Harold T. Bryson, Expository Preaching: The Art of Preaching Through a Book of the Bible (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1995), 448 pages, hardcover, $29.99.

Expository preaching is one of the most frequently cited and little understood concepts in the homiletical world. Definitions abound, as do misunderstandings of the nature of authentic exposition. While one more book surely won't answer all the questions, Harold Bryson's volume goes a long way to helping preachers develop more effective expository sermons.

Bryson spent many years teaching preaching at New Orleans Baptist Seminary, and followed that role by serving as Preaching and Worship Consultant for the Southern Baptist Sunday School Board, leading conferences and workshops for pastors across the nation. More recently he has become Professor of Preaching and Director of the Institute of Christian Ministry at Mississippi College.

The author makes the case for biblical exposition, reminding us that, "Opening the Bible to others necessitates faithfulness to the biblical text of the ancient world. The preacher who wants to expose truth from a text needs to think back to the situation of the biblical writers in their history, geography, culture, and language ... The authentic expositor brings out of Scripture what is there and does not put into the text what he thinks might be there."

Bryson points out that expository preaching requires fashioning a "hermeneutical arch" which requires "studying the then of the text and moving to the now of the text." Says Bryson: "The authentic expositor manages the past and the present simultaneously; he seeks to grasp what God said so he can open to others what God says."

After a helpful historical survey of the whole concept of biblical exposition, Bryson cites misconceptions about expository preaching along the way to arriving at his own definition: "Expository preaching is the art of preaching a series of sermons, either consecutive or selective, from a Bible book." I must confess I find Bryson's definition (and defense of it) the weakest part of the book, because it implies expository preaching is defined more by its setting (a series) than its form or content. His definition also places Bryson outside the basic understanding of expository preaching as taught and practiced by leading evangelical seminaries today. (My own favored pattern is consecutive preaching from a biblical book, but I am convinced such continuity is not required for authentic exposition to take place.)

Having said all that, the remainder of the book is filled with outstanding insights about preaching biblical sermons. Bryson offers a meaty discussion of the kind of biblical study required for expository preaching, along with ideas for plotting a sermon series from a biblical book. One of the great tools a young preacher can acquire is the ability to plan and develop sermon series, and Bryson's assistance in this area make his book a valuable addition to any preacher's library. He offers practical hermeneutical insights for approaching a text for preaching and interpreting it in a contemporary setting. A major portion of the book discusses methods for approaching and preaching various literary genres in scripture.