Homiletics as Part of Practical Theology in the Adventist Tradition: Theological and Missional Dimensions

Abstract

This article examines the place and role of homiletics within the system of practical theology of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that, in Adventist theological education, homiletics is often reduced to a technical course in public speaking, lacking sufficient theological grounding. At the same time, contemporary theological discourse shows a growing interest in practical theology as an independent academic field that reflects on the living practice of the Church. The purpose of the article is to provide a systematic justification of the organic connection between homiletics and practical theology and to identify the specific profile of Adventist preaching through an analysis of its key structural dimensions. The methodological basis of the study consists of theological-analytical and comparative methods. The research draws on G. Heitink’s classic definition of practical theology as an «empirically oriented theological theory of the mediation of the Christian faith in the practice of modern society», as well as on R. Osmer’s fourfold functional model. The article argues that homiletics belongs to the system of practical theology not as a technical supplement, but as a fundamental component in which theology is realized in the living practice of the Church. It is established that Adventist homiletics is defined by three interconnected structural dimensions. The first is the biblical dimension: Adventist preaching is grounded in the principle of Sola Scriptura and constitutes a spiritually empowered proclamation of a single idea from the Word of God on the basis of grammatical-theological exegesis. It functions as a practical continuation of biblical theology, ensuring the transition from the descriptive analysis of Scripture to a normative address to the congregation. The second is the missional-eschatological dimension: Adventist preaching is rooted in the Three Angels’ Messages (Rev. 14:6–12), which serve as the teleological principle of the denomination’s entire theological system and give preaching the character of an urgent missional appeal to society and the world. The third is the formative dimension: through preaching, distinctively Adventist doctrines – such as the Sabbath, the teaching on the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and the concept of the great controversy – are translated into the concrete form of the Christian life of the congregation. The article demonstrates that preaching encompasses all four functions of practical theology according to Osmer: the descriptive, interpretive, normative, and pragmatic functions. Therefore, preaching is not merely the transmission of information, but a full-fledged form of theological practice. The study concludes that considering homiletics within the context of practical theology makes it possible to overcome the artificial opposition between theoretical and practical theology and to restore to preaching its theological and missional status. The results of the study are significant both for theological education and for pastoral practice in the Ukrainian context.