Ronald J. Allen, Preaching is Believing: The Sermon as Theological Reflection. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002. Softcover, 162 pages, $14.95. ISBN 0-664-22330-3
This fine book by Ron Allen is a healthy reminder to preachers that we are more than homiletical craftsmen; we are also to be theologians.
Allen, who is a professor of preaching and New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, uses the book to “urge preachers to give systematic theology a higher profile in preaching because systematic theology helps the congregation name what we believe and make coherent sense of life from the perspective of God so that the community can live and witness with integrity.” In other words, theologically-attuned preaching helps congregations develop a Christian worldview.
The book is not itself a systematic theology; rather, it is a handbook which emphasizes theological method for preachers. As Allen asserts, “Week in and week out, the preacher who explicitly brings systematic theology into sermons has opportunities to help the congregation refine its capacity to interpret the world theologically.”
Allen offers six reasons why preaching “needs to give systematic theology a high profile today:
“1. Systematic theology in preaching helps appropriately shape Christian community for today.
“2. Many people today are hungry for the holistic interpretation of life that systematic theology offers.
“3. Preaching systematic theology helps the church make sense of diverse theological claims.
“4. Preaching out of systematic theology helps pastor and congregation relate to the pluralism of postmodernity.
“5. Explicit theology in sermons is an antidote for theological illiteracy.
“6. Systematic theology helps the preacher honor the integrity of elements of the Bible and Christian tradition.” (p. 21)
Recognizing the concern that people will be “bored to death” if preachers become too theological, the author cites Lyle Schaller, who “notices that congregations have a remarkable capacity to follow long and complex sermons when the content makes a vital connection with the experience of the congregation, when the language of the sermon is vivid, when the message moves so that the congregation can easily follow it, and when the preacher embodies the sermon in an engaging way.”
Allen is not arguing that preaching should be rooted in theology as opposed to scripture. Rather, he believes we should “preach from the Bible, consciously and critically, through the lens of systematic theology.” Thus, our interpretation and presentation of individual passages will be rooted in a wider theological foundation and understanding of God’s truth.
While not arguing for it as an exclusive model, Allen does cite the value of some sermons which are centered “not in the exposition of a biblical passage but in an element of doctrine or systematic theology.” Such sermons might grow out of affirmations of faith or doctrinal statements, such as the Apostles Creed. Most pastors will readily understand the value of such sermons from time to time, which deal with an issue or concern more broadly than may be possible from the exposition of a single biblical passage.
Allen provides one chapter on “Making Theology Lively in the Sermon,” and another on “Integrating Systematic Theology into the Preaching Calendar.” The book concludes with two model sermons, the first more expository in nature and the second growing out of systematic theology rather than a single passage.
The author writes out of his own Mainline perspective (he teaches in a Disciples of Christ seminary), and evangelical readers may find points in the book with which to disagree. Nevertheless, Allen makes an important case for the need for preaching to reclaim its theological roots, and he offers helpful counsel to preachers as they seek to accomplish that task.
George Barna, Real Teens: A Contemporary Snapshot of Youth Culture. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 20021. Softcover, 168 pages, $12.99. ISBN 0-8307-2663-2.
George Barna continues to serve the church as its premier source of understanding the culture in which we live and minister. For every preacher who has stood before the congregation, eyed the teenagers and wondered what planet they were from, this newest book will offer some helpful insights.
In Real Teens Barna explores what he calls the “Mosaic generation,” (born between 1984 and 2002). In a host of factual and interpretive material, he explores the attitudes, values, hopes and beliefs of this newest generation. Barna offers three guarantees regarding th Mosaics:
1. They will be the most numerous generation in American history
2. They will be the most confusing generation
3. They will prvide the church will an enormous population for evangelism and discipleship.
Barna argues that the Mosaics won’t be easily categorized, since they “are an unusual amalgam of perspectives, blending the ideas and behaviors of Boomers and Busters with their own unique views and ideas.” It is essential that church leaders seek to come to terms with this emerging generation, since “the future of the church will be determined by their faith contours and commitments.”
It appears that compared to the Busters (who drove us Boomers crazy), the Mosaics will be more upbeat, less skeptical, will be more career-oriented, and will consider religion and faith “a positive dimension of life” (though not central or critical). It is interesting to note that 67 percent of today’s teens say they pray to God in a typical day — more than say they have any meaningful interaction with their father (53 percent).
Teens are saturated by mass media, from radio to TV to the Internet (used by 52 percent on a normal day). On average, they are exposed to more than 2,000 commercial messages a day. Barna observes that “the most underestimated influence on the lives of teens is their music,” which is creating the unique language of the current generation — shaping their attitudes, values, and perspectives.
Perhaps the most important observation Barna offers is this: “experiences are what rule their lives…. Events, adventures and unexpected encounters make each day a new and satisfying episode in their unfolding story. That which does not provide a fresh experience is deemed to be of lesser or no value.”
This is a book filled with statistical data and insights which are vital for pastors, church educators, youth workers and others who are called to reach our youngest generation.
Robert Kysar, Preaching John. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002. Softcover, 252 pages, $18.00. ISBN 0-8006-3226-5
This latest installment in the “Fortress Resources for Preaching” series offers insights for preaching from passages in the gospel of John.
The author — a Lutheran now retired from the faculty of Emory University, where he taught preaching and New Testament — observes, “This book is designed to enable preachers to understand better the Gospel of John in order that they might tap its resources for proclamation.”
Kysar’s own emphasis is on narrative preaching (in a Eugene Lowry mode) — sermons “structured like narrative plots rather than rational arguments.”
Preachers planning to preach a series from John’s gospel will want to consider Kysar’s contribution.

Share this content with your peers!