Kerygmatic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the proclamation or preaching of the Christian gospel, especially as practiced in the early church
2. Concerning the act of announcing fundamental Christian beliefs in a style often linked to early evangelism, it emphasizes the essential messages of faith
3. Pertaining to the announcement of core Christian doctrines through preaching or teaching, often associated with early church evangelism

Etymology: Kerygmatic comes from "kerygma," the Greek word for a herald's proclamation, which in the New Testament came to mean the public preaching of the gospel. The Greek noun "kēryx" meant a herald or crier, the official who announced news or decrees in the city, and "kērygma" named what that herald proclaimed. Early Christian writers adopted the term for the core message of the faith, the announcement of Christ's death and resurrection rather than instruction or argument. The adjective was formed in English from this Greek noun with the suffix "-ic," meaning "of or relating to." It is a learned coinage used mainly in theology, where scholars speak of kerygmatic preaching or kerygmatic theology to distinguish the proclamation of the gospel from later teaching about it.