Clearly the Easiest Text in Law School. The author explains the law and applies it. The facts of each case makes the rule of law easy to understand. It is important for the reader to keep track of the direction the cases are headed. Also keep track of "bright line" or "case by case" rules. The only supplement you need for this class is the current newspaper headline! Brief each case, and mind your facts!

Ron Allen is a professor of preaching and New Testament at my seminary, Christian Theological Seminary, and the author of many books on preaching and biblical exegesis. For this volume, he teamed with John Holbert, who teaches preaching and Hebrew Bible at Perkins School of Theology, SMU. One of the perennial tasks of a preacher is to faithfully use the scriptures that came before the four gospels and rest of the Christian era writings. This books addresses that issue head-on.

One of the issues, which comes to the forefront at the very start of such an inquiry, is what to call it? There are issues with the terms 'Old Testament', 'Hebrew Scriptures', and other commonplace terms we take for granted. The assumptions built into the term 'Old Testament' conjure up negative images and an implicit second-class status. Thus, the authors adopt the terminology, still imperfect, of First and Second Testaments.

Attendant to this, and highlighted in the opening of the first chapter, is the tendency on behalf of Christian preachers to trivialise the First Testament, recasting it as at best less important than the Second Testament writings, and at worst, recreating a Marcion-esque trait of leaving it out altogether. Marcion recast the Bible as a small document that included only a few of the major Pauline letters and the gospel of Luke.

'Ironically, Marcion's ideas led to the formation of the Christian canon as we know it. He forced the church to consider the question of what should be in the canon and what should not. The church ultimately and wisely voted against Marcion and said that it could not live without the First Testament. Nonetheless, Marcion's ghost still haunts the Christian pulpit.'

In approaching the First Testament as a document worthy of preaching, Allen and Holbert look toward images of God and God's relationship with humanity that are able to stand alone while reflecting a message consistent with the gospel message. 'The First Testament does not always need the Second to give it meaning and importance for the Christian community.' Allen and Holbert give a systems of twelve steps to follow to build a credible and useful sermon from First Testament passages. (Readers of Allen's other texts will know that he is big on step-by-step methodologies for sermon construction.) In addition to this process, the authors give various thematic approaches that could be appropriate for use of First Testament texts in preaching, such as creation, covenant and steadfast love, deliverance and justice.

Perhaps the most interesting chapter is the fifth chapter, 'Texts that Apparently Offer Little or Nothing to the Christian Pulpit.' To the astute reader, the word 'apparently' in the chapter title is an obvious give-away. Taking on texts such as regulations about circumcision, dietary restrictions, Temple rites and regulations, Allen and Holbert recommend various techniques and modes of thinking that can make them more relevant and useful. Above all, the authors caution against using these texts merely to dismiss them.

'The preacher may be tempted to criticise or dismiss difficult passages because they do not appear to measure up to Jesus Christ or the Second Testament. This tactic is often problematic. It probably misrepresents the relationship between Christ, the Second Testament, and the First Testament. It presumes that the picture of God and religion in the Hebrew Bible is inferior to that of the church and that the First Testament is discontinuous with Christ and the church.'

Allen and Holbert then take a brief survey of the current state of biblical scholarship and criticism, particularly as it applies to the connection between the Testaments. The authors then look at five different sermons, the texts of which are presented in their entirety, with notations and important points highlighted in the midst of the sermons by commentary set off in italics.

One of the tasks of Christian Theological Seminary over the past few decades has been a deepening Jewish-Christian dialogue and recognition on the part of Christian preachers and leaders of their responsibility in making Jewish-Christian relations difficult. This text helps in the process of reconciliation, by helping to limit the misinterpretation and misrepresentation of the Jewish people and the Hebrew scriptures in Christian pulpits.

This is a useful text for anyone who wants to a greater understanding of the significance of the First Testament for current Christian preaching and practice.

If you want to know how it really was for the presidency, for poor men who followed God and served the Lord, read this book. You feel like you are really there with them. It brings you closer to their troubles and their triumphs. It was inspiring, and so real.

This book divides neatly into classical styles of preaching and contemporary styles of preaching. Each chapter gives a description of the style of preaching being analyzed and how it works and then includes a sample sermon of that style.

I found this to be very helpful in challenging my thinking about "the" right way to preach and it gave me multiple styles to consider as I try to reach a world that seems less and less interested in the way we have traditionally packaged our messages. One style may "fit" a particular circumstance or audience or passage better than another style and therefore make us better equipped to apply the Word. It also would help us preachers be less predictable with those who regularly listen to us.

