Current Issue

Angles of Preaching

This edition of the Journal of the Evangelical Homiletics Society is a demonstration of the various angles by which to understand and appreciate the breadth of approaches to the field of homiletics. The articles are from around the globe, including authors from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. The diverse contributions [...]

Guest Editorial Reflections on Preaching Sin as an Act of Love

I still recall the first time I sang the hymn, God, Be Merciful to Me. The opening words of the third verse declare, “I am evil, born in sin.” As soon as the words left my mouth, my soul balked, accusing the hymnist of hyperbole, even harshness. Sinful? Yes. Evil? Hardly. But the word lingered, [...]

How Did Lloyd-Jones and Sangster Use Scripture in Their Preaching Responses to the Outbreak of World War II? Trialling Analytical Approaches to the Homiletical Use of Scripture

Both D. M. Lloyd-Jones and W. E. Sangster are distinguished figures in evangelical history, looked to as examples of men who used their preaching to respond to the issues of their day, in particular the outbreak of World War Two. Their sermons in response to this traumatic event were published towards the end of 1939, [...]

Why We Should Not Start at the Beginning But Instead Start at the Ending – In Preaching and Teaching the Biblical Doctrine of Man

This paper argues that preaching and teaching on human nature should not begin at the beginning, with Gen 1:26–28 and the Image of God––but with the ending––with Christ, the Second Adam, the true image of God, in whom the redeemed are being renewed, and in whom the redeemed will finally be glorified. A method of [...]

Theocentric Therapeutic Preaching: Good News During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The global COVID-19 pandemic disrupted all areas of life including the worship practices of local churches. It caused trauma, breaking connections, and shattering assumptions about the safety of the world and (for Christians) assumptions about God. Forced to take their worship and ministry online, church leaders continued to support the wellbeing and spiritual development of [...]

In View of God’s Mercy: Evoking and Invoking Gratitude in Preaching

Although gratitude is sometimes mentioned by homileticians as a motivator for discipleship, its place in sermons remains relatively unexplored. This article considers how preachers can intentionally evoke (draw forth) feelings of thankfulness and invoke (appeal to) these as the impetus for obedience. This gracegratitude- obedience pattern may be seen throughout the Bible; however, recent New [...]

The Role of Imagination in Expository Sermon Construction

While expository preaching is a biblically faithful model, this method of preaching can result in boring recitations of research. In order to bring life to expository sermons, this article argues that imagination serves an important and necessary role in expository sermon construction. First, this article presents an original definition of imagination as it relates to [...]

Book Reviews (23-2)

Preaching to a Divided Nation: A Seven-Step Model for Promoting Reconciliation and Unity. By Matthew D. Kim and Paul A. Hoffman. (Reviewer: R. Larry Overstreet.) Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church. By Katelyn Beaty. (Reviewer: Scott M. Gibson) Preaching the Manifold Grace of God: Theologies of Preaching in the [...]