Books on Preaching:

Looking at some of the past year’s best

By Michael Duduit

(January-February 2005)

Some years produce a torrent of outstanding books on preaching, while others see more of a trickle. The past year did not produce quite as many major homiletics volumes as in some recent years (like 2003), but there were a number of helpful and interesting books released. (One of the most significant books on preaching, O.C. Edwards’ monumental A History of Preaching, wasn’t released until December and wasn’t available for this year’s survey.) Click on any book title to learn more or purchase from Amazon.com.

Each year, Preaching magazine recognizes a Book of the Year which makes a significant contribution to the work of preaching ministers. Our 2004 Preaching Book of the Year is:

Refining Your Style: Learning from Respected Communicators
by Dave Stone
(Group Publishing)

One of the most interesting and practical preaching books I’ve seen in some time is Refining Your Style: Learning from Respected Communicators (Group) by Dave Stone. Dave — who shares preaching responsibilities with Bob Russell at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville — has identified 13 different communication styles that characterize different preachers.

He cites the Creative Storyteller, Direct Spokesperson, Scholarly Analytic, Revolutionary Leader, Engaging Humorist, Convincing Apologist, Inspiring Orator, Practical Applicator, Persuasive Motivator, Passionate Teacher, Relevant Illustrator, Cultural Prophet, and Unorthodox Artist.

The strengths and weaknesses of each style are discussed, with some great insights for preachers who are exploring their own style. And Dave includes an interview with well-known preachers who represent each of the various styles. Some of the interviewees include Max Lucado, Bob Russell, Franklin Graham, Kirbyjon Caldwell, Erwin McManus, Rob Bell and several others. Preachers will greatly enjoy some of the terrific insights and observations that emerge from these interviews.

The book includes a CD that allows you to listen in on samples of almost all of the communication styles discussed. Refining Your Style is a fascinating and enjoyable read that will be helpful to any pastor seeking to better communicate in today’s culture.

 

And here are some of the preaching books of 2004 which are also worthy of your consideration:

Preaching to a Shifting Culture
edited by Scott Gibson
(Baker Books, 2004)

Reading Preaching to a Shifting Culture is like sitting in on a lively conversation with a group of insightful preachers discussing their craft. This excellent volume brings together the contributions of a team of outstanding preachers and teachers of preaching, including Haddon Robinson, Bryan Chapell, and many more. Those who are called to proclaim the Word in a contemporary setting will benefit from the analysis and suggestions offered in this outstanding collection.

 

Future Church: Ministry in a Post-Seeker Age
by Jim L. Wilson
(Broadman & Holman)

I just picked this book up the other day and am still reading it, but I am already finding it packed full of insights and practical examples drawn from some of the church’s most effective communicators.

Wilson points out that what so many churches are calling “contemporary” today is actually a model developed to reach 1980’s boomer-seekers. He provides a wealth of examples of churches that are innovating with preaching and worship in order to more effectively connect with today’s culture.

 

A Peculiar Prophet: William H. Willimon and the Art of Preaching
edited by Michael A. Turner and William F. Malambri III
(Abingdon Press)

William Willimon is one of the most effective preachers of our day, and one of the few who gains a hearing among both mainline and evangelical Christians. (For the sake of full disclosure, I should also say he is a Contributing Editor of Preaching magazine.)

This brand new volume contains a dozen Willimon sermons, along with several brief essays by friends and colleagues of his as they analyze his preaching and impact on the church. The sermons alone are worth the price of the book, and Willimon fans (count me among them) will enjoy the observations contained in the essays by Tom Long, Marva Dawn and others.

 

The Divine Voice
by Stephen H. Webb
(Brazos Press)

Subtitled “Christian Proclamation and the Theology of Sound,” Webb thinks “it is imperative for those concerned about the future of the church to rethink the theology of the Word by putting it in the context of the study of sound.” This is an insightful book and deserves the attention of those who are serious students of preaching.

 

Creating Messages That Connect
By Alan Nelson
(Group Publishing)

Nelson, a California pastor, offers ten communication principles to help preachers more effectively connect with a contemporary culture. Nelson has some helpful insights on the particular communication barriers we face in today’s culture, along with some interesting ideas for overcoming those barriers.

 

Preaching the Parables: From Responsible Interpretation to Powerful Proclamation
by Craig L. Blomberg
(Baker Academic 2004)

Craig L. Blomberg of Denver Seminary offers fifteen model sermons based on parables of Jesus, then shares some comments on each parable and why he developed the particular sermon for that text.

Blomberg’s helpful introduction discusses some of the ways interpreters have approached the parables, along with a discussion of the homiletical implications of such study.

This will be a valuable book for preachers to see how a gifted New Testament scholar and expositor handles these biblical texts.

 

Preaching With Passion
edited by James T. Draper, Jr.
(Broadman & Holman)

It is unfortunate that so few books of sermons are published today, so we can celebrate a volume such as Preaching With Passion. The book is a collection of sermons from well-known Southern Baptist pastors and denominational leaders (most of them former pastors).

This hefty collection contains more than 50 sermons, including contributions from Adrian Rogers, Ed Young, O.S. Hawkins, Jim Henry, Jack Graham and many more.

 

This is far from a comprehensive list. Among the many other excellent books on preaching to appear in the last year I would include: Purposes of Preaching (Chalice), edited by Jana Childers; The Jazz of Preaching (Abingdon) by Kirk Byron Jones; Yet You Would Not Return to Me: Prophetically Speaking in an Age of Terror (Xulon Press) by Michael Melon; What’s the Matter With Preaching Today? (Westminster John Knox), edited by Mike Graves; Preaching to Pluralists: How to Proclaim Christ in a Posmodern Age (Chalice) by Chris Altrock; and Going Public With the Gospel (InterVarsity), Lon Allison and Mark Anderson.

© 2005 by Michael Duduit. Used by permission.
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