Preaching With Purpose [Paperback]

Jay Edward Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1983

'The amazing lack of concern for purpose among homileticians and preachers has spawned a brood of preachers who are dull, lifeless, abstract and impersonal; it has obscured truth, hindered joyous Christian living, destroyed dedication and initiative, and stifled service for Christ.' --Jay Adams, from the book Preaching needs to become purposeful, says Jay Adams, because purposeless preaching is deadly. This book was written to help preachers and students discover the purpose of preaching has and the ways that the Scriptures inform and direct the preaching task. Preaching with Purpose, like the many other books of Jay Adams, speaks clearly and forcefully to the issue. Having read this book, both students and experienced preachers will be unable to ignore the urgent task of purposeful preaching. And the people of God will be the better for it.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Dr. Jay E. Adams is Director of Advanced Studies and Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California. He received his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, his B.D. from the Reformed Episcopal Theological Seminary, his S.T.M. from Temple University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. In addition to having served as a pastor and then a Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Dr. Adams has been the Dean of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, Laverock, Pennsylvania, since its founding in the early 1970s. He has written over fifty books, translated the New Testament into English (The Christian Counselor’s New Testament), and lectured throughout the world. His books deal with many aspects of pastoral ministry and counseling as well as Bible study and practical Christian living --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

"The amazing lack of concern for purpose among homileticians and preachers has spawned a brood of preachers who are dull, lifeless, abstract and impersonal; it has obscured truth, hindered joyous Christian living, destroyed dedication and initiative, and stifled service for Christ." –Jay Adams, from the book

Preaching needs to become purposeful, says Jay Adams, because purposeless preaching is deadly. This book was written to help preachers and students discover the purpose of preaching has and the ways that the Scriptures inform and direct the preaching task.

Preaching with Purpose, like the many other books of Jay Adams, speaks clearly and forcefully to the issue. Having read this book, both students and experienced preachers will be unable to ignore the urgent task of purposeful preaching. And the people of God will be the better for it. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Presbyterian & Reformed Pub Co (June 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875520782
• ISBN-13: 978-0875520780
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,915,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jay E. Adams (PhD, University of Missouri) is a former director of advanced studies and professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, as well as a retired pastor. He has written over fifty books on pastoral ministry, preaching, counseling, Bible study, and Christian living. His books include Competent to Counsel, The Christian Counselor's Manual, and Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage in the Bible.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Preach it, Jay!, August 1, 2000

By 

Jerry Dodson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preaching with Purpose (Paperback)

Like Pee Wee Herman, you either love Jay Adams or hate him. He (Adams) never backs away from a fight, and never hesitates to state his case with force and assurance. Thankfully, these qualities make "Preaching With Purpose" a delightful book. Adams cuts through the padding found in so many homiletics texts and serves the prime rib sans gluey gravy. The title pretty much gives the book away (as a good title should): Adams expects you to learn to find the God-given purpose ("telos" in Greek) in every text. Purpose is not just for your choice of verses however; it extends to your gestures, illustrations, etc. This "telic" purpose of preaching immediately eliminates much of the rambling and sidebars that obscure the plain message of the Gospel, much like Adams' compact style eliminates much of the wasted ink in many preaching textbooks. In 162 pages (including the index) he covers everything from choice of text to style of delivery. The section on finding illustrations (hint: he doesn't like books of illustrations, so you won't find any recommended titles here...) is alone worth the price of the book! I have yet to see a preacher who couldn't benefit from continued study of homiletics. Why not start here?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How to Hone your Homiletics, July 20, 2000

By 

Brian G Hedges (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preaching with Purpose (Paperback)

Adams, a propenent of "nouthetic" counselling, applies Biblical principles to the urgent task of preaching the Word. He issues forth the call for purposeful preaching, in which the "telos" of the passage of Scripture in question is sought out, applied, and implemented through creative textual preaching. Topics such as the preacher's stance, outline, introductions, conclusions, invitations, illustrations, counselling, and application are covered. Adams may be overly critical of the traditional scholastic method of preaching (embodied by the English Puritans) and the one gaping hole of the book is the lack of emphasis on prayer and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but there are some invaluable principles to be gleaned as well. Of great help was the chapter on "Gathering Storytelling Materials", where Adams gives a plan by which to learn how to illustrate starting in your study. He claims that six months worth of preaching illustrations are to be found in the normal study! Also of interest is his idea of a six-month preaching plan. Some good books to balance this one are Preaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd-Jones and The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent basics and overview, January 10, 2006

By 

Sean Carney "carneyquartet" (Newell, SD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Preaching with Purpose (Paperback)

Jay Adams covers the fundamentals in great preaching in this book. There is no fluff or beating around the bush. He simply states the basics of great preaching and the purpose by which it comes. I recommend it to any preacher, if nothing else, as a refresher in what is important in preaching. Covering the basics, he also gives references if you want to do further digging in.