'Systematic theology!?!' you might gasp.

'That sounds boring!' you might say (joining with a friend of Allen's when informed of this project).

'What is systematic theology?' you might ask, particularly if you are a person interested in the church but have never been through seminary -- dare I make the leap that seminarians and pastors would not have this question? But before I digress into an area of less-than-charitable territory, let me return to the task at hand...

Systematic theology can, in fact, have a number of faces; systematic theology can have content that is conservative or liberal, traditional or modern. But systematic theology, when applied to a career of preaching, can help one avoid the 'flavour of the week' variety of theology that owes more to the latest book read by the pastor or the latest topical issue in the newspaper.

Allen addresses early the fact that people often have more of a theological framework, sensitivity or insight than they give themselves credit for:

'A number of laypeople who have not had formal theological education have excellent theological sense. Indeed, I am occasionally a guest Bible study leader or preacher in a congregation in which a sensitive layperson has more theological acumen than the seminary-educated pastor. '

Often what is missing for these people is the language, the terminology, the knowledge of the way to speak. Providing this becomes part of the tasks of the preacher. Also, one of the tasks of the preacher is to sort through the different ideas that modern, pluralistic society makes available. Gone are the days in America where the town would have but a few main churches that would vary only slightly (by today's standards) in theology and practice. Gone also are the days when people have basic working knowledge of the Bible or the creeds or traditions of their beliefs. While they have what Allen terms an implicit theology, they usually have had no formal training (often even in Sunday school settings).

'But I want my preaching to be biblical? Why can't preachers just preach on the Bible?'

This question is asked a lot, and addressed a lot by those who write on preaching (see also my review on Trouble with Jesus: Women, Christology and Preaching by L. Susan Bond, one of Allen's students). The Bible is difficult to make into life's little instruction book; it does not have a systematic theological approach inherent in the text, but rather has a diversity of views in the various writing contained in the canon. In talking about the problem and connection between biblical preaching and systematic theology, Allen proposes a conversational model, in which one asks key questions of the text -- what theology is really being presented here? What are the aspects and difficulties with the text? What is God's intention for the community in the text? What does God look like in this text?

'The interaction between the Bible and the congregation may spark the church to recognise possibilities in doctrine, systematic theology, or life and witness that the church had not previously envisioned.'

Allen argues that using systematic theology as a framework for starts and moves through a sermon can help the congregation in a myriad of ways. It can help reinforce ideas and beliefs of the congregation. It can broaden and expand the range of possibilities. It can help address conflicts or difficult issues. It can introduce new or forgotten topics. It can recast old ideas in new ways of thinking. It can even make a congregation question its own beliefs, which is not always a bad thing. Creeds and statements of faith, catechisms and covenants can all be used as frameworks for beginning -- the sources of theological inspiration vary for different denominations, but there is often a wide array for selection, and Allen highlights many of these possibilities.

The appendix is a gem of brief theological knowledge -- relating the contemporary theological families (revisionary, postliberal, liberation, and evangelical) and eleven historical Christian movements (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, Wesleyan, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Radical Reformation, Quaker, and Community/Bible churches). Allen acknowledges that as broadly inclusive as this may seem, it nonetheless omits possibilities, particularly among hybrids that arise. Allen presents a two dimension chart and places himself in coordinates of revisionary and Reformed; perhaps even a four-dimensional chart that took into account variances with families and historical movements would not suffice, as it would neglect a fifth element of time -- trying to envision a five-dimensional model would challenge even the best of hyper-geometrists! Nonetheless, this encapsulation of movements is more information than many laypersons have (part of the theological illiteracy Allen references earlier in the text is the lack of understanding people have about traditions other than their own -- sadly, this often applies as much to the clergy as to laypersons in the congregation) and can serve as a guide for such education.

My one wish for the book would be a bit more commentary on the sermon examples provided, and perhaps a few more sermon examples -- perhaps a sermon from each of the contemporary theological families identified in the appendix. While Allen takes care to be broadly inclusive in approach and sensitive to nuances of belief, his preferences and biases do poke through now and again, and perhaps will prove difficult for some to get past -- his inclusion of feminist examples in a positive way, for instance, might make it difficult for those who do not believe women have a place in the pulpit or behind the altar to accept the rest of his writings. Those who want to believe that the Bible is a coherent and systematic text (some who hold infallible and inerrantist views of the Bible require this as part and parcel of the inerrant quality) may also find it difficult to accept. Allen in no place denigrates these views, but some might take the positive spin on one side as an implicit criticism of the other.

