Customer Reviews

The End of Words: The Language of Reconciliation in a Culture of Violence (Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching)

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Eloquent, inspiring, healing for all who do their best in the pulpit. Preaching-a most demanding and wonderful and costly call. Lischer's encouragment, his challenge and hope, appeared on my Kindle at a critical juncture for me and I imagine for others who often feel under siege in the parish.

Richard Lischer offers a powerful and provocative definition of preaching in the modern world. He portrays the homiletical task as beyond bland labels and simplistic theories and restores the prophetic and critical nature of preaching. This book is a good read for those who have completed an introductory course in preaching. I recommend it for the thoughtful pastor.

I am just so impressed with this product and the condition it is in. Thank you!

Rev. Lischer's book, "The End of Words," should be read for what it is: a textual reproduction of lecture series given at Yale. Context is important. It does make a helpful book for preachers, especially new and young preachers. Of course, most readers have something to disagree with an author about; that's expected. However, it's not fair to simply write Rev. Lischer off as one who is "jealous" or "bitter" about not having grown a big church.

I would recommend reading this book in conjunction with two of Lischer's other texts. First is "The Company of Preachers," a text in which Lischer compiled the collective wisdom of Christian preachers through the ages. Second is "Open Secrets," his memoir of his first parish appointment. "Open Secrets" is PHENOMENAL.

I feel an author's individual work (such as this text) is often best evaluated in light of his or her other texts. That said, pick up these three books!
Open Secrets: A Memoir of Faith and Discovery

The Company of Preachers: Wisdom on Preaching, Augustine to the Present