Login Signup
Verified Document

Preaching In A, Insightful, Graduate Level, I Book Review

Related Topics:
Graduate School Inspirational Audience Theology
Open Document Cite Document

PREACHING In a, insightful, graduate level, I a book review Preaching Fred Craddock.

Craddock, F. (1985). Preaching. Abingdon Press

Fred B. Craddock's book Preaching is designed to be used as a textbook for seminarians entering the ministry and a guide for preachers currently spreading the gospel. It is intentionally designed to be used simultaneously an inspirational text and a 'nuts and bolts' guide to writing and delivering sermons; it guides students who wish to learn more about the process and encourages preachers to make their current deliveries more effective and resonant with congregants. Even non-preachers could learn from the wisdom Craddock offers in regards to becoming a better listener in church. Preaching is a complex activity, both private and public in nature. Fundamentally, preaching is articulating the views of a faith community as filtered through the perceptions of the preacher (Craddock 1985: 18). Preachers engage in self-disclosure and offer subjective impressions yet they are simultaneously ministers of the Holy Spirit.

Although many people believe that good preachers are born, not made, this perception may arise from the fact that people are seldom called forth to make use of the spoken art in the classroom today: most classes are judged on a purely written basis in a manner that does not prepare students for what they will face when addressing a congregation. The sermons given by the preacher must be tailored to the context in which he preaches: "a sermon is oral communication and the preacher expects both the context and the listeners to bear some of the burdens of the process" (Craddock 1985: 31). Of course, sometimes preachers are asked to preach in non-liturgical settings which require a certain degree of modification on the part of the preacher of his usual approach to account for people who are not members of his faith community and are unfamiliar with scripture. An awareness of the...

But nor should preaching be stale and old: the preacher must begin every new sermon with a certain amount of zeal and fervor, even though he may preach to the same, select audience every week. Taking the simple and the mundane and reconfiguring it so the old, constant eternal truth of the Bible seems new is at the heart of preaching. There should be a sense of discovery and novelty within the fabric of every sermon.
Craddock stresses the importance of a familiarity with speech and communications and he also demands the preacher engage in constant, rigorous self-study of his own beliefs and inclinations to excel. "The right reserved for one's self is to grow, to continue learning and maturing through study, preaching, pastoring, and living one's faith" (Craddock 1985: 65). A good preacher continually modifies his theology, even while staying true to Christ. While the truth may remain constant, human understanding is imperfect, and thus we must continue to reexamine ourselves and our approach to God: a preacher is no different. The preacher must be aware of his prejudices and strengths and understand although he preaches an eternal word, he can be fallible.

Study of scripture and scriptural commentary is necessary as well of theology to hone and refine the character: this comes more easily to others, Craddock grants. While some preachers may take comfort 'hiding' behind their books, others feel that this form of academic devotion takes them away from their flock. Craddock reminds the reader that the relationship the preacher has with studying is actually 'being amongst the flock' and is part of the process of formulating bonds…

Continue Reading...
Sources used in this document:
references, the preacher must not let this get in the way of his ultimate mission. This is important not only so that the preacher does not 'play favorites' but also so that he does not fall into the temptation of trying to ingrate himself unconsciously with the listeners. "Concrete details of experience, circumstance, and relationships, as well as names, faces, and addresses" can be addressed but requires a delicate balance of finesse between acknowledging the particular struggles and needs of congregants and taking the eternal and timeless message the preacher is conveying with great seriousness (Craddock 1985: 90).

The ideal of the pastor- listener relationship is to simultaneously view listeners as an audience, much as a guest preacher would see them with universal needs but also to understand them as congregants with whom the preacher has a particularly intimate knowledge and the ability to convey the gospel in a fashion that they can understand and accept that is uniquely theirs: as congregants "listeners are known as the pastor knows them" (Craddock 1985: 90). This also encompasses how a pastor is both universal and particular in his mission: relating to eternal texts even while he is still a human being grappling with the same issues as those whom he ministers to on a daily basis.

In addition to such general, philosophical issues such as content and audience relationships, Craddock also provides practical information about structuring the sermon. Craddock suggests making Biblical texts a central component of the minister's sermon. He feels that too many modern sermons tend to use only one or two quotes without giving sufficient concern to the Bible. Throughout the text, Craddock emphasizes providing a cohesive theology that is rooted in history and memory while still addressing contemporary needs.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Essay
Global Changes in the Missiology
Words: 9755 Length: 35 Document Type: Term Paper

" It caused missionaries to deal with peoples of other cultures and even Christian traditions -- including the Orthodox -- as inferior. God's mission was understood to have depended upon human efforts, and this is why we came to hold unrealistic universalistic assumptions. Christians became so optimistic that they believed to be able to correct all the ills of the world." (Vassiliadis, 2010) Missiology has been undergoing changes in recent years

Read More

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now