This book is part of a relatively new Preaching... series put out by Chalice Press, which concentrates on books in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) tradition (the same tradition that is the primary denominational support of my seminary, Christian Theological Seminary, in Indianapolis). The author, Ronald J. Allen, is on the faculty here. I have had the privilege of knowing him both in and out of the classroom, and used this book as part of an independent study project I completed with him a few summers ago.

'The gospel of Luke and the books of Acts tell the story of God's intention to restore the world community so that all relationships and situations embody the divine purpose of love and justice initially revealed in Genesis 1.' (p. ix)

First, a basic primer. The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts form two parts of a work by the same author. It is most likely that the gospel of Luke was first separated from its companion volume of Acts in early collections of the gospels. Both address the same person, Theophilus, although it is unclear that this was an actual individual, and may be instead a general name given to any reader who would be (translating the name into English) a 'lover of God'. Many scholars now refer to the gospel and Acts as Luke-Acts to show their connection and common composition.

'I focus on preaching themes in Luke and Acts. The designation 'theme' is not a technical category of biblical scholarship. I use theme to speak informally of ideas, images, associations, expressions, practices, or values that span Luke 1 through Acts 28, or significant parts thereof.' (p. 1)

This is not a book that goes through Luke-Acts with a verse by verse exposition. Rather, it strives to show broad areas of concern and connection for the author of Luke-Acts, so that this knowledge will enhance the understanding of individual passages. Those engaged in preaching can also find aid and material here for developing a sermon or sermon-series on thematic bases.

Allen uses literary criticism, rhetorical criticism, reader-response criticism, and historical criticism as tools. He also engages the hermeneutic of suspicion, that is, the assumption that writers will shape their texts in various ways to further the interests of their own community, social class, gender, race, etc. All these tools together provide a broad framework for interpretation and insight into the text of Luke-Acts.

Allen has put together the text for the average preacher - it does assume intelligence on the part of the reader, but does not assume that the reader will be a high-level academic biblical scholar. Allen gives clear and concise background to the issues addressed in accessible and engaging prose.

'Many Christian communities today do not know the content of the Bible or how to interpret it. The sermon that provides background material helps the congregation overcome these deficiencies.' (pp. 5-6)

Parts of this background include the authorship of Luke-Acts, the narrative structure of the text, the social and historical location of the text, the sources with which Luke was likely familiar, the relationship with the First Testament (see note below), and the theological underpinnings. Allen identifies in his chapter headings the primary themes he draws from Luke-Acts:

- Preaching on the Realm of God
- Preaching on the Holy Spirit
- Preaching on the Great Reunion of the Human Community
- Preaching on the Restoration of Women
- Preaching on Poverty, Abundance, and the Use of Material Resources

In each of these chapters, Allen draws on the tools developed in the introduction and the background information from the first chapter to show the ways in which these themes emerge from the text in many stories and passages.

Some churches are not free to develop sermons or a series of sermons based on self-selected texts because they follow a lectionary pattern (in America, most likely the Revised Common Lectionary or some close derivative). To aid the preacher in these situations, Allen has provided an Appendix which shows the passages of Luke-Acts in the lectionary keyed to the pages on which those particular passages are referenced through this book.

My only complaint with the book (and I am picky about books in this regard) is that there is no index. I would hope for an index in the next edition or printing of this book!

This is an excellent resource, particularly for next year (Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary, in which much of the gospel reading comes from Luke). It should find a welcome home on the shelf of any preacher, Christian educator, or student of the Bible.

---------------

My reference to the 'First Testament' above is drawing from the work here at Christian Theological Seminary, which strives to work against supersessionism, the idea that Christianity has somehow made Judaism irrelevant, unnecessary, etc. To this end, the label Old Testament is taken by some to be too susceptible to derogatory interpretation, who have come to use the terms First Testament and Second Testament instead.

One of Ron Allen's colleagues once described him in terms of being the Isaac Asimov of preaching and homiletics - 'he never has an unpublished thought,' the statement went. Allen himself recently told me in jest that his philosophy is 'write first, think later.' To anyone who reads Allen's works, this statement is obviously false. Such is true with his latest volume, 'Preaching: The Essential Guide.'

This text is a mere 125 pages, but encapsulates much of Allen's decades of preaching and teaching experience. The purposes of the book reflect this duality of Allen's experience. One purpose is to teach new preachers the basics of preaching. A second purpose is to help students - the book can be used as a text in a course.

