1. Abstract of
“Contextual Expository Preaching:
A Way of Forming Congregations that is Faithful to Scripture
and Relevant to the Lived Experience of the Nepali People”
By Manoj Shrestha
Advisor: Dr. Cleophus J. LaRue
This dissertation investigates two important aspects of preaching: the importance of being
relevant to the context of the hearers and the necessity of being faithful to Scripture. The thesis
of this dissertation is that in order for the Nepali church—which is still young and growing—to
be healthy and effective, pastors and preachers must seek to preach sermons that are both
scripturally faithful and contextually relevant.
The first chapter states the problem, the thesis, and the method of my dissertation. The
second chapter sets the stage for this project by describing the present state of the Nepali church
and her needs as well as the challenges the church is facing, especially in the area of preaching.
The third chapter provides a theoretical study of contextual theology as well as its significance in
the context of the Nepali church and preaching. It points out why the churches in Nepal have
been hesitant to embrace contextual theology. The fourth chapter deals with the theory and
practice of expository preaching. It uses Calvin's understanding and his practices of expository
preaching as a theological basis for expository preaching. The fifth chapter proposes a working
homiletic for the context of the Nepali church. The proposed homiletic focuses primarily on the
need of Nepali pastors to prepare sermons that are faithful to Scripture and sensitive to the lived
experience of the hearers. This chapter attempts to describe the steps one needs to take in order
to prepare a sermon that is both biblical and contextually relevant.

2. Among the distinctive contributions of this project are: first, the way in which it speaks to
the vacuum created by the newness of Christianity in the country of Nepal. Second, its
description of how one teaches and preaches the Scriptures to people who do not know them or
have only been recently introduced to them. Third, the manner in which it will assist Nepali
pastors and preachers by placing a workable method in their hands, many of whom remain
untrained and are in need of a practical method that works on a consistent basis for them.

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ....................................................................................... viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER ONE .........................................................................................................1
The Problem ......................................................................................................1
The Thesis .........................................................................................................16
The Method .......................................................................................................21
CHAPTER TWO: SOCIOLOGICAL REALITIES OF
NEPAL AND THE NEPALI CHURCH.....................................................................28
Religion in Nepal............................................................................................... 31
Hindu Philosophy.............................................................................................. 33
Belief System ............................................................................................ 35
Caste System............................................................................................. 36
Salvation ...................................................................................................39
Karma Marga................................................................................... 40
Jnana Marga.................................................................................... 42
Bhakti Marga ................................................................................... 43
History of the Nepali Christian Church ............................................................ 47
Christianity Before 1950...........................................................................48
Christian Activity at the Boarder of Nepal............................................... 51
The Door Opens and the Church Grows Amid Persecution .................... 52
Christianity After 1990............................................................................. 55
The Nature of the Nepali Church ......................................................................58
Factors Behind the Growth ............................................................................... 59
Challenges Facing the Nepali Church ............................................................... 65
CHAPTER THREE: CONTEXTUALIZATION........................................................... 73
Introduction ......................................................................................................73
The Need for Contextualization ........................................................................77
A Biblical Basis for Contextualization............................................................... 85

4. Studying the Culture ......................................................................................... 91
Hesitations Regarding Contextual Theology ................................................... 95
Reasons for Ongoing Apprehension .................................................................98
The Present Scene in Nepal............................................................................... 112
A Survey of Contemporary Contextualization Models .....................................114
Stephen Bevan’s Six Models.....................................................................114
Bong-Rin Ro’s Four Models .....................................................................127
Paul Hiebert’s Critical Model ...................................................................132
An Appropriate Model in the Context of Nepal................................................ 136
Conclusion ........................................................................................................140
CHAPTER FOUR: EXPOSITORY PREACHING....................................................... 142
Definition...........................................................................................................142
Types of Expository Preaching..........................................................................145
Theological Significance of Expository Preaching............................................ 145
History of Expository Preaching .......................................................................151
Calvin and Expository Preaching......................................................................157
Importance of Expository Preaching in the Context of Nepal.......................... 169
Exposition of the Difficult Texts through the Rule of Love.............................. 175
Conclusion .........................................................................................................183
CHAPTER FIVE: TOWARD A NEPALI HOMILETIC:
Contextual Expository Preaching............................................................................... 184
Introduction ......................................................................................................184
Significance of Contextual Expository Preaching............................................. 186
The State of Contemporary Nepali Preaching .................................................. 190
A Method for Preparing A Contextual Expository Sermon.............................. 215
I. The Context of the Hearers....................................................................219
The Inner Identity: Their Culture/Worldview/Belief..................... 222
The Past: Their History/Stories ...................................................... 225
The Present: Their Issues/Problems/Joys......................................226
The Future: Their Hopes/Aspirations/Dreams/Ambitions ...........228
The Outer Influence: Media/Movies/Music/TV/Books/............... 229

5. II. An Examination of the Biblical Text .................................................... 232
Determining the Background and Context of the Text................... 233
Analyzing the Text ...........................................................................234
Brainstorming in Relation to the Text ............................................ 237
Understanding the Meaning and Message of the Text for Today...238
Reviewing the text theologically...................................................... 240
Consulting the commentaries and other resources ........................ 242
III. Imagination: A Prayerful Reflection................................................... 242
The Core and the purpose of the message ......................................245
Example of Contextual Expository Preaching .................................................. 246
Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 255
Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 257