Homiletics and Hermeneutics

"This book surfaces what is unconscious, and sharpens what is fuzzy, in our approach to preaching--namely, the theological and hermeneutical underpinnings that subtly shape our sermons. Four authors cogently argue for their approach and graciously interact with others. Nuggets of wisdom, insights, and felicitous expressions abound. A stimulating and profitable book!"

"If the focus of effective preaching is Scripture, then the task of correctly interpreting the biblical text is essential to the authentic proclamation of God's Word. In Homiletics and Hermeneutics, a team of outstanding preachers and teachers of preaching demonstrate four approaches to the task of hermeneutics in service of preaching. Since interpreting the text is a necessary step in the preaching process, this useful volume will help preachers approach that step with greater understanding and effectiveness."

"An interesting and provocative conversation between four professor-practitioners of preaching, illuminating the strengths of each one's approach to the biblical and theological roots of preaching while graciously naming the weaknesses. This book equips readers to understand their own inclinations in hermeneutics and homiletics and enables them to identify the inclinations of others. Helpful and clarifying."

"I don't know why this book hasn't been written already--it is such a vital topic for preachers--but it is certainly welcome now. Many preachers may not be able to articulate their grand hermeneutical approach to preaching Scripture, but they almost certainly employ an implicit approach that has a major impact on their sermons. Are they always christocentric or is the Trinity the key? Or is some other theological framework, such as law and grace, the lens to use? If their hermeneutic is implicit, this conversation between four respected and seasoned homileticians will help readers think more deeply about what they are doing and why. If their view is already explicit, they will profit from the challenge of the other perspectives and may even need to rethink! The book is a model of clarity and courteous debate among those who long to preach the word of God in a faithful, lively fashion today. It is worth reading and pondering slowly."

"Scott Gibson and Matthew Kim have gathered four respected voices in contemporary preaching that we seldom hear together. Anyone familiar with the recent decades in homiletics will recognize that some preachers are sequestered within a certain tradition but not heard outside that tradition. This innovative and unprecedented volume gives us a quartet of viewpoints never heard in exactly this way. It will spark discussion and response in the academy and the pulpit. Good for them!"

"A fourfold cord is not easily broken. These four contributors participate in the marriage between homiletics and hermeneutics that must remain extant if preaching is to survive and thrive during the swirling current of our contemporary society. Though each author's homiletical approach is distinct, they are united in their robust hermeneutical foundation in providing a theology for preaching. Readers are invited to eavesdrop on the conversation within Homiletics and Hermeneutics and apply this conversation to their own preaching ministry."

"Few things are as important to preaching as hermeneutics. But before jumping to the task, spend some time with this book, thinking about the assumptions that shape your work. Scott Gibson and Matthew Kim have brought together four leading homileticians to start a much-needed conversation about the nature of biblical interpretation and its role in the sermon. It is a pleasure to recommend this book."