The year just past produced a large number of books on preaching, including many quite useful contributions in addition to our book of the year, preaching to a Postmodern World by Graham Johnston. (Many of the books discussed below were released late in the year and will receive more comprehensive reviews in future issues of Preaching.)

One of the most significant releases of the year is the second edition of Haddon Robinson's Biblical Preaching (Baker Books). Robinson's volume has become a standard text on expository preaching at evangelical colleges and seminaries, and the second edition has been eagerly awaited. While retaining the solid content of the first edition, Robinson has also provided helpful updates which relate to the changing homiletical scene of the last two decades. The new edition is sure to guarantee Biblical Preaching its place in homiletical libraries for another generation.

Another outstanding book on expository preaching is Preparing Expository Sermons (Baker Books) by Ramesh Richard of Dallas Theological Seminary. Subtitled "A Seven-Step Method for Biblical Preaching," Richard's book provides a clear road map for creating and presenting solid biblical sermons using what he terms the "Scripture Sculpture" process. Richard's book reflects his experience as a student of Haddon Robinson as well as his extensive experience preaching around the world.

Another former student of Robinson is Keith Willhite, who is also a faculty member at Dallas Seminary. Willhite's new book is Preaching With Relevance Without Dumbing Down (Kregel). This outstanding book contains ten strategies for insuring communication relevance in expository sermons. In an age when too many observers assume you can be either biblical or relevant but not both, Willhite provides preachers with a varied strategy for accomplishing both goals. Among the chapter titles: "Look from the Pew's Perspective," "Use Applicational Wording," and "Tell 'n Show." It is a practical volume and an enjoyable read that will be helpful to anyone who preaches.

Proclaiming the Truth: Guides to Scriptural Preaching (Evangel Publishing House) by Donald E. Demaray is also a practical guide for pastors seeking to develop solidly biblical sermons. Demaray, emeritus professor of preaching at Asbury Theological Seminary, offers a host of useful ideas for preachers. A major part of the book is built on the preaching principles of William Barclay, known to most preachers through his popular Daily Study Bible series.

An intriguing new volume which calls the church to a renewed emphasis on preaching the scriptures is The Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures: Preaching in an Electronic Age (Wipf & Stock Publishers) by Gregory Edward Reynolds. Reynolds, who is a Presbyterian pastor in Manchester, NH, and headmaster of the Granite State School of Theology & Missions, has written a substantial work which explores the vital need for biblical preaching in an age which has been all but swallowed up by contemporary media. Reynolds makes the case, as Joel Nederhood observes in the Foreword, that "In the face of the overwhelming idolatry of this age, there is but one antidote: the preaching of the Word of God."