Naming Grace: Preaching and the Sacramental Imagination [Paperback]

Mary Catherine Hilkert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1997 | ISBN-10: 082641060X | ISBN-13: 978-0826410603

It is not a lack of training in the art of rhetoric that accounts for the ineffectiveness of preaching within Christian churches. More significant is the lack of adequate theological foundations. While recognizing the great contribution that neo-orthodoxy and the "dialectical imagination" have made, Hilkert's major contribution is a scholarly examination of the resources of the "sacramental imagination."This examinations shifts the focus from the divine-human gap and the sinfulness of humanity to the grace discovered in everyday life, and the word entrusted to the entire community of faith. With particular attention to what constitutes "women's experience," the final chapters engage the issue of how social location shapes the experience of both hearers and preachers of the word.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Not only is Hilkert's work an important contribution to homiletics that will certainly be of interest to preachers from many traditions, but it is also an important contribution to narrative theory and narrative practice that will appeal to a much broader audience struggling in various ways to "hear each other into speech." The book is grounded in careful historical reflection on understandings of the power of the Word, particularly in Christian traditions, and insists that this power be understood not just rhetorically but also theologically. At every step along the way, Hilkert crosses boundaries that have been erected between "word" and "sacrament" ; between human stories and the story of Jesus; among biblical, liturgical, and doctrinal preaching. Drawing particularly on Paul Ricoeur's theory of narrative, feminist liberation theology, and political theology, as well as the theologies of Karl Rahner and Edward Schillebeeckx, Hilkert identifies preaching with "the sacramental imagination" --naming grief as well as grace a paradoxical proclamation of "God's abiding presence in a wounded world." Steve Schroeder --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"More than a simple theology of preaching, this volume reaches into the dynamic depths of Christian life in an original, provocative, and readable way. It is a rich contribution to a much-neglected field."—Elizabeth A. Johnson

"The single best book on the theology of preaching to appear in quite some time….everyone who preaches will be enriched by an encounter with this book….an intellectually stimulating tour of some recent conversations on the role of the Bible in the life of the church….Although Hilkert's exposition of women's voices in preaching is not the first attempt at helping us understand the unique gifts that women bring to the pulpit, it might very well be the best one to date….If you can only read one book on preaching and theology, read this one. It will challenge you intellectually and theologically, it will inspire you, it will renew your commitment to preaching, and in all likelihood it will make you a better preacher."— Sewanee Theological Review

"Preachers and teachers of preaching from any denomination will find Naming Grace insightful and inspiring, clear and comprehensive, practical and passionate."—Joan Delaplane, O.P.

"Deeply informed by Catholic and Protestant theology, Catherine Hilkert explores the imaginative depth and the depth of imagination intrinsic to authentic preaching . . . A remarkable harvest of the most telling ecumenical and liberationalist insights bearing upon the theology and the practical art of preaching."—Don E. Saliers

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (September 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082641060X
• ISBN-13: 978-0826410603
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #998,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be part of any homilist's library, February 25, 2000

By 

Raymond Grosswirth (Rochester, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Naming Grace: Preaching and the Sacramental Imagination (Paperback)

Having taken approximately 30 courses at St. Bernard's Institute in fulfillment of my M.A. and M.Div degrees, I have rarely become excited over required texts. A notable exception is "Naming Grace" by Mary Catherine Hilkert. While there are certainly other high quality books on the market that deal with preaching in a general sense, "Naming Grace" is one of the rare gems that deal more specifically with the art of preparing and delivering a homily in a Catholic liturgical setting. With a combination of wit and serious scholarship, Dr. Hilkert urges anyone who is brave enough to enter into the risky world of homiletics to utilize skills inclusive of both sacramental and prophetic imaginations. In addition, she gives practical advice that is instructive toward avoiding what amounts to 'replacement theology' (an occasional hazard of trying to harmonize the Old and New Testaments). I found Dr. Hilkert's text to be highly stimulating. I therefore highly endorse "Naming Grace."

2 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Read with Caution, September 27, 2006

By 

T. Moore "book hound" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Naming Grace: Preaching and the Sacramental Imagination (Paperback)

I say read with caution due to the nature of this book. In the act of naming grace, Hilkert makes one major mistake; she neglects to actually name grace. Trapped within her Thomistic and Kantian structures, Hilkert fails to grasp that grace has a name rather than existence as a disembodied, ethereal noun. Grace is the Word made flesh-Jesus Christ. Thus, from the outset, her system and thoughts on preaching are flawed due to a limited understanding of what he Word is that is proclaimed as well as its relationship to the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist. While there are glimmers of beneficial material, overall one should take this book with a grain of salt.