Dabney/ On preaching: Lectures on sacred rhetoric, pp. 49-73
• Dabney argues that the doctrinal preaching is important because without going through head, man’s heart cannot be reached. It is like a heat without light that is blinded or light without heat that is cold. He strongly argues that the reason why doctrinal or didactic preaching appears to be dry is not because the truth is dry or the kind of sermon is wrong. Dabney boldly claims that it is the fault of preacher, not the truth. Dabney, then, confidently claims that, “the skillful inculcation of truth enlists the attention without fail, for this is insured by the mind’s instinctive appetite for knowledge (54).” o We ought to be careful, however, not to hold any doctrine back but also not to carelessly and unpastorally teach all doctrines to congregations when they can’t handle them. •…show more content… It comprises the duties of Christian life toward God and other man; nature of man, limits, obligations, and motives. Furthermore, ethical sermon is important because it speaks concerning the practical Christianity; holy living of Christians. Most of all, however, ethical sermon is important because Christ and Apostles, themselves, preached practical sermons while being highly doctrinal. Dabney says, concerning epistles, “[apostles] lay a solid foundation of argument and testimony for some cardinal doctrines of redemption in the introductory; and from these, they glide into the enforcement of duties by a beautiful transition (58-59).” Henceforth, Dabney claims that we must preach and unfold the
