Abbà Pater

Sermons, as a recorded genre, are spoken-word performances of religious preaching captured for commercial release or broadcast. They focus on exhortation, scripture exposition, moral storytelling, and ritual address, often delivered with a strong rhetorical cadence and call-and-response with a congregation. Though primarily speech, many sermon recordings are deeply musical in delivery: organ or small ensemble accompaniment, congregational interjections (“amen!”, “yes, Lord!”), and voice-leading cadences (“whooping”) give them a distinctive sonic identity. The genre is most historically associated with African American church traditions in the United States but exists across many denominations and faith contexts. Sermon recordings have circulated on 78 rpm discs, radio transcriptions, LPs, cassettes, CDs, and, more recently, podcasts and streaming platforms, preserving the performance art of the pulpit and influencing gospel and spoken-word styles.