A HOMILETIC THEORY FOR THE UPBUILDING OF THE CHURCH

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What is the metaphor?

I shall now discuss the definition and role of the metaphor, and then, the different kinds of metaphor.
A metaphor juxtaposes two things – most often attributing an unusual quality to some common quality (cf Vos 2004:6). Metaphor places some feature (the “vehicle”) in a relationship with another reality (the “tenor”) (Kysar 1999:29). For instance, someone says “Jonesville Church is a recycling centre”. The congregation know what a recycling centre is. But describing the congregation as a recycling centre may surprise them, since they do not usually think of the church as dealing with trash. Attributing the characteristics of a recycling centre to a congregation provokes them to think about how a church could have such characteristics. Usually the subject or tenor (Jonesville Church) is an ordinary one and the predicate or vehicle (a recycling centre) one that is not commonly used of the subject. Therefore a metaphor is defined as assigning an odd characteristic to something in a way that violates the ordinary language of a particular community.
Kysar (1999:30) states that metaphors have at least three different shapes. First, some metaphors are not true metaphors in the sense that they simply ask people to substitute ordinary language for the unusual words or phrases. Sometimes metaphorical comparison is easily translated back into ordinary language; that is, the congregation may substitute a proposition for the metaphorical language and thereby capture its meaning. Second, in another kind of metaphor one thing is compared with another by the inclusion of the words “like” or “as”. For example, Jesus is frequently reported as saying, “the kingdom of heaven is like…” (eg, Matt 13:44, 45, and 47). What follows the “like” is every bit as stimulating as it would be had Jesus not used the comparative word “like”, but Jesus tips off his listeners to be ready for the metaphor that follows. In doing so, he diminishes the surprise of associating something with God’s role. Third some metaphors are direct and immediate in their creation of an extraordinary relationship in words and phrases. Pure metaphor avails itself of the element of surprise, especially when it is found in a generally non-poetic kind of work, and surprise is one of the ways metaphor works (Kysar 1999:31).

How does metaphor work?

Next, how metaphor connects two realities will be discussed (Vos 2004:6). Metaphors create tension in order to allow us to appreciate the impact, newness and freshness of metaphors (Vos 2004:5). A metaphor helps us to begin to understand the unknown in terms of the known. Kysar (1999:31-33) refers to several ways in which metaphors do this. Firstly, a metaphor works by violating literal meaning (Kysar 1999:31). Secondly, metaphor functions through the friction or tension it creates by means of the relationship between (or among) the terms. The friction begins with the strain created by the literal and metaphorical meanings. For example, Trees clapping their hands: We imagine it literally and then metaphorically. The tension tightens as we consider the sense in which the relationship is true and false at the same time. Trees cannot clap; but maybe nature rejoices – this creates another metaphor to help us understand the first. As a result of this quality, metaphors tend to create a view of reality that is tensive, that is, that has a both/ and quality about it. Thirdly, through this tension, metaphors create new meaning.
Fourthly, a metaphor’s meaning is found, therefore, in something more fundamental. The provocative relationship articulates some fundamental experience and thereby opens a worldview. The meaning of religious metaphor especially is found in the peculiar vision of reality it suggests. That vision is essentially a matter of how we understand ourselves, our experience, and the whole realm of reality in which we find ourselves. Finally, metaphor works with the plastic quality of language to fire imagination. Metaphors arise from and appeal to the human capacity to visualise new possibilities. Only if we can imagine the possibility of a new and different world can these strange metaphorical associations mean anything to us.
Metaphor are sparks ignited by imagination (Vos 2004:1). Imagination is something other than fantasy. Fantasy is an escape from reality, whereas imagination expands and enriches reality (Riegert 1990:58-59). According to Vos (2004:10), the liturgy leaves space for imagination. In this space our relationship with God, our neighbour and the world can be creatively explored and deepened. This imagination brings people into contact with the kingdom of God where we find not solely peace but also discord, conflict and pain. Imagination makes it possible for us to encounter and experience God in his different “guises” under different circumstances. A theology of imagination sees the Invisible, even if God’s footprints cannot always be seen in the dusty paths of life (Vos 2004:10). Imagination also makes room for various images of other people. People appear in their vulnerability, fragility, their hunger for power and fame, their vindictiveness and vengefulness, their charity, gentleness, goodness, affection and courtesy. Imagination also feeds ethical actions (Vos 2004:11). It enables people to seek and discover new ways of making their interaction with other human beings meaningful and happy.

