The distinction between a book collection and a library is fundamental for the preacher. The working preacher's library is indeed a collection of books, but it is a collection of books put to work. The books in the minister's library should be worn, loved, and marked. The preacher looks to each book as a potential treasury of material for life, ministry, and preaching.

The most recent publishing year has brought several significant new titles worthy of the preacher's attention. Beyond this, the world of publishing has exploded, even as some pundits have predicted the demise of the book itself.

One recent survey indicates that a majority of preachers now use the Internet in some fashion as sermons are prepared. Nevertheless, it seems very unlikely that the electronic media will completely replace the book. There is just something about the physical properties of ink printed on paper that makes the book seemingly indispensable, as it has been for the last several hundred years.

Biblical Studies

The world of biblical interpretation abounds with various approaches and schools of thought. Several of these have by now run their course, and are a matter of hermeneutical history rather than ongoing work. The fascination with narrative interpretation continues to be of great interest, and yet many of these books and methodologies are of limited value.

The real substance of solid biblical research is still in the hard work of exegesis. Two new volumes have been released in The New American Commentary series (Broadman & Holman). 2 Corinthians by David E. Garland is a thorough study of Paul's second canonical letter to the church at Corinth. Garland, a well established New Testament scholar, offers much for the preacher's consideration in a book many find to present significant challenges for preaching. Judges, Ruth by Daniel I. Block is a stellar example of biblical exegesis in the hands of a trustworthy Old Testament scholar. Both of these volumes are in the expanding New American Commentary series. Another series of note, The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series (InterVarsity Press) is a remarkable project seeking to mine wisdom from the earliest Christian exegetical sources rooted in the Patristic Era. Thomas C. Oden of Drew University continues as the general editor for the series, and each volume is edited by a capable scholar who brings both insight and interest to the volume at hand. 1-2 Corinthians by Gerald Bray and Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians by Mark J. Edwards are two very worthy contributions to this series. Regardless of denominational identity, preachers will gain much by immersing themselves in a rich history of interpretation. As Thomas Oden comments, "Preaching at the end of the first millennium focused primarily on the text of Scripture as understood by the earlier esteemed tradition of comment, largely converging on those writers that best reflected classic Christian consensual thinking. Preaching at the end of the second millennium has reversed that pattern. It has so forgotten most of these classic comments that they are vexing to find anywhere, and even when located they are often available only in archaic editions and inadequate translations. The preached word in our time has remained largely bereft of previously influential patristic inspiration."