SERMONS by The Early Fathers of the Church - Part 4
Second Sunday After Pentecost through the Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost -
Latin Calendar
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts. Elements of preaching include exposition, exhortation and practical application.
In Christianity, a sermon or homily, is often delivered in a place of worship from a pulpit or ambo. The word sermon in Latin can mean "conversation" which could mean that early sermons were delivered in the form of questions and answers and that only later did it come to mean a monologue. In Christianity, the most famous sermon is The Sermon on the Mount by Jesus of Nazareth. This Sermon lays out many of the core principles of Christianity.
During the later history of Christianity, several figures became known for their sermons or a particular significant sermon. Preachers of the early Church include Peter (see esp. Acts 2: 14b-36), Stephen (see Acts 7: 1b-53), Tertullian, John Chrysostom and Gregory Nazianzus. Sermons in this era were used to spread Christianity across Europe and Asia Minor. During the Middle Ages, sermons inspired the beginnings of new religious orders (e.g., Saint Dominic and Francis of Assisi). Pope Urban II began the First Crusade in November 1095 at the Council of Clermont, France when he exhorted French knights to retake the Holy Land in Palestine.
In the Roman Catholic tradition, the art of preaching has developed through the theological field of homiletics.
