Description:
Phillips Brooks, the Episcopal bishop of Boston near the end of the 19th century, defined preaching as "the communication of truth by man to men. It has two essential elements, truth and personality ... preaching is the bringing of truth through personality." This definition, cited by John F. Thorton in the introduction to Tongues of Angels, Tongues of Men: A Book of Sermons, gives a clear sense of what this book delivers. Tongues of Angels, Tongues of Men gathers many of the most vibrant public expressions of Christian and Jewish truths ever made by some of the most compelling personalities in the history of these religions. From Jesus' Sermon on the Mount to John Donne's "Death's Duel" to Martin Luther King's "The Dimensions of a Complete Life," Tongues of Angels, Tongues of Men dazzles readers with timeless wisdom, shaped by its speakers' distinct voices. More than 80 sermons by Christians and Jews, each preceded by a brief biographical sketch of the preacher, are gathered in an elegant volume that will serve as a devotional for laypeople, an inspirational resource for pastors, and a historical reference for any reader interested in the development of Jewish and Christian communication since the time of Jesus. A useful (if somewhat humid) introduction gives a basic sense of the development of the sermon genre from the early church through the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and beyond. Most readers will skip straight to the sermons themselves, however, because life is short, and this book is a reminder to concentrate only on the most excellent things. --Michael Joseph Gross
| 
