November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America
November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America
November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America
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<strong>Protestant</strong> <strong>Reformed</strong> Theological Journal<br />
particular Lord’s Day or part of a Lord’s Day is to be the “text” of<br />
the sermon. In his sermon the m<strong>in</strong>ister must deal with the word,<br />
phrases, sentences, and thoughts expressed <strong>in</strong> the Catechism.<br />
In defense of this method of Catechetical preach<strong>in</strong>g, J.J. Van<br />
Oosterzee writes:<br />
By this we do not of course mean to say that every k<strong>in</strong>d of preach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on the Catechism is desirable or useful. Everyth<strong>in</strong>g here depends<br />
on the character of a preach<strong>in</strong>g which has added to the history of<br />
Homiletics many a fair page, but also many a blurred and blotted<br />
one. One may preach on the Catechism merely for the pleasure of<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g able to contradict it; the moral dishonesty of this l<strong>in</strong>e of practice,<br />
however, where it extends to the essence of the Church’s Confession,<br />
hardly needs po<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g out. One may read out a section of the<br />
Catechism, and then proceed to preach wholly at large upon the subject<br />
embraced <strong>in</strong> this section, with the employment now and then of a<br />
word from the textbook; a compliance with the form, to the total perversion<br />
of the mean<strong>in</strong>g of the requirement. One may also converse<br />
the Catechism, paraphrase it, dilute the precious w<strong>in</strong>e of its teach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
with copious draughts of water; a most effective way of send<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
hearers to sleep, and attenuat<strong>in</strong>g still more the congregation usually<br />
present. One may, <strong>in</strong> the last place, fulfill <strong>in</strong> all conscientiousness the<br />
twofold requirement of deliver<strong>in</strong>g a discourse less oratorical, more<br />
didactic <strong>in</strong> its style, aim<strong>in</strong>g most of all at the clearer presentation and<br />
confirmation of Christian knowledge; the contents, extent, and course<br />
of which are, so far as may be, determ<strong>in</strong>ed by the nature of the subject<br />
and the peculiarity of the section now <strong>in</strong> its turn under review…. 50<br />
That it is the Catechism itself that ought to be preached is<br />
also the position taken by Homer C. Hoeksema. In a classroom<br />
syllabus entitled Homiletics, prepared for use <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Protestant</strong><br />
<strong>Reformed</strong> Theological Sem<strong>in</strong>ary, Hoeksema writes:<br />
In view of the fact that <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly this practice [of Heidelberg<br />
Catechism preach<strong>in</strong>g, R.C.] is neglected <strong>in</strong> many churches, and <strong>in</strong><br />
view of the fact that many m<strong>in</strong>isters try <strong>in</strong> various ways to evade this<br />
duty, it is not amiss that we stress that the m<strong>in</strong>ister must preach on the<br />
50. J.J. Van Oosterzee, Practical Theology (New York: Charles<br />
Scribner’s Sons, 1878), p. 261.<br />
24<br />
Vol. 41, No. 1