Sermon Tagging in Thomas Boston Incomplete?

I notice that the sermons tool picks up some sermons from Thomas Boston, but nothing from volumes 1 and 2. His sermons on Systematic Theology are his most popular sermons, and should also be tagged as sermons. Was this just an oversight?

(For some reason I thought that they were tagged once upon a time. Did the tagging get removed?)

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

Kyle G. Anderson

Volumes 1 and 2 have never been tagged as sermons. It's also not clear to me that they are Sermons. I don't see anything obvious in the front matter that indicates they are. Unless I am missing something it looks like a series of essays/short reflections based on the Westminster Confession.

Liam

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/976574#Comment_976574

That may be possible. But they really have no difference in content than a typical puritan sermon. They each have a base text, a doctrine derived from the text, and an application from this. They read just like sermons, and I’m sure no one using the sermon tool would have any inclination to think that they don’t belong. In fact I’m sure that everyone who owns these volumes would have the value of these enhanced by having them tagged as sermons. The only thing different in them is that they aren’t specifically titled “sermons”. It seems odd to me that they were omitted.

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/976598#Comment_976598

and I’m sure no one using the sermon tool would have any inclination to think that they don’t belong

Ouch! did you really have to present me with a challenge? :-)

The sermon tool handles both sermons and homilies; from http://grammarist.com/usage/homily-vs-sermon/:

"A homily is commentary delivered by a priest or deacon after the reading of scripture. The word homily is frequently used in the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran religions. The subject of the homily is the scripture that has been proclaimed during the religious service. It is a discussion of the chosen passage from the Bible. In fact, the word homily is derived from the Greek word homilia, which means conversation.

A sermon is a speech or discourse on religion or morals. A sermon may be in reference to a scripture that has been proclaimed during a religious service, but it may also simply be a topic on religion or morals that the speaker chooses to explore. Sermons may also be offered outside of religious services, or may be published as a text. The word sermon is sometimes used to mean a tedious lecture delivered as an admonishment. Sermon is derived from the Latin word sermonem which means speech or discourse."

What you are suggesting is that "sermon" be taken more literally to include items that might be called "lectures" but are "on religion or morals"? This would open up a great deal more than two volumes of Thomas Boston to indexing.

Liam

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/976604#Comment_976604

Hey MJ,

I think they were actually originally sermons. The two volumes aren’t just boring heady lectures. They are full of passionate application points. They actually read, and look no different than a sermon. That’s why I’m so surprised they’re not included! Boston calls them in the title, “An Illustration of the Doctrines of the Christian Religion”. Pretty vague title to assume either lectures or sermons. We should rather look at the content.

But... you got me...

I’d love it if lectures were included in the sermon tool too...

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/976623#Comment_976623

The ones I find amusing are homilies of the early church fathers that have type=Bible Commentary ... yes, the are tagged as sermons.