Philip Arthur Bence PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

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necessarily a forgiveness of past sins so much as a new
openness to God's plan for life, as modeled by Jesus.
"Religious faith . . creates a climate. That is
perhaps the most important thing religion does. And in
that climate it is natural for Christ's ideals to
grow."'
Karl Rahner saw man as the object of God's universal
self—communication. "The history of salvation and grace
has its roots in the essence of man which has been
divinized by God's self—communication." While God
does not view sin lightly, he has never allowed it to
break his relationship with man. "Human persons in every
aoe, always and everywhere, whether they realize it or
reflect upon it or not, are in relationship with the
unutterable mystery of human life that we call God."-
Preaching, therefore, seeks not to turn people
around, but "to bring people to themselves and thereby to
the grace and God that are already in them."2'4
IV. PURPOSE--CHANGE IN HEARER
What is the primary purpose of preaching?
The primary purpose of
preaching is to bring
the hearer to increased
knowledge.
KB PT KR
The primary purpose of
preaching is to bring
the hearer to
decision.
HF&JS Li RB
On this continuum of purpose. more than on the other
five continuums, we find the seven theologians grouped