oa [Protestant Preaching, its Strengths and Weaknesses: A Quickscan, Protestantse preken in hun kracht en zwakheid: Een quickscan]

This article reflects the outcome of a research project on the content and specific features of contemporary Protestant sermons in the Netherlands. The presupposition is that Protestant sermons have to deal in some way with all aspects of daily life in their relevance before God. A qualitative analysis of 20 sermons from a wide range of spiritual denominations within the Protestant Church in the Netherlands shows first of all which expectations are being evoked by the preachers concerning the sermon that follows. Secondly, a number of specific features is analysed: how does the sermon relate to the cultural-societal context, which moral and cultural values are predominant, what are the images of God and of human beings that occur in the sermon, how does the sermon deal with salvation and doom and finally in what way is the Bible a source and standard in the minister’s preaching. The conclusions of this first part of a wider research-program indicates a kind of theological vagueness of the sermons that ultimately determines their language, style and content. Our thesis regarding further research is that this has to do with the changing cultural and ecclesial context, as well as a theological illegibility concerning the specific meaning of the Gospel in our network-society with its liquidity and fluidity in spiritual and moral issues.