Real preaching : how a preacher's 'ethos' shapes an authentic sermon

This thesis project, taken on in my role as the Executive Associate Pastor at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., defines an authentic sermon as one in which listeners perceive dynamic congruence and continuity between four elements in preaching: 1) the Scripture passage, 2) the spoken message, 3) the character/personality of the preacher as presented in the sermon, and 4) the character/personality of the preacher outside the sermon. Integration of these four elements constitutes an authentic sermon conveyed through preacher-ethos.