What is the name of the chapter containing Father Mapple's sermon?

The chapter containing Father Mapple’s sermon is “The Sermon.” It is Chapter 9 of Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, appearing soon after Ishmael and Queequeg attend services at the Whaleman’s Chapel in New Bedford.

Father Mapple is a former whaleman who has become a preacher. He climbs into a pulpit shaped like the prow of a ship, an image that connects religious instruction with the dangerous world of the sea. His sermon focuses on the biblical story of Jonah, who tries to flee God’s command and is swallowed by a great fish.

Mapple interprets Jonah’s experience as a lesson in obedience, repentance, and accepting divine authority. The sermon also establishes ideas that echo throughout the novel, including the struggle between human will and forces larger than the individual.

A common mix-up is to answer “Jonah,” because Jonah is the sermon’s main biblical subject. “The Pulpit” is another tempting option because of the chapter’s memorable pulpit, but neither is the chapter title. The sermon itself is commonly called “Father Mapple’s sermon,” while the chapter is titled “The Sermon.”