Text Message: The Centrality of Scripture in Preaching

Preaching has fallen on hard times with many questioning its relevance and even its validity as a New Testament practice. This symposium of specially commissioned essays draws together an international team of thirteen scholars and pastors to address the importance of textual preaching in the history and life of the early church the historic church and the contemporary church. Contributions include essays on Old Testament preaching preaching in Hebrews gender-sensitive preaching preaching in the theology of Jonathan Edwards Charles Spurgeon Dietrich Bonhoeffer and in Eastern Orthodoxy. It also includes essays on a range of homiletical challenges that textual preaching raises for the contemporary preacher including genre preaching without notes inhabiting the text and preaching without platitudes. A final reflection by Dave Hansen on the state of textual preaching rounds out the collection. The preaching of the gospel stands at the heart of Christian praxis. These essays make a vital contribution to the recovery of the importance of preaching focused on the text of Scripture. Written with an eye to the pastor and practitioner as well as those in the pews and in the classroom this is a book that should appeal to a wide range of readers. This book provides a rich contribution to the field of homiletics. The authors compose well-written chapters on various angles of preaching that results in a book that demonstrates that the message of the text matters. --Scott M. Gibson Haddon W. Robinson Professor of Preaching and Ministry Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Massachusetts This is an invigorating and courageous set of essays. Ignoring easy and fashionable platitudes the authors dare to ask what preaching might be if we believe that God has spoken in Scripture and speaks still in its exposition. The vision is enriched by historical study and sharpened by contemporary application. Every preacher will be encouraged and challenged in equal measure by this text and will be better at his/her calling for reading it. --Stephen R. Holmes Senior Lecturer in Theology University of St. Andrews Scotland Ian Stackhouse is Senior Pastor of Guildford Baptist Church England and the author of several books and articles including The Gospel -Driven Church (2005) The Day Is Yours (2008) and Primitive Piety (2012). Oliver D. Crisp is Professor of Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena California. He is the author or editor of fourteen books including Revisioning Christology (2011) and Jonathan Edwards on God and Creation (2012).