Four Voices of Preaching : Connecting Purpose and Identity Behind the Pulpit

Pastors often feel bombarded with an array of options for how to implement their craft. In this helpful book, Robert Reid argues that pastors will be more faithful and effective in their preaching when they understand exactly what they are trying to accomplish when they enter the pulpit. Do they want to encourage? Offer wisdom? Persuade folks to take up a particular course of action? Prophetically criticize the church or society? Reid contends that preachers tend to generally adopt one of four possible "voices" for their preaching: teaching, encouraging, sage, or testifying. He shows how these four voices differ, helps pastors understand which voice is predominantly theirs, and helps them sharpen the appropriate preaching skills. Sample sermons of each type of voice are included.

Robert Stephen Reid (Ph.D., University of Washington) is director of the masters of arts in communications program and chair of the communications department at the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa. An ordained American Baptist minister, he is the author of Preaching Mark and coauthor of Connecting with the Congregation.