Authored by Gardner C. Taylor; edited by Edward L. Taylor

When the final page is written on the history of preaching in the 20th century, one of the preeminent names of that era will be Gardner C. Taylor. Often called the “Dean of Black Preachers” in the United States, Taylor is a preacher whose craftsmanship and commitment have made a lasting impression not only among African-American churches but within the wider Christian community.

Judson Press has made available a six-volume collection of sermons, lectures and assorted materials from the voice and pen of Taylor. The majority of sermons come from Taylor’s 42-year pastorate at the Concord Baptist Church of Christ in Brooklyn, NY. The editor (who is not related to his subject), is pastor of First Baptist Church in Far Rockaway, NY.

The first volume in the series includes Taylor’s sermons preached on the National Radio Vespers Hour and Art of Living, radio programs long carried on the NBC network. The National Radio Vespers Hour originated as an outlet for the preaching of Harry Emerson Fosdick. Fosdick’s successors on the national broadcast were Ralph Sockman, Paul Scherer, then Taylor, who preached on the program from 1959 to 1970.

The second volume includes sermons preached at Concord from 1970-1980, and the third offers sermons from 1980 to the present. Volume 4 includes special sermons and addresses – such as those preached for denominational conventions and the Baptist World Alliance – and also features a 16-part sermon series based on the seven churches of Revelation 2-3.

Volume 5 in the series includes several articles Taylor wrote, plus a collection of his lectures on preaching, including his Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching delivered at Yale in 1976. This volume also contains two interviews done with Taylor. (Unfortunately, it doesn’t include the interview with Taylor that appeared in Preaching magazine.) The sixth and final volume includes an assortment of 41 sermons chosen by Taylor, ranging from 1958 to 1990.

Too few books of sermons are published these days; the publishers say that is because preachers don’t buy sermon collections any more. This is a collection, however, that anyone serious about great preaching will want to own and to enjoy, page after page.