Pauline Echoes in the Preaching and Activism of Francis James Grimké (1850–1937): Confronting Ethnic Prejudice through an Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic (EEH)

Pauline Echoes in the Preaching and Activism of Francis James Grimké (1850–1937): Confronting Ethnic Prejudice through an Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic examines how Grimké’s sermons and public discourse, rooted in the proclaimed and embodied gospel of Jesus Christ and resonant with the Apostle Paul’s hermeneutic and pastoral heart, addressed social injustices—particularly ethnic prejudice—through a distinct, socially conscious homiletic. This research defines Grimké’s unique homiletic as an Evangelical Emancipatory Homiletic (EEH), a term coined here to convey the gospel-centered, contextually aware nature of his ministry. Framed within the practical theology of homiletics, this study illustrates how Grimké’s EEH incorporated textual and thematic “echoes” of Paul to foster personal transformation and communal reconciliation. Grimké’s preaching of the gospel and embodiment of its indicatives is posed as the ultimate means for addressing ethnic prejudice, especially within the church. By presenting Grimké’s preaching as a historically informed model, this dissertation emphasizes the EEH as a relevant framework for engaging contemporary issues of justice and reconciliation within the evangelical tradition.