Page 169 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

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utilized for understanding of the congregation. It is worthwhile to pay attention to what
Craddock says, that the primary concern of a preacher should be “the listeners’ ear” not “the

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speaker’s tongue.” The Korean preachers need to adapt their message and methods to the
nature of their congregation in the same manner as Jesus did.

Use of Literary Forms and Devices

In his preaching, Jesus effectively employed the communicative devices of his days such

as dialogue, maxim, and parable. At the same time, he preached in his own distinctive style,

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simple, concrete, and authoritative. Jesus’ mastery of the rhetorical techniques of his culture

bears significance to contemporaty preachers, especially to Korean preachers. Korean society

has distinct communicative characteristics. Without a serious consideration of them, the Korean

preachers default to an imitation of the western style of communication.

Korean society, as a part of the Oriental world, shares the distinctive characteristics of

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Asian communication. First, consensus in communication is highly valued. The Asians

communicative epistemology avoids confrontation, debate, or a forcing of their points to others

in speech. The Asian style of communication is, therefore, “cautious, tentative, complimentary

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For audience analysis, see William D. Brooks, Speech Communication, 2d ed.
(Dubuque, IA: WM. C. Brown Company Publishers, 1974) 259-285. He categorizes the audience
into five groups and instructs the speaker’s responsibility at various groups in public speaking.
th
See also, Alan H. Monroe and Douglas Ehninger, Principles of Speech Communication, 6 brief
ed. (Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1969), 56-67.

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Fred B. Craddock, Preaching (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1985), 196.
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Lain, “An Inquiry,” 132-136.
67 Eun Kim, “Preaching of Transfiguration,” 249-252. The following hree characteristics
of the Asian communication is a summary of her study.