Purposes of Preaching
By Jana Childers
What are the purposes of preaching? What should a good sermon accomplish? What is at stake in the churchÕs preaching for individuals, religious communities, and the world? This collection of ten essays by noted homileticians offers a range of answers to these questions. The contributors also comment on what homiletics must do in the years ahead to strengthen the resources available for the churchÕs preaching.
Endorsements
“In these provocative essays, a stellar cast of homileticians reexamines the purposes of preaching. After years of scholarship on the ‘how’ of preaching, the essays refreshingly attend to the ‘why’ of preaching. Preachers, beware! After reading this book, a renewed enthusiasm for the pulpit will engulf you!”
—Brad R. Braxton, Wake Forest University Divinity School
“Possibly the most engaging aspect of this diverse collection is that so many of the contributors reflect on the purposes of preaching by sharing how their own views have evolved or deepened over time. The result is that this is not just a compilation of polished theories, but an honest and at times intimate conversation among professional colleagues who are willing to expose how they grapple with fundamental theological and ethical questions, and how they have been challenged to witness to their faith in God.”
—Linda L. Clader, The Church Divinity School of the Pacific