Description
Expository preachers pay attention not only to content, but also to form. They strive to say what the text says as well as how it says it. The main formal features of narrative are plot, character, setting, and point of view. In Part One of this book, Arthurs treats each formal feature in its own chapter, exploring the literary artistry and rhetorical effects that biblical narrators generated. In Part Two, Arthurs demonstrates how to reproduce these rhetorical effects in sermons. The reader will encounter six strategies, explained and illustrated, to preach in ways that bring to life the formal features of narrative texts of Scripture. Two sample sermons with commentary illustrate the strategies and provide a model for preaching narrative in an engaging and effective manner.
Table of Contents
Series Introduction
Introduction
For Further Study
Part One: Biblical Narrative as Literature and Rhetoric
1. Defining Biblical Narrative
Historically Accurate
Artistically Sophisticated
Rhetorically Sophisticated
Theologically Saturated
Intended for Edification
For Further Study
2. Plot
What Is Plot?
The Rhetoric of Plot
For Further Study
3. Character and Characterization
Techniques Biblical Narrators
Use for Characterization
The Rhetoric of Characterization
Characterization in Luke 19:1–10
For Further Study
4. Setting
The Elements of Setting
The Rhetoric of Setting
Setting in Luke 19:1–10
For Further Study
5. Point of View
Techniques of Point of View
The Rhetoric of Point of View
Point of View in Luke 19:1–10
For Further Study
Part Two: Strategies for Saying What the Text Says and Doing What the Text Does
6. Introduction
7. Strategies for Preparation and Exegesis
Strategy 1: Pray
Strategy 2: Engage Your Imagination
For Further Study
8. Strategies for Presentation: Language and Delivery
Strategy 3: Use Vivid and Clear Language
Strategy 4: Embody the Emotions
For Further Study
9. Strategies for Form, Part One
Strategy 5: Use a Third-Person Narrative
For Further Study
10. Strategies for Form, Part Two
Strategy 6: Expand Your Creativity
For Further Study
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Third-Person Narrative Sample Sermon – “Zacchaeus” (Luke 19:1-10)
Appendix 2: First-Person Narrative Sample Sermon – “The Broken Heart of David Jessison” (2 Sam 13-18)
Scripture Index
Subject Index
Endorsements
“Jeff Arthurs clearly and thoroughly shows how the parts of narrative—plot, character, setting, and point of view—combine to bring biblical stories to life. He then goes on to show how your sermon can use the same narrative skills to capture your twenty-first century listeners. Continuous biblical and sermon examples make this a book preachers will file and return to when preparing messages on passages he mentions.”
– Don Sunukjian, Professor of Preaching Emeritus, Talbot School of Theology
“Jeffrey D. Arthurs is one of the best narrative preachers I know. As a gifted exegete, homiletician, and storyteller, I am grateful that he has gifted preachers, pulpits, and people in the pews with his latest, How to Preach Narrative. Arthurs showcases the beauty of the narrative genre in Scripture and provides experience-proven techniques for telling the story of God in God’s way. Pick up a copy today. Your listeners will thank you for it. They may even respond with a story of their own.”
– Matthew D. Kim, Professor of Practical Theology and Raborn Chair of Pastoral Leadership, Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University
“This book is a wonderful combination of the theoretical foundations and the practical applications involved in preaching narrative texts. Jeff knows the beautiful struggle of preaching and with this book he makes the struggle easier for all of us, mentoring us in the joy and craft of preaching. I strongly recommend it for book groups, classes, and anyone who wants to give their preaching some new life.”
– Mary Hulst, University Pastor, Calvin University
About the Author
Jeffrey D. Arthurs is the Haddon W. Robinson Professor of Preaching and Communication at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA. His other works include Preaching With Variety (Kregel), Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture (Kregel), and Preaching as Reminding (IVP).
