Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text
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outstanding !
though this work is a little bit technical, it is a must read for anyone wanting to understand several things about biblical literature: its nature, its overall meaning then in its own time and now for us today, and how to appropriately arrive at both. the biblical literature and content must be understood according to its own historical, literary and interlaced with that, theological, content, before it can really speak forth its own full message to us today. this book is superb at exploring and explaining a good deal of all this. must reading.
January 11, 2012
The comments by the previous reviewer indicates he doesn't "get it." Since the Bible is the Word of God, preachers must proclaim what it means and proclaim it's significance for today. Therefore, the only faithful and most powerful form of preaching is expository. Greidanus is in fact "pro-expository," but the reviewer believes that other styles are acceptable, namely, "topical" sermons. Though apparently a preacher, the previous reviewer unfortunately hasn't studied much in the area of hermenuetics or homiletics. The primary proof of this is that there is no necessary contradiction between "expository" and "topical" (or "biographical" or "doctrinal") preaching. The essence of expository preaching is two-fold. First, it proclaims what the text says and, second, it applies the text in a manner consistent with how the author intended it to be applied. Therefore, the reviewer's statement that "[i]t's not so much a style of preaching, but rather a committment to good hermeneutics" is incoherent. Expository sermons are the only "style" that employs "good hermenuetics." I'm afraid that what the reviewer means by "topical" or other styles is preaching with little regard for a serious study and faithful application of the text. Preachers are well known for teaching and applying, from a text, that which the text was not intended to teach or apply. Regarding Greidanus' work, though one might quibble with him occassionally, the book is literally superb, is highly acclaimed, and widely recognized as a modern classic. It has been regularly noted that this work is not for novices, rather for those who are already aware of many of the serious issues related to preaching. For the beginner, I recommend Haddon Robinson's "Biblical Preaching."
March 31, 2003
This book is a thorough work. The author is openly "pro-expository" in his approach to preaching, even to the point of making those of us who use all kinds of delivery styles feel possessed by modernity!! I think his logic makes sense in that he feels all Scripture must be taken in light of its context. For me, however, I feel that just because you preach topically, use narratives, monologues, and all kinds of styles in your preaching ministry, the issue of keeping Scripture authentic to its nature is a matter of the heart being pure. It's not so much a style of preaching, but rather a committment to good hermeneutics.This book gets a little bogged down in "academia" in that he is writing to an academic crowd. I must confess that I was jazzed by the title ... hoping for a book that really presents models and information on being a modern preacher with an ancient text. He did not quite come through for me. All in all, I got some good quotes from other preachers from it; and, the author is well read on the subject of preaching. On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd toss up a 6.
September 6, 2000
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