Medieval ‘Artes Praedicandi’: A Synthesis of Scholastic Sermon Structure

Between the early thirteenth and late fifteenth centuries, theologians and preachers in Western Europe adopted a distinct and rigidly structured sermon format. The scholastic sermon, as it was known, was taught through technical treatises known as artes praedicandi, of which approximately 230 survive.

A dense and complicated arrangement, modern scholars often find the scholastic sermon challenging to understand and interpret. In this concise text, Siegfried Wenzel focuses on the main features of the sermon, from the initial thema to the concluding prayer. Medieval Artes Praedicandi also includes an annotated list of forty-two major surviving artes praedicandi, discussing the evolution of the genre, and a structural analysis of a sample sermon (from Worcester Cathedral Library Ms. F.10), which shows how the prescriptions of the artes were applied.

Written by a leading expert on the late medieval scholastic sermon, Medieval Artes Praedicandi is an essential resource for scholars and advanced students interested in using scholastic sermons in their research.