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The Power of Speaking God's Word: How to preach memorable sermonsUnforgettableThe Power of Speaking God's Word: How to preach memorable sermons Ellsworth argues that preachers should not use notes, still less scripts, when preaching. His is one of the more interesting presentations because he argues for this through a deeper theoretical construct, that of 'orality', as he terms it. This provides a contribution to the long-standing debate among homileticians as to the place of notes in preaching (though Ellsworth does not seem to be fully aware of the existence of the ongoing work here). The book provides a mixture of anecdotes and testimonies from preachers and homileticians of the past as to the value of extemporaneous preaching, with development of the concept of 'orality.' Orality is that which distinguishes oral from written communication. Ellsworth wishes to emphasise the value of this orality in preaching. He argues that oral delivery is more biblical. This is because it implies (and displays) a greater involvement in and commitment to the message on the part of the preacher, which is the biblical model. Ellsworth continues by describing many practical benefits to preaching in this manner. The book finishes with some hints as to how to preach, and how to prepare, well in this approach. In summary, an interesting contribution on one side of the discussion, though a more balanced and even more profound monograph would have been yet more useful. Michael Peat© Evangelicals Now - January 2001 |