieval Sermon''. Turnhout: Brepols, 2007.
* Edwards, O. C., Jr.  ''A History of Preaching.''  Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004.  {{ISBN|0-687-03864-2}}
* Larsen, David L. ''The company of the preachers: A history of biblical preaching from the Old Testament to the modern era'' (Kregel Publications, 1998)
* Spencer, H. Leith. ''English Preaching in the Late Middle Ages'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1993)
* Sullivan, Ceri, 'The Art of Listening in the Seventeenth Century', ''Modern Philology'' 104.1 (2006), pp.&nbsp;34–71
* Willimon, William H. and [[Richard Lischer]], eds.  ''Concise Encyclopedia of Preaching.''  Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995.  {{ISBN|0-664-21942-X}}
*[https://www.teof.uni-lj.si/uploads/File/BV/BV2021/03/Szewczyk.pdf Szewczyk, Leszek. The Specific Content of Preaching the Word of God in a Secularized Environment. ''Bogoslovni vestnik'' 81, no. 3:721-732.]

===Primary sources===
*Holtz, Sabine, [http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0159-20101025352 ''Predigt: Religiöser Transfer über Postillen''], [[European History Online]], [[Institute of European History]], Mainz 2011, retrieved: 25 February 2013.
*Warner, Michael, ed. ''American Sermons: The Pilgrims to Martin Luther King Jr.'' (New York: The Library of America, 1999) {{ISBN|1-883011-65-5}}

==External links==
*{{Wiktionary-inline|sermon|preach}}
*{{Wikiquote-inline}}
*{{Wikiquote-inline|Preaching}}
*{{commons category-inline|Sermons}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/@BiilyGrahamSermons Christian Sermons] Bible Sermons
*{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Sermon | volume= 24 |last= Gosse |first= Edmund William |author-link= Edmund William Gosse| pages = 673&ndash;674 |short = 1}}
*[https://bibleinterpretation.org/ Bibleinterpretation.org] Bible Interpretation by Rev. Abraham Mutholath in English.
*[https://bibleinterpretation.ai/ Bibleinterpretation.ai] AI Bible Interpretation by Fr. Abraham Mutholathu Foundation NFP.
*[https://biblereflection.org/ Biblereflection.org] Bible Interpretation with reflection by Rev. Abraham Mutholath in English.
*[https://christianhomily.com/ Christianhomily.com] Sunday and Feast Homily Resources in English and Homily Videos in Malayalam by Fr. Abraham Mutholath

{{Sermon on the Mount|state=collapsed}}
{{Lutheran Divine Service}}
{{Lutheranism topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Speeches by type]]
[[Category:Sermons| ]]
[[Category:Homiletics]]
[[Category:Christian genres]]
[[Category:Musar movement]]
[[Category:Salah]]
[[Category:Islamic sermons]]