The book is useful for more than just beginning preachers. Rare is the preacher who does not benefit from a review of the basics. Just as any preacher will want to constantly re-read the Bible together with the latest commentaries, as well as sermons by others, so too should any good preacher occasionally review the process of preaching, from initial idea and formation of a sermon to delivery and feedback.

Allen does not give one standard model which preachers must follow. He states:

'I do not believe that God has a blueprint for every sermon that the preacher needs only to discover. God made human beings to be creative as preachers and as listeners. The sermon is always an act of interpretation. But in ways that fit every situation, God desires for pastor and people to have optimum understandings and experiences of grace.'

In speaking of the intention of preaching, Allen puts God first, and God remains a constant influence at every stage.

Methodologically, this book differs from many preaching texts, including several of Allen's own previous works. Rather than going from theory to practice, it changes the order, and highlight practical aspects from which general principles and theory may arise. Allen begins with a sample sermon to illustrate points. These are meant as influences and guidelines rather than inerrant and rigid standards that must be maintained.

Each of the seven chapters begins with a question - in fact, each chapter title is the primary question to answered. These questions are basic questions that every preacher (and every listener) should take to heart.

What is the Good News from God in the sermon?
Does the sermon honour the integrity of the Bible or the topic?
Is the sermon theologically adequate?
Does the sermon relate the text or topic to the congregation in a responsible way?
What is the significance of the sermon for the congregation?
Does the sermon move in a way that is easy to follow?
Does the preacher embody the sermon in an engaging way?

From these questions, it is easy to see that Allen will not propose any particular framework for sermons. Allen discusses different styles and models of preaching, but there will be no particular fill-in-the-blank outline given out here. The preacher must do her or his own thinking, reflecting, and crafting.

Each of the questions addressed is of vital importance in the creation of a good sermon. A sermon can be the best rhetorical construction imaginable, but it might be unfaithful to its topic, or fall short theologically. Allen, being a member of the Disciples of Christ denomination and very ecumenically minded, provides help in broad strokes, but ultimately the responsibility for determining practical applications will rest with the preacher and congregation.

However, some 'helpful hints' are very handy, if not always what a person constructing a sermon will want to hear. Many preachers have handy books of illustrations and stories ready-made to be incorporated into sermons, a sort of cheat-sheet for preachers. With the advent of the internet, such possibilities are much greater. Allen cautions against using these.

'I encourage preachers to avoid using stories form collections of sermon illustrations. Almost every time I hear such a story, it fails to resonate with real life. It sounds stale. Many tales from collections are just too simple or too contrived. Often the wording is artificial.'

Of course, Allen generally assumes that preachers won't lift sermons whole and entire from other sources and deliver them as their own!

Various appendices give step-by-step instructions for sermon preparation (Allen is big on this, as any of his students will attest); suggestions for preaching cycles over time; and a short but significant piece on outside resources. These resource suggestions include Biblical commentaries, church history resources, theology aids, and various preaching resources.

This text is presented in Ron Allen's usual engaging and readable style. Allen does not shy away from academic terminology, but the reader is not overwhelmed with unfamiliar terms or language constructs. In this way, Allen's text embodies what he is trying to get across to the student of preaching - not quite a keep-it-simple-stupid principle, but keep it accessible and interesting.

I highly recommend this text to seminarians, new preachers, veteran preachers, as well as those who listen to sermons and seek a greater appreciation of the process.

The definitive bibliography of Mormon history. An enormous, systematic undertaking. 1152 pages (in small but readable type). Two indices--by author and by topic. Also includes a hundred-page topical guide to social science publications on the Mormons prepared by Armand Mauss and Dynette Ivie Reynolds. This is an invaluable resource for students of Mormon history and/or sociology.

One of the primary duties of a preacher is to be a teacher. This aspect of preaching often gets buried under other considerations; depending upon the denomination, preachers can see their primary duty as preparation for an altar call, preparation for communion, explaining aspects of the Bible for today's context, identifying issues of concern for the congregation and community, energising and/or consoling the congregation, and a host of other concerns. Some of these have an element of teaching implicit in the consideration, and for others it becomes somewhat of a stretch. However, preachers are, in many respects, the one and only trained teacher of Christianity with whom many people will ever come into contact.

In this volume, The Teaching Sermon, Allen gives strategies and techniques for developing sermons that can embody this teaching element for the congregation. Churches often have Sunday school, adult forums, and other events in which 'education' is the primary focus, but there is something special about the sermon that makes it ultimately a better vehicle for teaching the Christian faith. Allen states he has two main goals for this text:

'One is to reconnoiter the ways specific sermons can have teaching and learning as their fundamental purpose. The other is to help pastors reflect on their teaching and learning possibilities inherent in each sermon and consider ways to integrate these possibilities into their regular preaching.'