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Metaphor and self-understanding

Root metaphors create relationships among other metaphors. Such metaphors give birth to new understandings of the world and the congregation’s understanding of themselves. Root metaphors play a key role in shaping self-understanding. George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980:5) discovered that certain metaphors function as sources for much ordinary speech. They explained that rich and encompassing metaphors provide the framework within which we conceive and interpret all our experience.
For example, when it is said, “We are children of God” this metaphor suggests a peculiar relationship between humans and the Ultimate Reality. In this way, metaphor can create and express human self-understanding. Self-identity is constructed out of attributing some quality to our person – a quality that may or may not be literally appropriate either to humans or to the whole of reality.

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 The problem and its setting
1.2 Aim and objectives
1.3 Hypotheses
1.4 Methodology
1.4.1 Practical theology and homiletics
1.4.2 Practical theology
1.4.2.1 A brief history of the understanding of practical theology
1.4.2.2 Definition and characteristics of practical theology
1.4.2.3 A methodology of practical theology
1.4.2.4 Three domains of action of practical theology
1.5 Method: Process of research
1.5.1 The interpretative perspective
1.5.2 The explanatory perspective
1.5.3 The strategic perspective
1.6 Definition of terms
CHAPTER 2 A HOMILETIC THEORY FOR THE UPBUILDING OF THE CHURCH
2.1 The context of the church
2.1.1 Modernisation
2.1.1.1 Rationalisation
2.1.1.2 Secularisation
2.1.1.3 Pluralisation
2.1.2 Conclusion
2.2 Articulating a faithful and relevant ecclesiology in transition
2.2.1 Defining the church from a missional perspective
2.2.2 The identity of the church as a missional community
2.2.3 The mission of the church as the representation of the reign of God
2.2.4 Conclusion
2.3 Ricoeur’s model for the formation of the identity of the community
2.3.1 The characteristics of the identity of individual and community
2.3.2 Two dimensions of the identity of the community
2.3.3 Three models of the formation of the identity of community
2.3.4 Conclusion
2.4 Homiletic implications of Ricoeur’s model for the upbuilding of the church
2.4.1 Preaching as an act of translation
2.4.1.1 The characteristics of authoritarian communicatio
2.4.1.2 The characteristics of dialogue communication
2.4.2 Preaching as an act of exchange
2.4.2.1 Remembering memories of individuals and communities
2.4.2.2 An ecclesial homiletic hermeneutic
2.4.2.3 Sharing memories through narrative preaching
2.4.3 Preaching as an act of forgiveness
2.4.3.1 Preaching as an act of being a community
2.4.3.2 Preaching as an act of being a servant
2.4.3.3 Preaching as an act of being a messenger
2.4.4 Conclusion
2.5 Summary and Conclusion
CHAPTER 3 CONTEMPORARY ECCLESIOLOGY AND HOMILETIC PRAXIS IN THE KOREAN CONTEXT
3.1 Contemporary ecclesiology of the church in Korea
3.1.1 A brief history of the church and its ecclesiology in Korea
3.1.1.1 The dawn of Protestant Christianity in Korea (1884-1910)
3.1.1.2 The church under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945)
3.1.1.3 The church during the Korean War and subseque recovery (1945-1960)
3.1.1.4 The church in “the conversion boom” period (1960-1990s)
3.1.2 Analysis and interpretation of ecclesiology of the Korean church
3.1.2.1 Sociopolitical perspective
3.1.2.2 Religious perspective
3.1.2.3 Ecclesiastical perspective
3.1.3 Conclusion
3.2 Contemporary theory and praxis of preaching in Korea with regard to an ecclesiology
3.2.1 Critical evaluation of the praxis of Korean preaching
3.2.1.1 An emphasis on a personal relationship with God
3.2.1.2 An emphasis on God’s blessing as the fruit of personal devotion and faithful commitment to church activities
3.2.1.3 An emphasis on the church-growth model of evangelism
3.3 Summary and Conclusion
CHAPTER 4 AN ADJUSTED THEORY FOR PRAXIS
4.1 A theory of preaching for forming a faithful and relevant ecclesiology
4.2 An adjusted theory for praxis
4.3 Conclusion
BIBLIOGRAPHY