Zondervan Press, 2005.
ISBN 0310252482.
The
Art & Craft of Biblical Preaching is one of the most useful preaching
volumes to be published in some time. Edited by Haddon Robinson (the Gordon-Conwell
prof and Preaching Contributing Editor
whose Biblical Preaching is one of the homiletical classics of the 20th
century) and Craig Brian Larsen (who edits PreachingToday.com for Christianity
Today), this hefty volume is packed with useful insights and practical tools
for any preacher.
The
732-page book contains more than 200 chapters — some relatively brief,
others lengthy essays on a topic. Although there are several original contributions
offered, most of the material included has appeared previously in one of several
publications or pastoral resources published by Christianity Today: Leadership
Journal, PreachingToday.com, and Preaching Today audio. A bonus feature
is an accompanying audio CD that contains excerpts from sermons which originally
appeared in Preaching Today.
Robinson
and Larsen have divided the book into eleven major sections, dealing with the
preacher’s calling, spiritual life, listeners, biblical interpretation
and application, sermon structure, style, illustrations, preparation, delivery,
special topics, and evaluation. The list of contributors is a veritable who’s
who of contemporary preachers, inclding John Stott, Jack Hayford, Bill Hybels,
Michael Quicke, Warren Wiersbe, Maxie Dunnam, Joe Stowell, William Willimon,
Alistair Begg, Earl Palmer, Ben Patterson, Rob Bell, Bryan Chapell, Fred Craddock,
Rock Warren, Stuart Briscoe, John Piper, Bob Russell, Andy Stanley, and many
more.
This
is one of those books that deserves to spend some time on the preacher’s
desk before it settles into a permanent home on the preacher’s bookshelf.
In fact, many will find that reading a chapter a day will provide a helpful
(and inexpensive) continuing education program that will run several months.
The toughest discipline will be stopping after one chapter!