Date
2-2011
Department
Seminary
Degree
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Chair
Frank Schmitt
Primary Subject Area
Religion, Biblical Studies; Religion, General; Theology
Keywords
Minor Prophets, Old Testament, Postmodernism, Preaching, Relevance, Sermons
Recommended Citation
Moulton, Bruce Mires, "Analyzing the Applicability of Preaching the Minor Prophets in the 21st Century" (2011). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 407.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/407
Abstract
In this writer's estimation too many preachers have deemed the prophetic and eschatological Scriptures irrelevant, controversial and hard for preachers to understand as well as confusing for the average church member to grasp. Furthermore, many preachers seem to favor preaching and teaching the New Testament in contrast to the Old Testament. Seemingly, the emphasis today is on evangelism and contemporary issues of life. Consequently, these concerns have caused many to completely avoid or sparingly discuss the book of Revelation, many of the major Old Testament prophetic books and equally as important the Minor Prophets.
Understandably, it is the aim of this project to encourage and awaken the evangelical community to the importance, relevance and applicability of the Minor Prophets in the 21st Century. Such a study will reveal the cohesiveness of the Minor Prophets with the whole of Scripture; the mandate to preach the whole Bible; and an explicit declaration of the impact of these books upon the unfolding of history and the personal and spiritual lives of both the preacher and the congregant.
Initially, a clear description of the problem will be given. Ample attention shall be placed on understanding the rationale for preaching certain subjects, the impact of the preacher's style on the subjects chosen and the preference for preaching from the New Testament rather than the Old Testament. Likewise, counterarguments will be leveraged upon these rationales in favor of preaching from the Minor Prophets proportionately. In a broad perspective, select portions of the Minor Prophets will be analyzed to clarify their effectiveness and relevancy to contemporary issues in the lives of people. Similarly, select eschatological implications in the Minor Prophets will be analyzed, which exposes the lucid, relevant and imminent nature of the Minor Prophets. Overall, underlying this theoretical study, a theological and practical approach to understanding and preaching the Minor Prophets will emerge.
