Customer Reviews

Preaching the New and the Now

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A collection of essays by an American preacher in the Reformed tradition exploring the rule of God in the human world, and how we can preach it. After re-constructing what Jesus understood by "the kingdom" (from what we know of the meaning of the phrase in the Judaism in which he grew up) and after refining it in the light of the resurrection experience, he asks in what sense is this kingdom among us? How can we have the future in the present? And how can preachers point to it, especially bearing in mind that preaching is not talking about it but enabling hearers to share in it. One way, he suggests, is with the Parables, where we begin with Jesus in this world and then suddenly find ourselves in another world - "the kingdom," and what follows is a stimulus to preachers not only to preach on the parables of Jesus but to find their own parables and preach those. An important, readable and useful book as much for established preachers who care about their calling as for those just beginning.

Alec Gilmore, University of Sussex.

This book is a useful tool in the ever-evolving discussion of Christian preaching. As always, David Buttrick is not short of opinions as to what is wrong with the church. He tirades about the shortcomings of the church so much so that you get the impression that God has given up on the church. With Buttrick, one is sure that the church is not the Kingdom of God; however, is it useless as he seems to say? Buttrick is perfectly happy with Jewish concepts of kingdom (rule) but the church is just no good. One gets the impression that for Buttrick the post modern Christian is just a good Democrat. Aside from this, Buttrick is always interesting to read. His use of words is interesting and engaging.

If you are a preacher in an educated, ecumenical church, then this may be the preaching book for you. However, if you pastor a normal, evangelical church, then this book will make you mad more than make sense.

Buttrick's main thesis is that the Kingdom of God should be preached in such a way that activity now is incited, to the exclusion of preaching it's futuristic sense. Buttrick would have preachers help their congregants imagine what the Kingdom of God could look like today and how they can/should adjust their lives in response.

This is a vastly different approach to the Kindgom of God in traditional, evangelical churches. The idea there is to preach about the future of the Kingdom (both the good and bad side) in order to influence lives now.

You ask...what's the difference? The difference is that Buttrick's view bogs down preaching in matters of public politics (which can be seen in Buttrick's near constant slams against anything right of the center), while the traditional, evangelical position allows God's future to shape his people now.

A question remains: Should preacher discuss public politics in their sermons. That is an issue which should be left up to the preacher, the congregation, and God. If you find yourself in a church that wants to be challenged politically (a rare find indeed!), then by all means, pick up this book and put its principles into play!