The Lost Art of Discourse: On the Way to Teaching like Jesus

Introduction

In the early days of Christianity, there was a strong emphasis on discourse and dialogue. The apostles and early church leaders engaged in conversations with people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. However, in recent times, the art of discourse has been lost within Christian churches. The focus has shifted to a preaching style that often lacks engagement with the congregation and focuses on a set of professional christians that give their opinions on life (and often times, not even scripture) for 40 minutes.

For the past decade, I have been exploring the perceived dichotomy between our current and primary preaching methods and those of Jesus and His disciples' primary use of dialogical methods in communicating with people. And this is a continuation of a previous post regarding dialogical teaching.

Both/And

What I want to begin by saying is that both monological and dialogical sermons have a place in the life of the church.

Monological sermons are effective in conveying information and providing guidance, while dialogical sermons are essential in creating a sense of community and enabling Christians to learn from one another. Monological sermons may be necessary in certain situations, dialogical sermons should be encouraged and valued as they allow for a deeper understanding of God's truth and promote growth in faith. Therefore, it is important to strike a balance between these two approaches in order to create a dynamic and thriving church community.

But, there is plenty of information out there on monological sermons and nothing on “The Lost Art of Discourse” for the purpose of spiritual formation.

Jesus' Dialogical Approach

Jesus always engaged people in dialogue. In fact, much of his teachings were in the form of parables, which were designed to spark conversations and discussions. Jesus also asked questions and listened to people's responses. He was interested in understanding people's beliefs, thoughts, and struggles. Through these dialogues, Jesus was able to connect with people on a deeper level and address their specific needs.

Most people when I enter into discussion about Jesus’ teaching methods and how we don’t really mimic Him in this way - always point to small groups, and that they are the place for this type of teaching. And I am in no way disagreeing with them, but Jesus did this with upwards of 70-5,000 people throughout the Gospels, in any given scenario.

As I state in the last blog, we only have one recorded “sermon” of Jesus’ (Matthew 5-7) and much more evidence of discourse. And this finds grounding in the rabbinical methods of the day.

The Importance of Discourse

Discourse is essential in the way of Jesus because it allows for a better understanding of God's word and creates a sense of community. Discourse enables followers of Jesus to learn from one another and grow in their faith. It also allows for the exploration of different perspectives and ideas, leading to a deeper understanding of God's truth.

Conclusion

The art of discourse has been lost within many churches. The focus has shifted to a preaching style that often lacks engagement with the congregation. However, we can learn from Jesus' dialogical approach to communication and strive to create a more engaged and connected community within our churches. Discourse is essential in the Christian faith and should be encouraged and valued.

This particular blog was more of a bridge in a series of writings I am tackling around teaching like Jesus. The overall goal is to form a model for teaching for the sake of spiritual formation, instead of information.

Be looking for the wrap-up to this conversation in a couple of weeks, titled: “A Model for Teaching Formation”.