The Contextualization of an Understanding of Biblical Preaching into the Jamaican Situation

Preaching has always been an important function of the Christian church. It is the generating source of the Christian faith, and Paul struck the mark when he declared, Faith comes by hearing (Rom 10:17). Martin Luther burnished that mark, making it a hallmark of the Reformation: Faith is an acoustical affair. The contemporary preacher cannot lose sight of the centrality of the Protestant pulpit. The biblical Keryxon ton logon (preach the word), is a mandate, a command, not a temporary injunction or a recommendation. Not only should the preacher proclaim the Good News, he or she1 is to make it relevant to his or her particular culture. The purpose of this study is to develop a theological grounding for biblical preaching and apply this theological reflection on preaching to the Jamaican situation. Recognizing that each culture perceives Christ through the spectacles of its own needs, this study will draw upon the religio- political, social, and economic background of the Jamaican culture. It will proceed to make relevant the biblical message to this particular milieu. The study consists of two parts. Part I takes the form of a theological position paper proffering an understanding of biblical preaching. This is further broken down into two sections—first, some biblical models of proclamation and then some attempts toward an understanding of biblical preaching. Part II examines the Afro- Jamaican religious background and the issues involved in the communication and the contextualization of the Good News into the Jamaican Sitz im Leben