Customer Reviews

The Holy Spirit & Preaching

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I am using this book as a textbook for beginning preachers at an Episcopal seminary--not because it offers tips or techniques, but because it offers a vision. Many current books on preaching focus on the form of the sermon or specific aspects of the content of a sermon. Forbes' book, in contrast, emphasizes the spirituality of the preacher and the need for the preacher to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit if he or she is going to proclaim a liberating word to a congregation. I find this book to be provocative rather than definitive, which is why it is useful for a beginning class. Forbes does not define experience of the Spirit narrowly, but opens his definitions wide enough to encourage any reader to recognize the Spirit working already in his or her life and preaching.
I would have liked to hear more concrete suggestions about how a preacher might develop sensitivity or faithfulness to the Spirit, but I appreciate very much the honesty and generosity of Forbes' presentation. I would recommend it as inspirational reading to both beginning and seasoned preachers. The Rev. Linda L. Clader, Ph.D.

This book is a great reference for beginning preachers. It is also a great reference for review for veteran preachers.

At times the writer went very slow in the story development, but once fully read we as readers need to understand that it truely is the Spirit of the living God that must move us. Any preacher that disagrees with the spirit of this text, is a preacher who doesn't preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we need the Spirit moving in our lives as well as in our churches.

Dr Forbes believes that preachers need an anointing, but he fails to tell us how to attain that anointing. Considering that he is a follower of Paul Tillich I am still wondering where this anointing is coming from since Dr Forbes is creeping toward universalism in his personal beliefs. Heresy!