sermonizers

A sermonizer is a person who delivers or writes sermons, typically within a religious setting. The term can refer to clergy who prepare and present sermons as part of worship, as well as lay speakers who address audiences with exhortatory, moral, or doctrinal content. The word may be used descriptively or pejoratively, depending on context.

In many Christian traditions, preaching is a central element of communal worship, and the sermonizer shapes the message by selecting texts, interpreting doctrine, and applying it to contemporary life. In other religious contexts, similar figures deliver sermons or exhortations, such as homilists in liturgical services or speakers in sermon-like addresses. The form can range from expository sermons to moral exhortations.

Sermonizers may work within formal schedules—pastors, priests, or ministers delivering sermons during weekly services—or as writers who compose manuscript sermons, pamphlets, or online talks. The term is sometimes used more broadly to describe someone who moralizes or lectures others in a self-righteous or preachy tone.

Etymology-wise, the term combines sermon with the agentive suffix -izer. Historically, sermonizing has been a significant practice across religious traditions and has influenced rhetoric, public speaking, and moral discourse.