PD III: HOMILETICS
1998-99
Syllabus and Class Schedule
Instructors:
Rabbi Michael Cook
Rabbi Kenneth Ehrlich
Rabbi Abie Ingber
I. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Attendance and participation at every session.
(Note: Classes will meet once every week on Wednesdays - during the
entire academic year. The Nov. 23 and March 29 sessions will be held
on Mondays.)
2. Written assignments of varying type, as noted. These must be
submitted on time!
3. Readings as indicated.
4. Attendance at Chapel Services, especially those services that
include student and faculty sermons.
II. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Segment One Text Sermons (17 Sessions, beginning September 2)
3 Texts/Text Analyses/Propositions
2 Outlines
2 Text Sermons
1 D'var Torah
Essay: "My Thoughts on Preaching"
Segment Two Non-Text Sermons (11 Sessions, beginning February 24)
2 outlines
2 Non-Text Sermons
1 Eulogy
III. PREPARING COPIES OF WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
1. Please submit assignments to your instructor on Mondays.
2. You should also distribute copies of your written work to classmates
on Mondays. Please see Mrs. Stulz in the Duplicating Room on the
4th Floor for instructions on xeroxing. Please collate and staple
your work.
3. Please type (double-spaced) and proofread your work! (Speling
mistakes and grammatical errors ain't going to be tolerated!)
The instructors appreciate your cooperation. Thank you.IV. READINGS
Required readings:
Each student should purchase the following:
William Strunk and E.B. White, Elements of Style (Revised 1971).
Eugene Mihaly, A Song To Creation (Hebrew Union College Press, 1975).
Homiletics I: Readings.
For further information:
The following can be found either in the "Reference" section of the Klau
Library, or on the "Reserve" shelf:
Jewish Encyclopedia article on "Bible Exegesis"
Israel Bettan, Studies in Jewish Preaching (HUC Press, 1939).
Abraham Cohen, Jewish Homiletics (M.L. Cailingold, 1937).
Lionel Crocker, "A Rhetorical Analysis of Harry Emerson Fosdick's Sermon,
'The Power to See It Through'," in Lionel Crocker (ed), Harry Emerson
Fosdick's Art of Preaching: An Anthology (Charles C. Thomas, 1971).
David Curzon (ed), Modern Poems on the Bible: An Anthology (The Jewish
Publication Society, 1994).
Douglas Ehninger, "Toward a Taxonomy of Prescriptive Discourse," in Eugene White (ed), Rhetoric in Transition: Studies in the Nature and Uses of Rhetoric
(The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1980).
Solomon Freehof, Modern Jewish Preaching (Bloch Publishing Co., 1941).
Robert Friedenberg, Hear O Israel: The History of American Jewish
Preaching, 1654- 1970. (University of Alabama, 1989).
Barry Holtz, Back to the Sources: Reading the Classical Jewish Texts
(Summit Books, 1984).
Robert Katz, "The Rabbi as Preacher and/or Counselor: A Frame of
Reference," CCAR Journal (June 1958).
Edmond Holt Linn, Preaching as Counseling: The Unique Method of Harry
Emerson Fosdick (The Judson Press, 1966).
Wayne C. Mannebach and Joseph M. Mazza, Speaking From The Pulpit
(The Judson Press, 1969).
Eugene Mihaly (ed), Aspects of Jewish Homiletics, Vols. I-VI. Lectures
delivered in the Hebrew Union College Chapel, 1957-1964.
Dale Patrick and Allan Scult, Rhetoric and Biblical Interpretation
(The Almond Press, 1989).
Marc Saperstein, Jewish Preaching 1200-1800: An Anthology (Yale
University Press, 1989).
Marc Saperstein, "Your Voice Like a Ram's Horn": Themes and Texts in
Traditional Jewish Preaching (HUC Press, 1996).
Frank Talmage, "Apples of Gold: The Inner Meaning of Texts in Medieval
Judaism," in Arthur Green (ed), Jewish Spirituality from the Bible
through the Middle Ages(Crossroad, 1986).
Additional resources:
Many resources (in English) are available in the Klau Library:
Harvey J. Fields, A Torah Commentary for Our Times, (New York: UAHC, 1990).
Nehama Leibowitz, Studies in Genesis/Exodus/Leviticus/Numbers/Deuteronomy
(Jerusalem: Jewish Agency, 1976).
Elie Munk, The Call of the Torah (New York: Feldheim, 1969).
W. Gunther Plaut, The Torah: A Modern Commentary (New York: UAHC, 1981).
----------, The JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia: JPS, 1989).
