A funeral sermon is a formal religious oration or address given at a funeral ceremony, or sometimes a short time after, which may combine elements of eulogy with biographical comments and expository preaching. Historically such sermons were very often prepared for publication, and played a significant part in Lutheran, and later in Puritan, presbyterian, and nonconformist literary cultures, in Europe and New England. They also were and are common in Christian denominations generally.
Lutheran tradition edit
Martin Luther preached on the death in 1525 of Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, and in 1532 for the death of John, Elector of Saxony. These sermons are extant. The subsequent Lutheran tradition of the Leichenpredigt was said to stem from Luther's example, and has been given scholarly attention, in the period of mid-16th century to mid-18th century.[1] The printing of funeral sermons had become normal by around 1550, and over 200,000 German funeral homilies survive.[2]
The initial Calvinist attitude was different. Amy Nelson Burnett has argued that, mid-16th century, the Reformed churches of Basel and the Palatinate were exceptional in the sermons at funerals.[3]
The Catholic tradition edit
The French bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet owed much of his reputation as an orator to a series of funeral addresses on prominent persons of the reign of Louis XIV. He built on existing structures for such sermons, innovated and spoke at length, and included accessible religious instruction alongside laudatory comments. Research has recovered many other early modern Catholic funeral sermons.[4]
Notes edit
- ^ LeRoux, Neil R. (2007). Martin Luther As Comforter: Writings on Death. Brill. p. 134. ISBN 978-90-04-15880-1.
- ^ Kolb, Robert (31 August 2008). Lutheran Ecclesiastical Culture, 1550-1675. Brill. p. 131. ISBN 978-90-474-4216-5.
- ^ Tingle, Elizabeth C.; Willis, Jonathan (9 March 2016). Dying, Death, Burial and Commemoration in Reformation Europe. Routledge. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-317-14749-7.
- ^ Eijnatten, Joris van (31 January 2009). Preaching, Sermon and Cultural Change in the Long Eighteenth Century. Brill. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-90-474-2487-1.