Must Reads is a collection of book reviews that we believe might be of interest to preachers. Many of the writers are participants in the Peer Groups or the Coaching Program, but other voices are welcome as well. If you have a book you would like to recommend or if you are interested in reviewing a book related to preaching, please email .
Veteran preachers regularly become attached to their favorite/comfortable methodologies. Davis offers both novice and old hand preachers a new point of view by which they can create and analyze sermons. The book’s balance flows from the principal of one point and its attendant bottom line.
The Preacher’s Bible Handbook, edited by O. Wesley Allen Jr., (Westminster John Knox Press, 2019) is an indispensable aid for busy preachers.
Dr. Alyce McKenzie’s new book Wise Up! Four Biblical Virtues for Navigating Life is a practical guide to living by divine Wisdom in troubled times.
Haidt is a moral psychologist, which is to say that his discipline of research is not interested in answering the question of ethicists: “What is morally right and wrong?” but rather, “How do human beings (socially and psychologically) determine what is right and wrong?”
People are an amazing amalgamation of impulses: spiritual, social, and psychological. Good preaching recognizes this fact, and attempts to allow the Biblical texts to speak to each area of human experience.
Wes Allen offers expert guidance in the practical ethics of preaching following the election of Donald J. Trump, an ostensibly Christian person whose own behavior and speech violates so many of the moral norms we have come to expect not only of Christians but of anyone who seeks the mantle of the presidency.
Thomas offers theological support for the role of celebration in preaching and outlines the characteristics that make up celebratory preaching.
Dr. Buttrick encourages preachers today to preach the same message that was articulated by the prophets and the apostles. He exhorts us to hold up the cross and to turn to the Resurrection as a witness to our hope in the promised power of God.
Beyond Heterosexism shows us the healthy balance between prophesy and pastoral care, guiding us to care for gay and lesbian people in our congregations in a smart and caring way.
Tisdale deftly applies historical accounts and helpful exegesis to sensitive topics and encourages her readers to come alongside her and courageously proclaim the good news in whatever contexts they may find themselves.
For any preacher wanting to develop and deliver more creative, engaging and effective sermons, Novel Preaching is a must read. It will transform you from someone looking for a good, canned illustration, to someone who develops a knack for noticing the world in new ways that inform explorations of the Christian faith.
© SMU Perkins Center for Preaching Excellence
