IN THE collection of essays Inspirational
Preaching, each takes a particular theme. These include:
the supremacy of God in preaching, authentic inspiration, preaching
the "wow" factor, preacher as advocate, and "Last Sunday you
preached your final boring sermon." All the writers are seasoned
preachers; the book is edited by Craig Larson (Hendrickson, £9.99
(£9); 978-1-59856-859-2).
John Wesley and George Whitefield are often contrasted with each
other as opponents. Ian Maddock argues in Men of One
Book that the two had more in common than is usually
thought, especially in their desire to live by scripture (The
Lutterworth Press, £20; 978-0-7188-9261-6).
And God Spoke to Abraham comprises 55 sermons
on Old Testament pages. The author, Fleming Rutledge, is keen to
encourage preachers to use the OT more, both because it is needed
for understanding the New Testament, and for its own sake. She
offers her work as an example and an encouragement (Eerdmans,
£19.99; (£18); 978-0-8028-6606-6).
William Lyons and Isabelle Sandwell have edited a collection of
essays on the interplay between text, preacher, and audience, which
address the influence of these on the way the Bible is interpreted
and received. Delivering the Word: Preaching and exegesis
in the Western Christian tradition takes examples of case
studies from early Christianity to the 20th century (Equinox, £60
(£54); 978-1-84553-892-7).
Michael Reeves wants to bring the Trinity alive for his readers
and show how it can help to increase the sense of God's beauty and
kindness. The Good God: Enjoying Father, Son and
Spirit is in a chatty style (Paternoster, £9.99
(£9); 978-1-84227-744-7).