{"id":1481,"date":"2007-06-16T20:28:00","date_gmt":"2007-06-16T20:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/deaconsbench\/2007\/06\/pulpit-plagiarism.html"},"modified":"2007-06-16T20:28:00","modified_gmt":"2007-06-16T20:28:00","slug":"pulpit-plagiarism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/deaconsbench\/2007\/06\/pulpit-plagiarism.html","title":{"rendered":"Pulpit plagiarism?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>
Well now, who’da thunk? <\/p>\n

This little story<\/a> ran a couple weeks ago and didn’t get much national attention. The subject is “pulpit plagiarism”: when preachers borrow, lift or even buy a sermon and pass it off as their own. It popped up in my Google news summary, and I’m sure it will leave some people shocked, simply shocked. <\/p>\n

Here’s a snippet: <\/p>\n

Parishioners who dwell on the meaning of their pastor’s words now face the question: Is the sermon an act of man or an act of the Internet? Sermon borrowing \u2014 called “pulpit plagiarism” by critics \u2014 is spreading among the nation’s clergy.<\/p>\n

“The kerosene on the fire is the Internet,” the Rev. Thomas Long, a professor of preaching at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology (and no relation to the New Birth pastor), wrote in a recent article in Christian Century magazine.<\/p>\n

Pastors pinched for time no longer need to lean solely on divine inspiration. With a credit card and a few mouse clicks, they can surf sites such as Sermon.com and desperatepreacher.com to find sermons to fit virtually any occasion \u2014 Mother’s Day, say, or Easter. The sites serve as the Home Depot for homilies. Any preaching tool is available.<\/p>\n

Some pastors, though, don’t let on they’ve sermon-shopped. They pass the ideas off as their own. Critics say they’re dishonoring their calling and deceiving their flock. <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’m not sure this sin is unforgivable — if it’s a sin at all. I suspect most of the people in the pews would rather hear a good sermon or homily written by someone else than a mediocre one composed by the preacher. <\/p>\n

I’ve heard enough lame-to-dreadful sermons that rambled with no discernible thesis. I’ve often wished, desperately, that more preachers had an editor (or, maybe, someone behind the pulpit with a hook.) Any help is better than none when it comes to transmitting the word of God. But I’m willing to be persuaded otherwise. Thoughts? <\/p>\n

Photo: Evangelical Theological Seminary<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well now, who’da thunk? This little story ran a couple weeks ago and didn’t get much national attention. The subject is “pulpit plagiarism”: when preachers borrow, lift or even buy a sermon and pass it off as their own. 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