It is often helpful to consult sermon collections. In particular:
Samuel Chiel, Discovering Life's Meaning (Hoboken, New Jersey: Ktav, 1990).
Jeffrey M. Cohen, Moments of Insight (London: Vallentine, Mitchell, 1989).
Seymour J. Cohen, Affirming Life (Hoboken, New Jersey: Ktav, 1987).
Beryl D. Cohon, Come, Let Us Reason Together (New York: Bloch Publishing,
1977).
Dov Peretz Elkins, A Tradition Reborn (New York: A.S. Barnes and Company,
1973).
Solomon B. Freehof, Bible Sermons for Today (New York: Ktav, 1973).
----------, Modern Jewish Preaching.
----------, Spoken and Heard: Sermons and Addresses by Solomon B. Freehof
(Pittsburgh: Rodeph Shalom, 1972).
Sidney Greenberg, Words To Live By: Selected Writings of Rabbi Sidney
Greenberg(Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1990).
----------, Finding Ourselves.
----------, Say Yes to Life.
----------, Lessons for Living (New York: Hartmore House, 1985).
Zevi Hirsch Masliansky, Sermons (New York: Hebrew Publishing Company, 1960).
Israel Mowshowitz and Debra Orenstein, From Generation to Generation
(New York: New York Board of Rabbis, 1992.
Shmuel Werzberger, Torah: A Way of Life, A Way to Life (Hoboken, New
Jersey: Ktav, 1989).
Isaac M. Wise, Sermons by American Rabbis (CCAR, Chicago 1896).
For sermon collections for the High Holy Days, consult:
Sidney Greenberg, Teaching and Preaching: High Holiday Bible Themes
Vol. 1 & 2 (New York: Hartmore House, 1973).
Eugene J. Lipman, Yamim Nora'im: Sinai Sermons (Washington, D.C.: Temple
Sinai, 1987.
Jack Riemer, The World of the High Holy Days (Miami: Bernie Books, 1991-2).
Some helpful collections of eulogies include:
Hershel Cohen and Victor H. Solomon, Nahalat Shafra: A Book of Eulogettes
(Hoboken, New Jersey: Ktav, 1990).
Russell H. Conwell, One Thousand Thoughts for Funeral Occasions (New York:
Harper & Brothers, 1912).
William Ketcham, Funeral Sermons and Outline Addresses (New York: Harper &
Brothers, 1989).
Some of the more helpful anthologies are:
Jacob M. Braude, Complete Speaker's and Toastmaster's Library (Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1965).
A. Cohen, Everyman's Talmud (New York: Schocken Books, 1975).
Clifton Fadiman, The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes (Boston: Little,
Brown and Co., 1985).
Sidney Greenberg, A Treasury of Comfort.
----------, A Treasury of the Art of Living (New York, Hartmore House, 1963).
----------, A Treasury of Thoughts on Jewish Prayer.
----------, Light from Jewish Lamps (Northvale, New Jersey: Jason Aronson,
Inc., 1986).
C.G. Montefiore and H. Loewe, A Rabbinic Anthology (New York: Schocken
Books, 1974).
Louis I. Newman, The Talmudic Anthology (New York: Behrman House, 1945).
Charles L. Wallis, A Treasury of Sermon Illustrations (New York: Abingdon
Press, 1950).
Robert F. Weir, Death in Literature (New York: Columbia University Press,
1980).
John Whitecross, Anecdotes Illustrative of A Select Passage in Each
Chapter of The Old Testament (London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co., 186?).
Students may find it useful to subscribe to one or more of the following
periodicals/series:
Harry Essrig (ed.), The American Rabbi (West Hills, California: Pastoral
Services).
Saul I. Teplitz (ed.), Best Jewish Sermons (Middle Village, New York:
Jonathan David, 1960s+).
William H. Willimon, Pulpit Resource (St. Paul: Logos Productions).V.
CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS
A: THE TEXT SERMON
Sept. 2 Introduction: The History, Form, and Function of the Jewish Sermon
Read:
Encyclopedia Judaica, "Preaching" (13:994-1007); "Homiletic Literature"
(8:946-960)
Jewish Encyclopedia, "Homiletics" (6:454-457)
Israel Bettan, Studies in Jewish Preaching, pp. 3-48
For further information read:
A. Cohen, Jewish Homiletics, pp. 1-43
Robert Friedenberg, Hear O Israel, pp. 59-84
Hyman Schachtel, "Varieties of Preachers and Preaching," in Eugene
Mihaly (ed), Aspects of Jewish Homiletics, vol. VII
Solomon Freehof, Modern Jewish Preaching, pp. 21-40
Marc Saperstein, Jewish Preaching 1200-1800, pp. 26-63
Assignment: Essay, "My Thoughts on Preaching"
Sept. 9 How the Rabbis Read the Text: Text and Text Analysis
Read:
Israel Bettan, Studies in Jewish Preaching, pp. 89-129
Eugene Mihaly, A Song To Creation
For further information read:
Joseph Narot, "The Textual Sermon," in Aspects of Jewish Homiletics,
vol. V
Barry W. Holtz, "Midrash," in Back to the Sources, pp. 177-211
David Curzon, Modern Poems on the Bible, pp. 3-19
Jewish Encyclopedia, "Bible Exegesis" (3: 162-174)
Frank Talmage, "Apples of Gold: The Inner Meaning of Sacred Texts in
Medieval Judaism," in Arthur Green (ed), Jewish Spirituality from the
Bible Through the Middle Ages, pp.313-355
A. Cohen, Jewish Homiletics, pp. 44-66
Solomon Freehof, Modern Jewish Preaching, pp. 41-58
Dale Patrick and Allen Scult, Rhetoric and Biblical Interpretation,
pp. 11-44
Sept. 16 From Text to Proposition
Read:
Michael Cook, "Structuring Textual Sermons," pp. 1-12
Edmond Holt Linn, Preaching as Counseling, pp. 11-26
For further information read:
Robert Katz, "The Rabbi as Preacher and/or Counselor," in CCAR Journal,
June 1958, pp. 22-35
Roland Gittlesohn, "Speak to the Children of Israel," in Aspects of
Jewish Homiletics, vol. VI
Assignment: T/TA/Propositions #1,#2,#3
Oct. 7 Review T/TA/Propositions #1,#2,#3
Oct. 14 Review T/TA/Propositions #1,#2,#3 (continued)
Oct. 21 The Rules of Rhetoric: The Body of the Sermon
Read:
Cook, "Structuring Textual Sermons," pp. 13-20
A. Cohen, Jewish Homiletics, pp. 160-181
For further information read:
Douglas Ehninger, "Toward a Taxonomy of Prescriptive Discourse," in
Eugene White (ed), Rhetoric in Transition: Studies in the Nature and
Uses of Rhetoric. pp. 89-100
Marc Saperstein, Jewish Preaching 1200-1800, pp. 63-79
Marc Saperstein, "Your Voice Like a Ram's Horn", pp. 107-126
Edmond Holt Linn, Preaching As Counseling, pp. 66-89
Wayne Mannebach and Joseph Mazza, Speaking From the Pulpit, pp. 9-65
Oct. 28 The Rules of Rhetoric: Introduction, Conclusion, and Illustrations
Read:
A. Cohen, Jewish Homiletics, pp.136-159
For further information read:
Marc Saperstein, Jewish Preaching 1200-1800, pp. 93-103
Edmond Holt Linn, Preaching As Counseling, pp. 90-141
Lionel Crocker, "A Rhetorical Analysis of Harry Emerson Fosdick's Sermon,
'The Power to See It Through'," in Lionel Crocker (ed), Harry Emerson
Fosdick's Art of Preaching: An Anthology, pp. 255-273
Assignment: Outline #1
Nov. 4 Review Outline #1
Nov. 11 Review Outline #1
Assignment: Sermon #1
Nov. 18 Review Sermon #1
Nov. 23 Review Sermon #1
Assignment: Outline #2
Dec. 2 Review Outline #2
Dec. 9 Review Outline #2
Assignment: Sermon #2
Jan. 27 Review Sermon #2
Feb. 3 Review Sermon #2
Feb. 10 The D'var Torah
Assignment: D'var Torah
Feb. 17 Review D'var Torah
B: THE NON-TEXT SERMON
Feb. 24 Introduction: The Non-Text Sermon
Read:
A. Cohen, Jewish Homiletics, pp.67-88
Solomon Freehof, "The Literary Lecture," in Israel Bettan Memorial
Volume, pp.132-146
Solomon Freehof, Modern Jewish Preaching, pp. 59-82
Assignment: Outline #1
March 3 Review Outline #1
March 10 Review Outline #1
Assignment: Sermon #1
March 17 Review Sermon #1
March 24 Review Sermon #1
Assignment: Outline #2
March 29 Review Outline #2
Assignment: Sermon #2
April 14 Review Sermon #2
April 21 Review Sermon #2
Read:
Robert Kahn, Aspects of Jewish Homiletics, vol. I, pp. 17-43
April 28 The Eulogy and the Funeral
Assignment: Eulogy
May 5 Review Eulogy
May 12 Review Eulogy (revised 8/3/98)
PD III:
Readings in Homiletics
Academic Year 1998-99
