There is a difference between knowing how to preach and knowing how to communicate that knowledge to others. Drawing from the wells of pedagogy and theology, Training Preachers shows teachers of homiletics how to educate preachers to skillfully and effectively present God’s word to their congregations.
Training Preachers presents the classroom-tested insights of several seasoned homiletics professors whose goal is to share their knowledge with preaching instructors ranging from novices to veterans. Expertly edited by Scott M. Gibson, this is a textbook on teaching preaching that is informed by Christian theology as well as cutting-edge pedagogical practices. The book enables those who teach preaching to holistically prepare to teach this subject to groups, conference gatherings, and classes in Bible colleges and seminaries.
Essential reading for the novice and the veteran teacher of preachers, that steers thought, stirs emotion, and spurs action.
—Abraham Kuruvilla, Senior Research Professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministries, Dallas Theological Seminary
All of us who preach have regretted some of the sermons we delivered early in our ministries. And all of us who teach preaching have done the same with some of our first lectures and classroom exercises. How I wish I would have had access to a resource like Training Preachers before I walked into my first seminary classroom as a professor! While there’s a plethora of books available to preachers and students of preaching, few have been written on the slippery subject of how to teach things related to this holy calling. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned preaching coach, Scott Gibson and his team of experienced homileticians have provided us with a treasure for our task.
—Jim Shaddix, W. A. Criswell Professor of Expository Preaching and Director, Center for Preaching and Pastoral Leadership, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Over the course of the last twenty years, more than thirteen hundred books have been published on the subject of preaching. Few of these works are specifically designed to resource homiletics teachers for the task of instructing preachers. Training Preachers astutely fills this void to the greater glory of God and the greater good of the church. As a treasure chest of education-based guidance for teaching preaching, Training Preachers is a rare find—a gem. Readers will discover a goldmine of sound principles and proven practices for effectively equipping learners in the art and science of life-changing proclamation.
—France B. Brown, Jr., Dr. Ernest L. Mays Assistant Professor of Expository Preaching & Biblical Teaching, College of Biblical Studies–Houston
“I wish I knew that my success as a professor was not based on whether or not students liked me or grew to like preaching, but rather it was centered on getting students to stretch themselves, grow, and learn something new about both themselves and communicating God’s word.’” (Pages 1–2)
“explains how they will demonstrate what they have learned and how those demonstrations will be assessed and graded.” (Page 112)
“what they should be striving to achieve by clearly identifying and stating the course goals.” (Page 112)
“trans-denominational textbooks on preaching in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries” (Pages 8–9)