Evangelical Eloquence: A Course of Lectures of Preaching

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Bird's Eye View of Preaching
Review: I ordered Dabney's book along with several others that I thought I would read before I read Dabney but after browsing Dabney one evening I got HOOKED and laid the others aside! The strength of the book is its "overall view" of preaching. He moves from a definition of preaching as the "moral energy of the soul" of the preacher impressing itself on its hearers by means of a proper exposition of the Scripture to defining and explaining the elements of preaching. Of particular interest to any student of preaching will be Dabney's explanation of the role of the understanding in preaching and consequently in sanctification. He speaks thus, "The Bible directs itself to man as a reasonable creature... Sanctification is by means of the truth... quot; Quite a contrast to views commonly held today. Very excellent and readable treatment; a great orientation to the subject. Though it is less strong as a "how to" manual, the reading will nevertheless prove the book to be eminently helpful.