October 24, 2010

• "whooping" and persuasion

  This article on "whooping" by "black preachers" ( http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/10/20/whooping/index.html?iref=NS1 ) reminded me of a fascinating lecture by Tim Keller examining the role of "persuasion" in preaching ( http://blog.rbseminary.org/tag/persuasion/ ).   An important relevant scripture text is 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 -

   1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
  2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
  3 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,
  4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
  5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

  Keller says that the Greek term translated "superiority of speech" refers to persuading by "playing to the crowd", playing on the crowd's emotions, demagoguery, never challenging the listeners' presuppositions but instead egging them on and mooching off the approval and applause that results.   Keller says that the Greek term translated "wisdom" is the opposite: persuading by "overpowering force of personality", by disdain for any who disagree, by a torrent of arguments designed to steamroller anyone who might dare to disagree.  Thus if this is correct, Paul was saying that when he preached the gospel, he did not do so primarily by appealing to the Corinthians' emotions or by trying to impress them into agreement by force of personality and sophisticated arguments, but rather by simply proclaiming the facts about "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" and letting the truth "speak for itself".

  "Whooping" would seem to be a human oratorical technique, rather than an approach recommended or sanctioned by God's word.  It therefore should have no place in the church of Jesus Christ.  Similarly any other preaching/teaching/singing styles that focus attention on the preacher/teacher/singer rather than Christ.

  Thoughts?

  • 10:07 pm
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