Stand-Up Preaching: What Comedians Can Teach Us about Sermonic Craft (ONLNE)

February 5 – March 8, 2024

Course Description: This online course provides students with a deep dive into the essential aspects of effective preaching through critical engagement with stand-up comedy. Together we examine the many points of overlap between a successful stand-up routine and an effective sermon. These include voice and embodiment, pacing, use of personal experience, storytelling, and engagement with politics. The course is designed to:

  • Deepen understanding of the central components of preaching, including the use of language, the selfhood/identity of the preacher, engagement with the Word and the world, and theological exploration.
  • To discern the points of convergence and dissonance between preaching and stand-up comedy.
  • Explore innovative strategies for connecting with congregants/parishioners in view of spiritual and social transformation.
Participants will engage the course topic through material posted on the course site, which will include readings, video clips and written reflections. The primary resource for the course is the book, Stand-Up Preaching: Homiletical Insights from Contemporary Comedians, Jacob D. Myers, Cascade Books, an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers (October 24, 2022).
 
Location: ONLINE
 
With: Dr. Jake Myers, Wade P. Huie, Jr. Associate Professor of Homiletics, Director of MATS Program at Columbia Theological Seminary.
 
Schedule: The weekly course topics are as follows. This is an asynchronous course; participants will not be required to log on at specific times but will complete the weekly assignments, reflection and project on their own schedule. 
 
Week of February 5:
Introduction and Orientation
Week of February 12:
How and Why Comedy Works
Week of February 19:
Attending to Voice and Embodiment
Week of February 26:
Seeing Humor in the World
Week of March 4:
Standing Up and Speaking Out: Engaging the Political
 
Program Fee: Early registration fee is $200 before January 5, 2024. Full program fee $220.
 
Contact: lifelonglearning@ctsnet.edu
 

Earning CEUs for this course: If you desire to earn a certificate confirming earned CEUs in this course, please contact the Center for Lifelong Learning.

In order to qualify for CEUs in this course you must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Confirm that you have read the assigned text.
  2. Participated in the full course and all discussions.
  3. Completed any assignments, papers, and projects.
  4. Completed the course evaluation.
  5. Made a formal request for a CEU certificate.