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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Worship and Ritual

Sermon

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈsɜːmən/nounCommon term

In religious studies & theology, sermon means: A talk on a religious or moral subject given by a preacher or religious leader, usually as part of a worship service.

In Turkish: vaaz, hutbe

How it is used

You give, deliver or preach a sermon. In mosques, the Friday sermon (khutbah) is part of the congregational prayer; in Catholic Mass it is usually called a homily. The Sermon on the Mount is a famous passage in the Gospel of Matthew.

Example sentences

  1. The Friday sermon is delivered from the minbar before the congregational prayer.

  2. Historians use printed sermons to study religious attitudes in early modern Europe.

Common collocations

  • deliver a sermon
  • Friday sermon
  • preach a sermon
  • the Sermon on the Mount
  • mosqueA building where Muslims gather for prayer, especially the Friday congregational prayer, which often also serves as a centre for education and community life.
  • imamIn Sunni Islam, a person who leads prayers in a mosque; in Shia Islam, also one of the divinely guided leaders from the Prophet's family, such as Ali and Husayn.
  • liturgyThe fixed order of words, prayers and actions used in public worship, especially in Christian churches; also a particular service, such as the Divine Liturgy.
  • churchA building for Christian worship; also a particular Christian community or organization, such as the Catholic Church, or Christians as a whole.

More terms: Worship and Ritual

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