Er staat wat op het spel in de prediking. Het spel en de prediker als homo ludens in Bohrens Homiletik

Abstract

The German homiletician Rudolf Bohren speaks of “preaching as play, a play which must be qualified because preaching is a serious act. This essay reviews Bohren’s view of the art and nature of the ‘preaching game’ and how this influences the writing of sermons. It then examines elements of this game as discussed by Johan Huizinga in his Homo ludens, in order to uncover the contributions of ‘preaching as play’ to Reformed homiletics. The essay ends with an evaluation of the preacher as ‘homo ludens’, the sermon preparation as play, and preaching itself as play. It concludes by suggesting that preaching as play belongs to the theological locus of pneumatology.