The sermon is under attack. Many churches are increasingly forsaking formal preaching in favor of substitutes like dialogue, discussion, and sharing. In response to this recent trend, Jason Meyer has written a robust, biblical, and practical theology of preaching where he explores how the concept of preaching develops throughout the Bible and how it impacts one’s understanding of other key doctrines. In addition to offering readers a comprehensive overview of the Bible’s teaching, the book sets forth clear, accessible answers to commonly-raised questions about preaching: what is it, how is it done, and why is it so important? Combining in-depth study of God’s word with practical reflection on the place of preaching in the ministry of the church, Meyer challenges readers to reexamine the importance of preaching for the Christian life.

William J. Carl III confronts the problem of using theological language in preaching through a combination of serious theological reflection, rhetorical criticism, cultural analysis, and practical homiletical advice. He examines the approaches of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Barth, and Tillich to determine how these theologians brought life to the pulpit and what today's preachers can learn from them. Preaching Christian Doctrine organizes and describes the various approaches to doctrinal preaching developed throughout the history of the church and across denominational lines, making this volume a unique systematic homiletics text dealing with the problem of preaching Christian doctrine today.

Is "preaching" mandated in the post-apostolic context, and if so, how does it relate to the preaching of the Old Testament prophets and of Jesus and his apostles? In this NSBT volume Jonathan Griffiths seeks answers to these questions in the New Testament, surveying the Scripture and setting his exegetical findings within the context of biblical theology.

Duane Litfin, former president of Wheaton College, explores how Paul's theology of preaching can inform the church's preaching today. Through a detailed study of 1 Corinthians 1-4, Litfin shows how Paul's method of proclamation differed from Greco-Roman rhetoric and how Pauline preaching can be a model for the contemporary preaching task.

Considering the pervasive immorality and high divorce rate of our contemporary Christian culture, we evidently need a biblically based, theologically compelling, practical understanding of sex, dating, and relationships. Pastors Gerald Hiestand and Jay Thomas counteract this problem with their paradigm-shifting view of purity and relationships—a view that challenges even the basic assumptions of evangelical subculture. Unlike most books on dating, this one cuts straight to the heart of dating relationships, asserting with confidence that the line must be drawn at "no sexual activity" whatever. Few have dared to define and apply the Bible's understanding of purity in premarital relationships to this degree, but Heistand and Thomas have done it. Furthermore, both authors are vocational pastors who communicate regularly with the target audience and have a proven ability to express biblical truth in a winsome and compelling manner. Sex, Dating, and Relationships adds a new, almost provocative voice to the conversation that, with straightforward theological insight, pleads with Christians to get serious about honoring Christ with their sexuality.

According to the Reformers, preaching is the word of God. As the word of God, preaching is a foundation for the church. It is also vital for the personal growth of a Christian. But Christians are poorly equipped to understand how preaching is the word of God. Some Christians look for preaching that closely reproduces the text in the Bible. Other Christians look for preaching that creates maximal emotional and existential impact. And there is a lot of name-calling with Christians accusing preachers of "not preaching the word." But what type of preaching is the word of God? The purpose of this book is to equip Christians to understand how preaching can be God speaking. It accomplishes this with a survey of the problem in the history of the church, a detailed overview of key biblical texts, and finally the application of the contemporary philosophical tool of speech act theory.