Stand-Up Preaching - Paperback

Stand-Up Preaching: Innovative Homiletic Techniques from Comedy

Stand-Up Preaching by Jacob D. Myers bridges the worlds of homiletics and stand-up comedy, revealing how preachers can enhance their pulpit presence through comedic techniques. This seminary textbook examines the shared craft between comedians and preachers—timing, delivery, gesture, and audience engagement—to transform sermon preparation and worship leadership.

What This Book Offers

This resource goes beyond teaching preachers to tell better jokes. It provides analytical tools to examine both historical and contemporary stand-up routines, from classic HBO Def Comedy Jams to modern comedy specials. Readers learn to identify homiletically significant elements in comedic performances and apply these insights to their preaching traditions.

The book addresses critical aspects of effective communication: bodily and facial gestures, tone and inflection, timing, and engagement with contemporary contexts. Both preachers and comedians navigate creative tension with their respective traditions while measuring their words against audience expectations. This dynamic—choreographed yet open to improvisation—forms the foundation of the book's approach.

Practical Applications for Ministry

Stand-Up Preaching equips clergy with fresh ways to engage sociopolitical issues from the pulpit. The text explores how comedians showcase diverse storytelling styles and stage presence, offering preachers concrete models for enhancing their own delivery. This approach to homiletics emphasizes nuanced engagement with contemporary contexts while respecting established preaching traditions.