De preek: ontmoeting of kerygma? De visies op verkondiging van Evangelii gaudium en het Homiletisch Directorium

A year after Pope Francis had discussed the homily in his 2013 exhortation Evangelii gaudium, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments also issued a set of guidelines: the Homiletic Directory. This article explores the remarkable difference between the two documents. The author first shows that, while Francis stresses the dialogic nature of the homily, the Congregation focuses on the homily’s theological content. He then argues that the documents represent different models of preaching; namely the ‘homiletic’ model, in which gospel and human experiences interact, and the ‘kerygmatic’ one, in which proclamation is primary. He claims that in light of both the conciliar ecclesiology and modern communication theories, the homiletic model seems more appropriate. Finally, he suggests that the difference between the documents stems not from homiletic considerations, but from two ways of receiving the Council; either with a focus on aggiornamento or on ressourcement.