Publication Details
Abstract
This paper analyses the type, structure and content of preacher’s sermons on Sunday service of Christian’s churches, and congregation’s perception upon sermons related to the improvement of tolerance amongst religion believers in Palangka Raya. A triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data, collected through a range of interviews, observation, sermon recorded, and questionnaire provided evidences that most of sermons’ structure belongs to homiletic-deductive model and the type of sermon was dominated by expository, complemented by appropriate illustrations, while the contents consist of messages which aimed to strengthen the fear of God’s based on Christian doctrine, to restore moral health, and to practice those moral values, —genuine love—for enhancing social welfare and tolerance amongst religions believers. Congregations perceived that preachers have mastered sermons’ content very well, which supported by a well preparation of sermons, while preaching effectiveness was affected by preachers’ holiness behaviors. By attending Sunday service regularly, congregations believed that there was an enrichment on their knowledge, the feeling of tranquility and readiness to practice those knowledge and moral values in social life characterized, among others, by tolerance attitude amongst religion believers. It is recommended that preaching model could be innovated from deductive into inductive model in which the contents could be more enriched by messages which aimed to strengthen genuine tolerance amongst religion believers.