The Fire of the Word amid the Information Deluge: A Theological Reactualization of Jeremiah 20:9 for Contemporary Preachers

Abstract

The digital ecosystem has expanded the space for Christian proclamation while simultaneously creating information overload, reactive communication, and pressure to remain visible in the public sphere. This article reinterprets the prophetic experience of Jeremiah 20:9, particularly the metaphor of the "fire of the Word," as a spiritual foundation for discernment among contemporary preachers. Using a qualitative literature-based approach with pastoral exegesis as its primary analytical framework, the study integrates the theology of Revelation (Dei Verbum), Thomas Aquinas's virtue ethics (prudentia and humilitas), contextual theology, and a decolonial perspective. The conceptual findings suggest that authentic proclamation depends not primarily on the ability to produce religious messages, but on the preacher's willingness to receive the Word that first corrects, purifies, and transforms his or her life. Prudentia provides a framework for discerning the truth, timing, manner, context, and possible consequences of proclamation, while humilitas helps prevent the preacher from becoming the center of the message. The decolonial perspective broadens attention toward the faithful and local communities as active subjects of mission. Based on this theological synthesis, the study proposes the Fire of the Word Discernment Model, consisting of five movements: listening to the Word, personal transformation, discernment through prudentia, attentive reading of context and community, and mission grounded in veritas, humilitas, and caritas. However, the proposed model is a conceptual framework derived from theological and literature-based analysis and has not yet been empirically tested or validated.