The sermon is under attack. Many churches are increasingly forsaking formal preaching in favor of substitutes like dialogue, discussion, and sharing. In response to this recent trend, Jason Meyer has written a robust, biblical, and practical theology of preaching where he explores how the concept of preaching develops throughout the Bible and how it impacts one’s understanding of other key doctrines. In addition to offering readers a comprehensive overview of the Bible’s teaching, the book sets forth clear, accessible answers to commonly-raised questions about preaching: what is it, how is it done, and why is it so important? Combining in-depth study of God’s word with practical reflection on the place of preaching in the ministry of the church, Meyer challenges readers to reexamine the importance of preaching for the Christian life.

Is "preaching" mandated in the post-apostolic context, and if so, how does it relate to the preaching of the Old Testament prophets and of Jesus and his apostles? In this NSBT volume Jonathan Griffiths seeks answers to these questions in the New Testament, surveying the Scripture and setting his exegetical findings within the context of biblical theology.

William J. Carl III confronts the problem of using theological language in preaching through a combination of serious theological reflection, rhetorical criticism, cultural analysis, and practical homiletical advice. He examines the approaches of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Barth, and Tillich to determine how these theologians brought life to the pulpit and what today's preachers can learn from them. Preaching Christian Doctrine organizes and describes the various approaches to doctrinal preaching developed throughout the history of the church and across denominational lines, making this volume a unique systematic homiletics text dealing with the problem of preaching Christian doctrine today.

Duane Litfin, former president of Wheaton College, explores how Paul's theology of preaching can inform the church's preaching today. Through a detailed study of 1 Corinthians 1-4, Litfin shows how Paul's method of proclamation differed from Greco-Roman rhetoric and how Pauline preaching can be a model for the contemporary preaching task.

Scholarship has painted many pictures of Augustinethe philosophical theologian, the refuter of heresy, or contributor to doctrines like Original Sinbut the picture of Augustine as preacher, says Sanlon, has been seriously neglected. When academics marginalize the Sermones ad Populum, the real Augustine is not presented accurately. In this study, Sanlon does more, however, than rehabilitate a neglected view of Augustine. How do the theological convictions that Augustine brought to his preaching challenge, sustain, or shape our work today? By presenting Augustine's thought on preaching to contemporary readers Sanlon contributes a major new piece to the ongoing reconsideration of preaching in the modern day, a consideration that is relevant to all branches of the twenty-first century church.

Privilege the Text! spans the conceptual gap between biblical text and life application by providing a rigorous theological hermeneutic for preaching. Kuruvilla describes the theological entity that is the intermediary between ancient text and modern audience, and defines its crucial function in determining valid application. Based on this hermeneutic, he submits a new mode of reading Scripture for preaching: a Christiconic interpretation of the biblical text, a hermeneutically robust way to understand the depiction of the Second Person of the Trinity in Scripture. In addition, Kuruvilla’s work provides a substantive theology of spiritual formation through preaching: what it means to obey God, the Christian’s responsibility to undertake “faith-full” obedience to divine demand, and the incentives for such obedience—all integral to understanding the sermonic movement from text to application. Privilege the Text! promises to be useful not only for preachers, and students and teachers of homiletics, but for all who are interested in the exposition of Scripture that culminates in application for the glory of God.

A Comprehensive Resource for Today’s Christian Communicators. This extensive encyclopedia is the most complete and practical work ever published on the art and craft of biblical preaching. Its 11 major sections contain nearly 200 articles, comprehensively covering topics on preaching and methodology, including: Sermon structure and “the big idea.” The art of introductions, transitions, and conclusions. Methods for sermon prep, from outlining to exercising. Approaches to different types of preaching: topical, expository, evangelistic, and more. Best practices for sermon delivery, speaking with authority, and using humor. Leveraging effective illustrations and stories. Understanding audience. and much more. Entries are characterized by intensely practical and vivid writing designed to help preachers deepen their understanding and sharpen their communication skills. The contributors include a virtual Who’s Who of preaching from a cross section of denominations and traditions, such as Dallas Willard, John Ortberg, Rick Warren, Warren Wiersbe, Alice Mathews, John Piper, Andy Stanley, and many others. Haddon Robinson and Craig Brian Larson—two of today’s most respected voices in preaching—provide editorial oversight. Includes audio CD with preaching technique examples from the book.

The heart of the postmodern mind-set is an awareness of the relativity of all human thought and action. In Theology for Preaching, three authors collaborate to discuss the implications for proclamation when the culture behaves as if all human thought and practices are relative. Tips for sermon composition and theme are proposed. Sample sermons are supplied to demonstrate awareness of the cultural shifts that make preaching a worthwhile challenge in a postmodern ethos.

How can we proclaim justice for God's Creation in the face of global warming? How does fracking fit with "the earth and its fullness are the Lord's?" Creation-Crisis Preaching works with the premise that all of Creation, including humankind, needs to hear the Good News of Jesus' resurrection in this age in which humanity is "crucifying" Creation. Informed by years of experience as an environmental activist and minister, Leah Schade equips preachers to interpret the Bible through a "green" lens, become rooted in environmental theology, and learn how to understand their preaching context in terms of the particular political, cultural, and biotic setting of their congregation. Creation-Crisis Preaching provides both theoretical grounding and practical tips for preachers to create environmental sermons that are relevant, courageous, creative, pastoral, and inspiring.