The primary purpose of this module is to guide the learner toward the development of a biblical foundation for the study, research, and practice of proclamation in the local church. During the learning process, learners will be introduced to different theories of communication and exposed to the challenges identified by communication scholars and faced by those working in the field of communication. The emphasis of this module will be on understanding the role and function of communication in and from the life of the local church. Special attention will be given to the primary message of the church and how this is communicated in our culture.

On successful completion of the module a learner will be able to:

1. Describe the biblical and theological foundations for the practice of kerygma in the local church.
2. Define the nature and essence of proclamation.
3. Demonstrate critical and analytical skills regarding the interconnection of human communication and Christian faith.
4. Identify the basic theoretical and theological concepts pertaining to communication in and from the local church
5. Demonstrate knowledge about and be able to describe current issues in the field of communication with regard to the local church.
6. Propose a personal theology of proclamation.
7. Employ practical theological research methodology to identify a specific pastoral concern.
8. Design and implement a practical theological intervention to address a particular pastoral concern

Module Content

In the Christian tradition, kerygma has a very specific meaning. It refers to the preaching or proclamation of the message of the Gospel: that is, the good news that through Jesus Christ salvation, redemption and healing has come to the world. Although one could make the case for kerygma referring specifically to one form of proclamation namely preaching. In this module an expanded understanding of the term kerygma will be developed (epistemology).

The essentials of the Kerygma are explored through an overview of the role of prophets in the Old Testament and the significance of the Gospels in the New Testament. Special attention is given to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God in Jesus' preaching.

This theme is continued as we explore how the church proclaimed Christ throughout the centuries. This introduces two important doctrines, namely the doctrine of revelation and the doctrine of Christ.

The learner is encouraged to consider the challenges faced by the local church to proclaim Christ in a 21st century context. If the "medium is the message" the church has to be conscious of how it presents itself in a contemporary world. Different models and modes of communication are explored. Learners will be required to articulate the contextual nature of proclamation while being able to highlight the positive and negative implications of this awareness.

Since narratives make up a large segment of the biblical corpus, storytelling as an ancient art form, (as used not only by Jesus and biblical writers but in one way or another in all cultures,) is identified and affirmed. Narrative theologies in their numerous forms are identified, and the different kinds of questions they raise for preachers and theologians are addressed. Learners are encouraged to go beyond matters of method and technique to ask important theological questions about narrative, the arts and multi-media as they relate to proclaiming Christ in their current and emerging contexts.