The Company of Preachers: Wisdom on Preaching, Augustine to the Present
Walter Brueggemann"As constant and recurring as preaching is in the church, it is a practice that is endlessly inscrutable in its performance. In our time of peculiar bewilderment, the sermon is especially odd in its performance and in its possible impact. Richard Lischer's 'reader' on preaching is a reminder that we do not need to reinvent the wheel. Others before us and alongside us have thought well about the mystery of preaching. This valuable collection will benefit both beginners and veterans who may be at a point of rethinking. The representative voices in these pages invite such rethinking and make clear that preaching at its most faithful is not the property of any sect or perspective but stretches us all beyond our inclinations to the True Subject of such proclamation."Thomas G. Long"A marvelous collection of essays. Richard Lischer has assembled a roomful of sparkling intellects for a cracking good conversation about preaching. He gathers thinkers from across the ages and around the world and invites them to share their wisdom on every major preaching theme. The result is a dialogue that bristles with energy, refreshes our memories, stretches our minds, and whets our appetites for more."Henry H. Mitchell"A superbly selected and edited collection -- a marvelously rich resource for purposes of perspective as well as for insights into the homiletic artistry so greatly needed for preaching in the shifting cultural context of today."Fleming Rutledge"Richard Lischer is one of the most valuable people working in the church today. He has poured all of his knowledge and experience into this compendium of homiletical treasures. For those of us who still believe that the Word preached is the power of God, this volume will be a cherished companion in our libraries for many years to come. I can't imagine any preacher not wanting this rich resource."Gardner C. Taylor"With this volume Richard Lischer may claim clear title to being the most discerning and definitive chronicler and eulogist of the history of preaching in nearly a century. One would have to go back to 1905 and Edwin Charles Dargan to find a work that approaches the quality ofThe Company of Preachers, and Dargan's account admits that it concludes on 'the threshold of the modern world."The Expository Times"A treasure house of homiletic wisdom! This superb collection can guide, inform and stimulate all who practice and value the Christian tradition of preaching, and who are concerned for its renewal today."