This book seeks to determine the origins of preaching in Christianity, and to trace its history before Origen. On the basis of a examination of the external evidence for Christian preaching before Origen and of cognate activities in the ancient world which might have influenced Christian practice, and on the basis of a narrative hypothesis on the nature of the development of Christianity, a history is traced by which prophecy gives way to Scripture as the primitive Christian oikos becomes the oikos theou. The homily is seen to emerge from the practice of submitting prophecy to judgement and application, which comes to employ Scripture and in time is employed on Scripture itself. This is the first attempt to answer the questions of how, when and why preaching entered Christian worship.

Preachers often think of prophetic preaching in the caricature of the prophet as the lonely outsider confronting the congregation, often angrily, with the congregation's complicity in social injustice and with a bracing call for repentance. The twenty-seven essays and sermons in this book offer a different perspective by viewing prophetic preaching specifically--and ministry, practical theology, and theological education more broadly--as pastoral care for the community in prophetic perspective. Such preaching does indeed bring a critical theological analysis of justice concerns to the center of the sermon, but in such a way as to invite the congregation to consider how the move toward justice is a pastoral move-- that is, a move that seeks to build up community. Rather than contributing to the polarization so rampant in today's social world, the preacher seeks to help the congregation build bridges along which concern for justice can travel. The contributions honor the work of the late Dale Andrews, a scholar of preaching and practical theology at the Divinity School, Vanderbilt University, whose seminal work inspires the notions of prophetic care and building bridges to justice.

The Old Testament prophets are a neglected treasury of biblical examples for pastoral preaching. Too often the prophets are misunderstood as focusing on future or social justice issues. This book shows that the prophets are essentially preachers--very good ones--whom we must learn from. By comparing recent rhetorical analysis of the prophets to some of the best of current preaching literature, this book shows that the prophets preached the way that we ought to preach. It will help you to hear the prophets the same way that a pastor benefits from listening to a seasoned and exceptionally gifted preacher. We can benefit not only from what the prophets say but how they say it. By seeing how the prophets grab and keep their listeners, how they enhance clarity and relevancy, how they make truth come alive and how they persevere in their ministry, you too can learn to preach like the prophets.

The first book in Hendrickson's new Preacher's Toolbox series brings together a "who's who" group of today's most influential pastors, who share their understanding of prophetic preaching as well as their skills. The book is divided into two sections, "The Calling of Prophetic Preaching" and "The Craft of Prophetic Preaching," which deliver clear themes and practical takeaways on the art of preaching prophetically. Speaking with grace and authority, preachers such as Francis Chan, Mark Buchanan, John Ortberg, Mark Driscoll, Timothy Keller, and Anne Graham Lotz offer Biblical and personal messages on prophetic preaching while addressing commonly held questions such as: What's the purpose and aim of prophetic preaching?How do you do it?What are the common misconceptions?How does a preacher challenge but not overwhelm people with the call of discipleship?

A collection of provocative, inspiring, and thoughtful essays about the place of politics in the pulpit. This book is the first collection of essays to explore the question: is there room for politics from the pulpit? In response to an increasingly polarized society, preachers grapple with the call to witness a unifying Truth in a world where truth appears subjective. While many congregations respond positively to social and political themes in sermons, others do not. Episcopalians in the conservative minority may be uncomfortable with political-themed preaching, while liberal Episcopalians demand a political message from the pulpit. What is a preacher to do when the Episcopal Church is no more immune to the temptation of polarization than the secular world? Contributors to this volume serve in a variety of contexts and bring with them their own distinct styles and visions. Anyone with an interest in the practical implications addressing the current political climate from the pulpit will find these essays provocative, inspiring, and thoughtful. Contributors: Samuel G. Chandler, Sarah T. Condon, Alex Dyer, Crystal J. Hardin, Ruthanna Hooke, Mark Jefferson, Russell J. Levenson Jr., Ian Markham, Phoebe Roaf, Stephanie Spellers, Samuel Wells

The first book in Hendricksons new Preachers Toolbox series brings together a whos who group of todays most influential pastors, who share their understanding of prophetic preaching as well as their skills. The book is divided into two sections, The Calling of Prophetic Preaching and The Craft of Prophetic Preaching, which deliver clear themes and practical takeaways on the art of preaching prophetically. Speaking with grace and authority, preachers such as Francis Chan, Mark Buchanan, John Ortberg, Mark Driscoll, Timothy Keller, and Anne Graham Lotz offer Biblical and personal messages on prophetic preaching.

Doubts about the contribution of cult-prophetic speech to psalmody remain in debate. Psalms containing first-person divine speech exhibit numerous features and suggest life settings that conform to actual prophetic speech. Alternative explanations lack comparable examples external to psalms. On the other hand, Assyrian cultic prophecies parallel the characteristics of prophetic speech found in psalms. The Assyrian sources support possible composition and performance scenarios that overcome objections raised against the compatibility of genuine prophecy with psalmody. A model of cultic prophecy remains the best explanation for the origin of psalms containing first-person divine speech.

At some time or another, every preacher has entered the pulpit wondering "What shall I preach?" This study finds the answer in the preaching charge of 2 Timothy 4:1-5 summarized in the command, "Preach the Word!" In this careful examination of the preaching ministry of Paul as recorded in his letters and sermons in the book of Acts, a Pauline theology of preaching emerges. What this work discovers is that the governing activity of the ministry of the Apostle Paul is the verbal proclamation of the gospel of Christ. All other activities in his ministry are subservient to this overriding concern, and they find meaning only if preaching is primary. That being the case, this book takes seriously the words of Paul when he encourages future preachers to follow his teaching, conduct, and purpose (2 Tim 3:10), offering Paul as the model for the Christian preacher. As readers will discover, anyone who desires to preach biblically should seek to preach like Paul, and the way to do that is to "Preach the Word!"

Each volume would follow the pattern of: 1) a brief opening introductory essay that would shape the context for that volume. 2) a selection of sermons from preachers active in the pulpit, organized under headings appropriate to the topic of the volume, as well as sub-topics within the volume. 3) several complementary and reflective essays from professionals of distinction in the field of homiletics. 4) sermons from the annual Preaching Excellence Conference, as exemplified in the previous Preaching Through the Year of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

The Old Testament prophetic books play a key role in revealing God's plan of salvation. They occupy a significant portion of the biblical canon, similar in size to the entire New Testament. Yet most believers stay clear of this part of Scripture. They avoid traveling through this forest of oracles and visions. Many preachers also struggle to navigate this unfamiliar territory. Preachers feel much more at ease unpacking the intricate arguments of the Pauline epistles or following the thrilling adventures of biblical narratives rather than exploring the prophetic books. The church, however, needs to hear and respond to the beauty, depth, and relevance of the prophetic message. This book not only provides convincing reasons for preaching the prophets today but also offers concrete guidelines to empower preachers (small group leaders, youth workers, etc.) to communicate the message of the prophets with hermeneutical precision, theological depth, genre sensitivity, and pastoral pulse. This book motivates and equips preachers to travel with confidence through this uncharted territory and to help God's people enjoy the scenery of this part of God's word.