Richard A. Lischer

Preaching Jesus

Preaching & Worship

“Finally! A book that moves us beyond 'storytelling' in preaching. In Preaching Jesus Campbell takes the church's story seriously and discloses the revolutionary potential of preaching in a post liberal age. This is the most honest and helpful appraisal of narrative preaching that I know of. We have been waiting for this book and Campbell's exciting new proposals for many years.”

Preaching Master Class

Preaching & Worship

“Will Willimon is a master preacher who is eminently qualified to teach a 'master class' on preaching. Paradoxically, he refuses to master the text or the awesome responsibility of preaching the gospel. Instead, he shows us how to listen for God's word and to experience it in every moment of the pastoral life. In Willimon's reading, preaching is not an onerous burden but a lively exercise of the theological and biblical imagination. He really can't help himself! He loves words, but he loves the Word even more. The outcome of this book is something we could all use--a newfound joy in the art of preaching.”

Puzzling the Parables of Jesus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Puzzling the Parables of Jesus offers a magisterial account of the ways in which the parables helped the church—and help us all—remember Jesus. It will prove essential for all who wish to dive deeper into these magical, mysterious stories and into the process by which they have come to us and enriched our lives. This is a book to be read, then absorbed.”

Reading for Preaching

Preaching & Worship

“Cornelius Plantinga's Reading for Preaching represents the gift of a lifetime. Plantinga has spent many years mapping great fiction, poetry, biography, and journalism. In this book he shares that map with technologized, digitalized, busy preachers who badly need what he has to offer. This is not a guide to `pretty sermons,' as Niebuhr called them, but to human, deeply textured reflections. . . . I can't imagine a preacher who will not benefit from this gift.”

Runagates in Scarceness

Fiction

“Only a superb historian who grasps the importance of evidence could have written this delightful mystery, and only an accomplished priest and academic insider could have inhabited the mind and instincts of the protagonist of Runagates in Scarceness. Fortunately . . . in the author O.C. Edwards, we have all three. Sharp and crisp in every detail, Edwards's first novel is a delightful tale of intrigue. Read and enjoy!”

Sanctuary

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Heidi Neumark's books always take me to places I’ve never been. Sanctuary is no exception. It is more than a prophetic response to one president or one political party. It is a series of eloquent dispatches from the front where genuine ministry is happening, delivered by a trusted and wise messenger. This is a wonderful book.”

Take My Hand

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Andrew Taylor-Troutman has written a delightful pastoral memoir, full of human insights and theological truths. It is in the best sense an encouraging book to any and all who aspire to the title 'Pastor.' I recommend it highly.”

Take My Hand: A Theological Memoir

Church Leadership & Ministry

“"Andrew Taylor-Troutman has written a delightful pastoral memoir, full of human insights and theological truths. It is in the best sense an encouraging book to any and all who aspire to the title 'Pastor.' I recommend it highly.”

The Journey and Promise of African American Preaching

Preaching & Worship

“Kenyatta Gilbert has made an invaluable contribution to homiletic scholarship and literature. Rich in tradition and wisdom, The Promise and the Journey of African American Preaching captures the genius of the African American pulpit. This work will be read widely and with great appreciation for years to come.”

The Lord’s Prayer

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The Lord’s Prayer is Christ’s precious gift to the church and world. Wisely, Clifton Black has been entrusted to guide us through it. The Prayer could not be in better hands. Faithful to its purpose, learned in its history of interpretation, and, most of all, pastoral in his exposition, Black leads us through the simple words many of us recite every day. This beautiful book will add a second blessing to the Prayer and help us hear it anew.”

The Parables of Jesus

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“Hultgren's commentary moves with perfect clarity from the text to exegesis to thoughtful exposition of these enigmatic sayings of Jesus. Any preacher or teacher of the parables will return to this book as to a faithful and reliable friend.”

The Quiet Ambition

Christian Living

“The apostle Paul directs his readers to 'encourage one another and build each other up,' which is exactly what Ryan P. Tinetti's new book will do for those weary with a religious culture driven by spiritual ambitions. Drawing on a range of wisdom from Scripture, history, and pastoral experience, Tinetti's book is the guide we all need to the peace that passes all ambition. This is a saving message.”

The Seven Last Words from the Cross

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“Fleming Rutledge brings a profound knowledge of the atoning work of Christ to bear on a series of meditations for God's people. The result is a treasury of wisdom on the cross of Christ. I will continue to read this little book.”

They Call Me Jabe

History & Biography

“They Call Me Jabe is a genuine page-turner. If the reader is not familiar with what drugs, especially, the opioids, have wrought in places like Pulaski County, Virginia, Jabe Largen’s memoir will be a revelation. He has given an unsparing account of the many devastations visited on him, his family, and friends due to drug addiction. Largen, who now pastors a Methodist church in North Carolina, also offers an unsentimental account of his redemption. This book is a none-too-gentle reminder that with the Lord and a few of his helpers, the Light really can overcome the darkness. This is a conversion story—and much, much more.”

We Have Heard That God Is with You

Preaching & Worship

“Rein Bos has produced a rare book on preaching from the Old Testament. Brimming with wisdom, Christian spirituality, and his evident love for the very texture of God's Word, this work is nothing less than a tour de force.”

What Shall We Say?

Theology

“Among preachers, Tom Long is perhaps the most broadly read and deeply incisive of them all. . . . Long doesn’t offer easy answers, but he does open a wonderful conversation.”