If your heart is on fire with God's love, your preaching will help listeners encounter Christ and deepen their spiritual lives. And that should be the ultimate goal of a homily.
Remembering Why We Preach is a retreat that helps revive creative energy and spiritual focus. Karla Bellinger—executive director of the Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas—and Fr. Michael Connors, CSC—director of the John S. Marten Program in Homiletics and Liturgics at the University of Notre Dame—guide you through an eight-part process of spiritual renewal and skill development designed to nourish both preacher and preaching for years to come.
Whether recently ordained or preaching for decades, readers will explore the spiritual, pastoral, and communal aspects of preaching—the heart of the Church’s work of making disciples.
This book can be used as a personal or group retreat or in preaching courses. It includes:
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Reading materials for personal reflection
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Questions for journaling or peer-group discussion
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Practical exercises to enhance skills such as listening to your people, storytelling, homily writing, and diversifying speaking styles
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Support materials such as outlines for peer-group meetings, sample retreat formats, and forms for homily feedback and goal setting
Links to additional resources are available in each chapter.
About the Author
Karla J. Bellinger is the founding executive director of the Institute for Homiletics at the University of Dallas. She previously served as associate director of the John S. Marten Program in Homiletics and Liturgics at the University of Notre Dame, where she was also a faculty member in the theology department.
Bellinger holds degrees from North Carolina State University (B.S.), the University of Notre Dame (M.A. in theology), and the Aquinas Institute (D.Min. in preaching). She is a member of the Academy of Homiletics, the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics, and the North American Academy of Liturgy. Certified as a lay ecclesial minister and master catechist—and a master gardener—she is the author of Connecting Pulpit and Pew and Living the Word. Her work has appeared in Homiletics, The Deacon, Catechetical Leader, Momentum, and Seminary Journal. She lives with her family in southwestern Michigan.
Fr. Michael E. Connors, CSC is director of the John S. Marten Program in Homiletics and Liturgics and a faculty member in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. Ordained a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1984, he earned degrees from Illinois College (B.A.), the University of Notre Dame (M.Div.), and Regis College at the Toronto School of Theology (Ph.D. in theology).
Fr. Connors is a past president of the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics and a member of the Academy of Homiletics, the Catholic Theological Society of America, and the College Theology Society.
