GEMMS's Sermon Taxonomy

Sermons

‘Sermons’ is a broad category that includes a wide range of records of sermons, including full texts of sermons, sermon notes and outlines of the main points of sermons. Any record that notes at least the main points of a sermon is included in this category, and most of the manuscripts included in the database will contain sermons. Incomplete sermons also are included in this category as sermon fragments. Each sermon will be entered as a separate record in the database.

Types of Sermons

‘Auditor’s Notes’: notes taken by an auditor of a sermon.

‘Auditor’s Outline’: a list of the heads or main points of a sermon written by an auditor.

‘Preacher’s Notes’: notes written by a preacher, rather than a fully written out sermon.

‘Preacher’s Outline’: a list of the heads or main points of a sermon written by the preacher.

‘Reader’s Notes’: notes taken by a reader of a sermon.

‘Reader’s Outline’: a list of the heads or main points of a sermon written by a reader.

‘Sermon’: a sermon written out in full, though it may contain minor corrections or revisions, such as changing the occasional word or phrase. It may have been written either by the preacher or another person.

‘Sermon Draft’: a fully written out sermon with substantial revisions or corrections, not just changes to the occasional word or phrase. The revisions may have been made at any time, including for a subsequent preaching of a sermon. Sermon drafts will almost always have been written by the preacher, but someone else may have later revised the sermon.

‘Sermon Fragment’: a part of a sermon, either written by the preacher or someone else.

‘Sermon Notes’: notes of a sermon when it is not known whether they were written by the preacher or someone else.

‘Sermon Outline’: an outline of the heads or main points of a sermon when it is not known whether it was written by the preacher or someone else.

‘Transcription of Manuscript Sermon’: a copy of a sermon known to be transcribed from a manuscript sermon.

‘Transcription of Printed Sermon’: a copy of a sermon known to be transcribed from a print edition.

‘Transcription of Sermon (Unknown Source)’: a sermon that has been copied from another source, but it is unclear whether that source sermon was from a manuscript or a printed text.

Sermon Reports

‘Sermon Reports’ includes other types of manuscript records of sermons that only briefly mention sermons. The most common types of sermon reports are sermon diaries, commonplace books, lists of sermons and letters. Some sermon diaries contain both sermons and sermon reports because a diarist might have made brief mentions of most of the sermons he heard, but included a longer description of a few sermons he heard. Many sermon reports mention multiple sermons, but, unlike sermons, only one record is entered for each report with a brief summary of the range of sermons recorded.

Types of Sermons Reports

‘Commonplace Book’: a compilation of various materials that includes references to sermons, short extracts from sermons, or materials used for sermons. If the author includes more than a few sentences about the contents of the sermon, that sermon will be included in a separate ‘Sermon’ record.

If the author of a commonplace book is known, select the appropriate category from ‘Auditor's Commonplace Book’, ‘Preacher’s Commonplace Book’, or ‘Reader’s Commonplace Book’. Otherwise, use the generic category, ‘Commonplace Book’.

‘Letter(s)’: a letter or series of related letters that provide a brief description, or mention, of a sermon or sermons.

‘List of Sermons‘: any sort of list of sermons preached, including lists in parish registers, church books and minute books; lists of parliamentary sermons; registers of preachers, etc.

‘Note of Sermon(s)’: any mention of sermon(s) that does not fit into the other categories, such as a note about sermons missing from a manuscript, or a note about the occasion of, audience for, text of, etc. a different sermon at the end of a manuscript sermon.

‘Sermon Diary’: a diary, journal or notebook that provides brief descriptions of sermons. Often all that will be given is the place, date, and possibly the preacher and/or Biblical text of the sermon. If the author includes more than a few sentences about the contents of the sermon, that sermon will be included in a separate ‘Sermon’ record.

If the author of a sermon diary is known, select the appropriate category from ‘Auditor’s Sermon Diary’, ‘Preacher’s Sermon Diary’, or ‘Reader’s Sermon Diary’. Otherwise, use the generic category, ‘Sermon Diary’. A diary may be of more than one type, such as a diary written by a preacher may record his own sermons and sermons he heard, which would be categorized as a ‘Preacher’s Sermon Diary’ and an ‘Auditor’s Sermon Diary’.