The Mission of Preaching: Equipping the Community for Faithful Witness, By Patrick W. T. Johnson alt
The Mission of Preaching
ebook
  • Length: 239 pages
  • Published: February 25, 2015
  • Imprint: IVP Academic
  • Item Code: 9712
  • ISBN: 9780830897124

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We hear plenty of discussion about missional theology, missional leadership and missional church planting. But what about missional preaching?

Now that the church in the West lives within a post-Christendom context, how should preaching look different? What homiletical assumptions arose within Christendom but are no longer relevant for a missionary church?

In The Mission of Preaching, Patrick W. T. Johnson develops the first missional homiletic, a model for preaching determined by the missionary encounter between the gospel and Western culture. Mobilizing the latest resources in homiletical theory and missional theology, he argues that preaching is a major form of the church?s witness to Jesus Christ, equipping the congregation for its witness to the world.

"Rich with theological reflection and practical wisdom, Patrick Johnson's The Mission of Preaching offers a refreshing reimagining of the nature and practice of preaching in the context of God's mission in and for the world. While many books focus on the performance of the preacher as an individual, Johnson's central claim—that faithful preaching forms all God's people to bear vibrant witness—is a timely and important word."

Angela Dienhart Hancock, assistant professor of homiletics and worship, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

"I've been waiting for a solid book on missional preaching, and it has finally arrived. Patrick Johnson brings into conversation some of the best writers in homiletics and missional ecclesiology, then invites us to practice confessional preaching that is centered on the person and work of Jesus, formed by a missional hermeneutic, and is contextual and communal. This book will help you equip the church for the sake of the world."

JR Woodward, national director, V3 Church Planting Movement, author, Creating a Missional Culture

"Patrick Johnson's work on missional preaching is very appropriate and timely for pastors serving congregations in these very tense and challenging times. Whether you are an urban, suburban or rural pastor, Johnson's work will aid you in developing sermons that will speak prophetically to what God has called your congregation to be at this time in its history. Johnson's missional hermeneutic provides the preacher/pastor an interpretive lens to exegete culture, the congregation and the biblical text. The book is a great read for all preachers and pastors but especially for those who are looking to prepare their churches to engage their communities, address social justice issues or simply redefine the church's mission for today. It underscores for its readers the importance of the church being a witness of Christ to the world."

Tasha Vinson Brown, assistant dean, Northern Seminary

"With The Mission of Preaching Patrick Johnson focuses the continuing investigation of the missional church on the theology and practice of preaching. He ably engages the primary resources for this undertaking, especially Lesslie Newbigin and Karl Barth, and lays out the trajectories for the missional renewal of preaching in our post-Christendom context. Combining scholarship and pastoral passion, he is profoundly broadening and deepening the exploration of the missional church with this pioneering work."

Darrell L. Guder, Henry Winters Luce Professor of Missional and Ecumenical Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary

"Finally, the missional turn in theology is engaging homiletics! With concrete suggestions for a fresh approach to sermon preparation, Patrick Johnson reframes preaching, the church and even the Bible itself within the larger contours of the triune God's mission to the world."

James F. Kay, Joe R. Engle Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics, Princeton Theological Seminary

"I strongly recommend this book to homileticians, pastors, preachers and lay leaders alike. Anyone who takes the mission and proclamation of the church seriously will hugely benefit not only from Johnson's refreshing and thoughtful explications of his missional homiletic but also from his careful interdisciplinary work for the sake of God's mission to and for the world."

Duse Lee, Homiletic, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2016

"The book's deep theological reflection is challenging at times, but Johnson has a remarkable ability to clarify complex issues. Diligent readers will gain valuable insights as they eavesdrop on these conversations. They will also find meaningful ways to apply a missional homiletic that will bear fruitful testimony in a post-Christendom context."

Dennis J. Horton, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, January 2016

"Johnson's book is a helpful resource for those interested in the practical application of missiology and for seminary students and homileticians attempting to incorporate mission theology into their sermons."

Philip Wingeier-Rayo, Missiology, 45(1)

"Johnson's work is a valuable addition to the homiletical literature and is worthy of continued engagement."

Mason Lee, Restoration Quarterly
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CONTENTS

Acknowledgments
Abbreviations

Introduction
1. The Preacher as Witness
2. The Witness of the Christian Community
3. The Witness of Missional Congregations
4. A Missional Homiletic of Witness
Conclusion

Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index

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Patrick W. T. Johnson

Patrick W. T. Johnson (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, North Carolina, and author of The Mission of Preaching: Equipping the Community for Faithful Witness. In addition to pastoral work and writing, he is a leader in the Academy of Homiletics, serves as a preaching consultant, retreat, and workshop leader, and as faculty for the Joe R. Engle Institute for Preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary. He received his doctorate in practical theology with a concentration in homiletics, and continues to focus his writing and teaching on the areas of preaching, worship, and missional theology.