Gospel Medicine [Paperback]

Barbara Brown Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 1995

Gospel medicine is Barbara Taylor's metaphor for the healing power of God seen in the active and ongoing restoration of this broken world. In this new collection of sermons she practices the old-fashioned art of gospel home remedies like a true evangelist, summoning with piercing clarity and wit the Old and New Testament stories that have the power to mend our spirits, strengthen our weaknesses, and restore us to wholeness.

Scripture comes to life in the contemporary people and places of which Taylor speaks. Georgia apple-growers become God's sharecroppers of the gospel parable; through Mary's embracing of her role as God-bearer we are dared to take risks in our own discipleship; in Jonah's angry stand-off with God we see reflections of our own struggles with a God who is more forgiving than we want him to be; with tender awe after years of waiting Sarah wipes her hands on her apron and goes to tell Abraham she is to bear a child. Through the stories of Scripture, Taylor addresses with moving simplicity the contemporary wounds of anger, abandonment, fear of judgment, and a longing for home, healing, and mercy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Barbara Brown Taylor possesses a gift that is in short supply these days: the gift of conveying a living sense of the transcendent, the holy, and the grace-full in and through the stuff of our lives (Sewanee Theological Review )

Barbara Brown Taylor has the rare combination of a sturdy theological mind and a receptive, almost wide-eyed, openness to experience. She is amazingly non-judgmental. She does not sort experiences or people into good and bad boxes, but dwells patiently and expectantly with them, confident that God has something to teach her in virtually everything. (Long, Thomas G. Princeton Theological Seminary )

Gospel Medicine by Barbara Brown Taylor is a book of sermons that read like short stories. …The book is packed with memorable sayings and word pictures: ‘In case you have not noticed, Christianity is a religion in which the sinners have all the advantages,’ reads one. …I read one of these sermons out loud, just to see whether they spoke as well as they read. They do. (Ecw Communique )

Those who have read Barbara Brown Taylor's The Preaching Life will surely welcome Gospel Medicine. Like her earlier work, this is a collection of sermons that address a variety of life situations. Taylor is a preacher/writer of uncommon skill, a homiletical thaumaturgist, if you will. . . . Taylor will catch your attention with a riveting phrase or striking allusion as she leads you down unfamiliar pathways where, to your surprise, you will discover new/old truths about yourself, your community, and your world. (Anglican Theological Review )

Barbara Brown Taylor has won the respect of homileticians through her writing, lectures, and sermons at preaching conferences. This book of sermons will only enhance her reputation for theological insight and gracious speech. The gospel she shares is fresh and clear. …She writes with the feeling of the poet and the warmth of a personal friend who understands the struggle to be human and Christian. (The Review and Expositor )

In these down to earth observations on God's presence in a broken world, Ms. Taylor re-examines a few of the 'tried and true' Old and New Testament stories with a fresh and a sharp discerning eye. (Faith At Work )

Like all the best Anglican preachers, Taylor has a fine ear. She is not only attentive to speaking the truth (and there is a lot of truth in these pages). She is also concerned to speak that truth plainly, elegantly, and in relationship to the life we live. . . . Taylor herself is good medicine. (The Living Church )

About the Author

Barbara Brown Taylor is an Episcopal priest. She holds the Harry R. Butman Chair in Religion and Philosophy at Piedmont College in northeastern Georgia and serves as adjunct professor of Christian spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur. Recognized as one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English language by Baylor University in 1995, Taylor has published numerous collections of her sermons and theological reflections, including Mixed Blessings, The Preaching Life, Speaking of Sin, Bread of Angles, Home By Another Way, and Gospel Medicine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Cowley Publications (February 25, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156101110X
• ISBN-13: 978-1561011100
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Protestantism > Anglican
  • #38 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Protestantism > Episcopalian
  • #86 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Evangelism > Sermons

More About the Author

Barbara Brown Taylor's first trade book, Leaving Church, was met with widespread critical acclaim by popular media, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and NPR's Fresh Air. Her subsequent book, An Altar in the World, is now reaching an even wider audience. An Episcopal priest since 1984, Taylor served urban and rural parishes before leaving parish ministry to become a teacher in 1998. While she still preaches and teaches at churches and universities across the country, she writes more and more for the "spiritual but not religious" crowd
among whom she counts many of her own college students as well as a growing number of clergy colleagues. An editor-at-large for The Christian Century and a contributing editor for Sojourners, Taylor lives on a working farm in rural Habersham County, Georgia, with her husband Ed.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Medicine, March 30, 2000

By 

Mark E. Stanger "The Rev. Canon Mark E. Stanger" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gospel Medicine (Paperback)

Collections of sermons often are wooden and without the life they may enjoy as part of the liturgy. However, Barbara Brown Taylor's GOSPEL MEDICINE is a group of readable meditations that seem to come to life in front of you. Examples from everyday life never seem trite or forced and even when one thinks there's nothing new to be said about a Scripture passage, she presents a new twist, often one that can be immediately incorporated into daily living. Her language is always alive and present, very fresh without being cloying. A refreshing change from so many contemporary mediations on scripture texts.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, August 17, 2006

By 

Daniel J. Justin (West Hollywood) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gospel Medicine (Paperback)

This is a great book. I read a new sermon from the book each day before going to work. They were fresh and insightful. It really added a lot to my personal devotion time. I highly recommend it. I will definitely be purchasing similar books by Barbara Brown Taylor.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful resource, January 9, 2007

By 

Mary Kathleen Babcock (Wichita, KS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gospel Medicine (Paperback)

A great resource for speaking topics in church settings or for reflections on Gospel passages.