2009 Preaching Survey of the Year's Best Books for Preachers

Preaching and Pastoral Studies

Preachers are always looking for worthy works on preaching and the challenge of teaching and communicating biblical truth to the congregation. Preachers will want to know of the release of The Moody Handbook of Preaching, edited by John Koessler (Moody Press). This volume brings together materials from the faculty at Moody Bible College and others related to the larger Moody ministries.

Preachers will also enjoy Preaching to a Post-Everything World: Crafting Biblical Sermons That Connect with Our Culture by Zack Eswine (Baker Books). Eswine's book is written with the hope that "God would raise up a generation of expository evangelists; preachers who understand the biblical exposition in missional terms; preachers whose hearts burst with love for sinners; preachers who no longer dismiss biblical exposition when they think of engaging culture; preachers who no longer expound the Bible with disregard for the unchurched people around them."

Other works on preaching released in the past year include The Preacher as Storyteller: The Power of Narrative in the Pulpit by Austin B. Tucker (B&H Publishing Group). Tucker is convinced that the power of stories should be understood as part of the challenge of preaching to a postmodern age. He calls for expository preaching that includes storytelling and narrative—rather than calling for narrative preaching at the cost of exposition. Tucker understands the nature of narrative and story, and preachers will learn a great deal about both by reading his volume.

Two recently published volumes help us to understand the nature of preaching by looking to two of the most important models of preaching over the last few centuries. In The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards (Banner of Truth), John Carrick looks to Edwards as a homiletical model. Carrick's volume must be added to the virtual library of works on Edwards that has been released in recent years. Nevertheless, the unique contribution of Carrick's volume is to look to Edwards as a preacher, whereas most volumes look to Edwards as theologian, philosopher or shaper of the American mind. Carrick, who teaches both applied and doctrinal theology, sees the contribution of Jonathan Edwards as a living legacy that should be a great encouragement and edification to any preacher.