Cecilia:
Sometimes multiple copies of sermons were generated when more than one
person was writing down what the preacher said -- a sort of taking dictation, as
it were. For example, we have many of Martin Luther's sermons; however, few of
what we have were written in his own hand. Most were are written by scribes who
were present in the service when Luther preached. (Some steographers weer
better than others.) A certain amount of text criticism is done by Luther
scholars who attempt to reconstruct what Luther actually said from the pulpit.
On the other hand, Luther did write postils for the poorly trained country
preachers and chaplains to preach (or just read) to their people from their own
pulpits. This is one way that the Lutheran reformation was spread throughout
central Europe. (Some of Luther's postils were translated in other languages,
so they became models which were preached in many places.)
So just because there are multiple copies of a sermon does not necessarily
mean that the sermon was part of a model sermon collection. But then again, it
might have been.
I don't know whether or not this is helpful.... Good luck in your research!
-David G. Peters
Cecilia Gaposchkin wrote:
> Greetings! I bring a question of methodological assumptions to all of you
> who work with sermons in manuscript. I am the list-member who is working
> on the saint-s-day sermons to Saint Louis of France, and I have been
> working on the assumption that I can assume that if I have multiple copies
> of a sermon, it belonged to a model sermon collection and was in turn
> intended primarily for a popular (ie, as opposed to clerical or
> university) audience. If this is correct (and correct me if it is not, or
> point me please to the relelvant literature) what does one do with the
> converse? That is, sermons which exist in a single copy? Their function
> and intended audience it would seem to me be either a preacher's own copy
> for personal use. Can one generally suppose then, that sermons belonging
> to model sermon collection would have reached more ears over the years
> than single copy sermons? (I have indeed read *Preaching of the Friars*
> but sometime back and its out of the library).
>
> My guess is that there are so many unsupportable generalizations herein
> to make the responsible specialists cringe, and for this I apologize. But
> I'm trying to get a thumbnail guide for general approach, and would
> appreciate the generous insights of those more in the know that myself.
>
> Also, does anybody knows of saint's-day sermons to Edward the Confessor,
> I'd love the reference.
>
> cecilia gaposchkin
> ucberkeley history
--
Rev. David G. Peters
Pastor
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod
2908 S. Colony Ave.
Union Grove, WI 53182-9564
414 / 878-4156
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
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