The Preached Word as God's Living Voice: Luther's Theology of Preaching

Abstract

This paper attempts to investigate into Luther's contribution to the theology of preaching, in the backdrop of preaching by the parish priests in late medieval Germany. The hermeneutical method used by Martin Luther was simple and was in-line with intertextuality and Christocentric interpretation. In this study the unique hermeneutical methods and their presuppositions in comparison to several contemporary preachers of Luther's day are examined. The Reformation ideologies are celebrated in preaching—the views on the Scriptural authority, the power and nature of spoken word, the Law and its relationship to the Gospel, Christ's soteriological centeredness, preaching as sacrament, Holy Spirit's role in spoken word and eschatological conflict are few themes that gained prominence in Luther's rhetoric. Hence the radical themes that resonated in the Reformation and how Luther developed those themes in his preaching ministry are also studied. Finally, the present study will demonstrate the significance of Luther's theology of preaching for today's context and draw present-day applications from Luther's contribution to the pulpit ministry.