Witness of Preaching [Paperback]

Thomas G. Long (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1990

This book shows seminary students and pastors how to reach beyond themselves and the congregation to the greater reality of God's presence and concern for all the world.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Tom Long’s wisdom about the practice of preaching is matched only by his care for the person of the preacher. In this new edition of his classic text, he helps those engaged in the ministry of proclamation to think more deeply about what we do and why we are doing it. He also reminds us that we are not as alone as we sometimes feel, which makes this book an essential resource for all who bear public witness to the gospel." --Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Seeds of Heaven

"Like the first edition of The Witness of Preaching, this new edition offers excellence in scholarship that never gets lost in theory. Tom Long puts flesh and blood on his wise homiletical guidance so that readers not only come to new understandings of the preaching craft, but can see and hear how to put this guidance into practice. Reading this book feels like a conversation with a wise mentor, a conversation always grounded in the reality of living congregations. Seasoned preachers, as well as students, will be energized by this lively conversation. If you can choose only one book as a partner in your own preaching journey, this is the one." --Barbara K. Lundblad, Joe R. Engle Associate Professor of Preaching, Union Theological Seminary --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Thomas G. Long is the Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is one of the most popular preachers in the United States today. He is the author of several books, including The Senses of Preaching (WJK), Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible, and Whispering the Lyrics: Sermons for Lent and Easter. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: John Knox Pr; 1st edition (October 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804215715
• ISBN-13: 978-0804215718
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas G. Long is Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, and is one of the most popular preachers in the United States today. He is the author of The Witness of Preaching, The Senses of Preaching; Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible; Whispering the Lyrics: Sermons for Lent and Easter; Matthew (Westminster Bible Commentary); Hebrews (Interpretation); Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian; and Preaching from Memory to Hope.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for sermon builders, November 30, 1999

By 

Lars Sigurd Tjelle (Sandnes, Norway) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Witness of Preaching (Paperback)

Reading Thomas G. Long's book has given me new inspiration as a preacher and pastor. I wish I had this book as a student! I especially enjoyed the two first chapters, where he gives a solid theolgical basis for the sermon AND for the preacher. Pastors and preachers do not, as we tend to think, come to the church from the outside, but are witnesses to The Word coming form within the church itself. He then goes on providing the reader with theoretical and practical advice for building the sermon. Preachers from all denominations will benefit from this book!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Theology, Good Preaching, & A Couple of Reservations, April 28, 2004

By 

James (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witness of Preaching (Paperback)

Tom Long's "The Witness of Preaching" is a refreshing and readable look at homiletics. Long is well versed in the dominant literature and gives insight into preachers such as Fred Craddock and David Buttrick. However, his real accomplishment is found in the first chapter. Unlike some homiletics texts which focus on rhetoric or communication theory, Long begins with theology. Drawing from Old and New Testament roots, Long offers an image of preacher as the one who "bears witness." Long's beginning chapter is well worth the price of the entire book. In actuality, the chapter probably could stand alone. Will Willimon suggests as much by excerpting part of the chapter in "Pastor: A Reader for Ordained Ministry" (Abingdon Press, 2002).

The image of the preacher "bearing witness" guides the rest of the book. Instead of promoting rigid forms or rules, Long promotes flexibility in preaching. The preacher must make choices based upon the task of preaching. The author offers practical advice on sermon forms, introductions, conclusions, and the like without being pedantic. I only wish that Tom Long had included more examples. However, an interested reader can easily find collections of Long's sermons on Amazon.

I only have one other reservation. This one concerns the sticky issue of hermeneutics. To be fair, interpreting the Bible faithfully is a challenge. Giving advice for faithful interpretation is even more challenging. However, Long leaves the reader wanting more. At one place, he suggests that biblical preaching "does not mean merely talking about the Bible, using the Bible to bolster doctrinal arguments, or applying biblical 'principles' to everyday life" (pg 48). As a preacher who suffers to be "biblical," I could not be in greater agreement. Scripture contains ideas and principles, but these cannot be ripped away from their context. Otherwise one easily preaches abstractions, cut from the moorings of Christ's life, death, resurrection, ascension and return. However, Long does not seem consistent dealing with difficult texts such as household codes in the New Testament: "Slaves, be obedient to those who are your earthly masters." There he suggests the need to separate gospel from what is culturally conditioned. According to Long, the task is difficult--

"The point is that texts which scream cultural bias are also gospel texts, and texts which shout the gospel are also culturally conditioned. There is no surgical procedure for separating the tissues, no guaranteed way to separate the wheat from the chaff. Hearing the claim of God in and through a biblical text always demands and act of faithful imagination, a refusing to let a text go until it has blessed us..." (pg 52).

How different is this "blessing" from discovering "biblical `principles'"? Long offers no distinction except the term "faithful imagination." Interpreting difficult texts is the challenge of every preacher, and this reader would have loved some guidance in what consists a "faithful imagination."

Despite these reservations, Tom Long delivers an excellent primer on homiletics.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fine introduction to preaching, May 28, 2004

By 

Matthew Gunia (Justice, Illinois) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Witness of Preaching (Paperback)

In this book, Thomas Long gives those preparing to preach a fine, step-by-step introduction to sermon writing and delivery. Beginning with choosing a text, Long shows how one might analyze the text to determine the central meaning, and look for new angles in Bible passages that may challenge our understanding of that text (or make for a unique sermon). The remaining steps are similarly detailed, yet highly adaptable for your own individual style. Furthermore, Long apparently knows the young preacher's habit of delivering a sermon that is either too broad or rambling, so he always makes sure that the sermon stays on-track. Finally, a big benefit of this book is Long's constant reminder that sermons are works that are meant to be delivered orally, and thus heard (not read). Keeping the lay audience in mind and how people typically listen/hear was highly valuable to me. Recommended for those who want to learn more about what kind of work goes into sermon prep.