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Preaching and Spirituality: An "Impressionist" Reading

Preaching and Spirituality: An “Impressionist” Reading

Poling J. SUN

The homiletician Thomas G. Long once likened the rise of the French Impressionism in the 19th century to the emergence of the New Homiletic movement in North America in recent years, suggesting commonalities among the two movements such as alteration of methods, shifting of themes, and the locus of authority.

This article extends Long's analogy by associating Impressionism with spirituality and the ministry of preaching. The Impressionists' turning away from dignified subject matters, advocated by the traditional academics, to daily scenes is a reminder that all aspects of life should be affirmed and attended to. The techniques used by Impressionists focus on the interplay between light and shade and the way movement or space could be suggested challenges the balanced compositions and accurate drawing upheld by the traditional approach. In its stead Impressionist advocates the elements of realism, liveliness and movement. usually “unfinished” final form of an Impressionist work insinuates an invitation for imagination of the beholder to explore further.

Although preaching as a ministry is not in full agreement with the aims and purposes of Impressionism, this article suggests that the above characteristics make spirituality, preaching, and Impressionism compatible. The idea of openness, creating space for the imagination of the hearer, the interplay between words and silence are features that characterize recent homiletical trends and shed light on further reflection on the ministry.

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