Decolonizing Preaching: The Pulpit as Postcolonial Space

by Sarah Travis

Colonialism and imperialism continue to impact the personal and social identities of North American preachers and listeners. In Decolonizing Preaching, Sarah Travis argues that sermons have a role in shaping the identity and ethics of listeners by helping them formulate responses to empire and colonization. Travis employs postcolonial theories to provide important insights for the practice of preaching today. She also turns to the social doctrine of the Trinity to offer a vision of the divine/human community that effectively deconstructs colonizing discourse. This book offers preachers and other practical theologians a gentle introduction to colonial history, postcolonial theories, and Social Trinitarian theology, while equipping them with tools to decolonize preaching and strategies for preventing, resisting, and responding to colonizing discourse. Travis effectively casts a vision of a "perichoretic space" in which preacher and listener encounter the living God-in-Trinity and are transformed, reconciled, and sent out to others in the church and beyond.

Genres: Theology

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Rob O'Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid volume on the need to engage postcolonial discussions as they relate to preaching. Travis is certainly correct in arguing for the culturally formative role that preaching plays in the life of the congregation and how preaching has traditionally promoted imperial ideas, such as colonialism and cognitive suppression.

While Travis does write with a slight assumption that the reader has at least some awareness of postcolonial theory (at least in broad detail, as she does provide a summation later in the book) and does apply postcolonial theory directly to the practice of preaching (rather than offering as a corrective lens for understanding the practice of preaching), Travis states her case well. She provides an entire chapter on postcolonial interpretation with sample texts that articulates well how this lens can be applied effectively to correct presumptions brought to the text.

Overall, this is a solid offering in the now robust field of postcolonial theory and growing field of postcolonial homiletics. Concerns expressed aside, I heartily recommend this volume for anyone who seeks to spread the Church's witness as wide as possible.

[M.J. Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taken from her doctoral thesis Travis has produced a book that attempts to bridge the gap between the ivory tower and the congregation. In areas, such as her descriptions of the Trinity she is quite successful. In other areas, there is still significant academic jargon.

As the title suggests the focus of her work is eliminating the way in which western Christianity has use preaching as a tool in its colonizing practices. She examines the history of both church and state colonization and then explores the avenues for disengaging homiletics from the colonizing practice.

The Theology on Tap group to which I belong studied this book together. The discussions indicated there were sections of the book where some people felt too much jargon had been used. There were other sections that were informative, illuminating or inspiring. The two people who engage in regular preaching, and the one who occasionally preaches, all found it to be thought-provoking, as well as a guide or tool for future sermon development. The one individual who is a church music director also felt that ideas expressed in the book would be good to consider when making music selections.

This book is a good read for people who are preaching, doing music, or actively engaged in worship development. It is not one of those books that I would recommend to the average person sitting in the pew.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Excellent introduction and practical guide for new aspiring preachers such as myself as to how to go about addressing destructive social relationships within congregations, postcolonial exegesis, and bring everyone into the loving embrace of the Trinity. Many questions for the author, more drawn from inspiration than criticism. Highly recommended.

[Levi Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deals with colonialism/ imperialism, postcolonialism, perichoresis, Social Trinity, and Third Space and their impact on the preaching task, moving toward a decolonized pulpit.