The Call to the Teaching Ministry Today
In this chapter, Allen looks at the role of preacher as teacher. Drawing on historical precedents such as the role of the magisterium in the Roman Catholic church and the redefinition of the church's teaching authority in the Reformation, Allen argues that however the teaching ministry is perceived, it is still present in the need of the congregation and expectation from the preacher today. Now more than ever, as theological illiteracy relative to previous generations continues to increase, the teaching ministry of the church is vital for its growth, indeed for its very survival.

What is a Teaching Sermon?
Allen shows his ecumenical Disciples roots clearly in this chapter, showing a broadly inclusive view of what the teaching sermon is and what its intention should be.

'The teacher may be information giver, question asker, mentor, gadfly, guide, mediator, antiexample, poet. The teacher may need to withhold information or speak in paradox, to help the lesson distill in the students' minds. The teacher's specific role should fit both subject matter and students. However, a Christian teacher is not just a cafeteria manager who passes options before the learners. The Christian teacher aims not only to expose students to alternative points of view, but to help the congregation weigh those alternatives carefully.'

Allen cautions against the impulse to teach all of Christianity while standing on one foot, or to try to cram an entire denomination's history and doctrinal understanding into one sermon.

How People Learn from Sermons
Allen first looks at how people learn, and what constitutes a good teacher. Setting out a list of aspects a good teacher embodies, Allen focuses primarily on the abilities of communication, trustworthiness, and ability to create a safe space for questioning and learning that make a good teacher. Many preachers have these abilities, but it takes some effort to cultivate them specifically for teaching. Looking at ideas of participation and questioning, Allen shows that sometimes it is the sermon the raises difficult questions without giving clear-cut, definitive answers that can be the best form of education.

Developing the Sermon as an Event of Teaching and Learning
Education needs to be specific to the congregation. Some congregations need more knowledge about Christian history, and some need more about Christian practice. There are various ways to find out what is on the congregation's mind and, recognising the limited time and scope available for education, determining where the greatest need lies. Some preachers can use the opportunity of a series of sermons on a particular topic such as Christian Charity; others who follow the lectionary can draw on the themes present throughout the year to provide a diverse range of educational opportunities.

Five Models for Teaching Sermons
There is an almost endless array of possible sermon styles; there are probably as many models as there are preachers. In this chapter, Allen shows five useful models for sermons with a specific teaching intention; in addition to highlighting the models, Allen gives examples of each type of sermon by including the text of an entire sermon done in each style.

Plans for Systematic Teaching from the Pulpit
There are different approaches one can take for preaching. Some churches are guided by a standard lectionary, the most frequently encountered being the Revised Common Lectionary. Even within this framework, preachers can develop series of sermons to highlight various teaching aspects. Those churches that are not guided by the lectionary may choose to follow it periodically for a host of reasons, or may chose one of the other methods for developing teaching series.

Teaching a Core Curriculum from the Pulpit
In this final chapter, Allen highlights many of the aspects of Christian life and history that bear repeating to each generation from preachers. These include ideas of the authority of the church, our knowledge of God and the sources of that knowledge, the Christian vision, how to think theologically, the nature and purpose of the church, basic Christian doctrines, and ways to interpret personal and social issues. These naturally overlap with each other, but all bear special consideration from time to time so that the formation of the community can continue into this generation and into the next. As each new generation confronts a different world (nevertheless a world in which much remains the same) the church and issues surrounding formation of a church community must continually walk between the tension of remaining faithful to tradition and received practices and wisdom, and responding faithfully to new situations and being involved in the world as it continues to unfold and progress into the future.

The experiences and explanations provided are primarily devoted to total hip replacement. Interesting combination of viewpoints - orthopedic surgeon, physical therapist and patient - makes book more helpful to those facing the daunting prospect of a total hip replacement. Helps somewhat to decrease anxiety about the surgery and recovery. Information is generally accurate.

When I first picked up this book I thought that its utility would be limited to "living with arthritis" but my hip arthritis progressed quickly and within two years I was planning for total hip replacement. Ron Allen's perpective has helped buoy my spirits and has helped me find the determination to make it through what will be a tough few months.

I'm 43 and was pretty surprised and scared when I was told I needed hip replacement surgery- although I was in a lot of pain and having difficulty walking. This book goes through, step by step, making the decision to have surgery and what takes place during and after. I've read several books, but this is easy to read and from the patients perspective.