Speaking Conflict

Conflict stories appear throughout the Synoptic Gospels, and although they are familiar and dramatic, the stories are particularly challenging for pastors to interpret and teach. In this book, David Buttrick delves into each conflict story, analyzing the particular controversy at hand and highlighting problems that these passages pose for preachers--including anti-Jewish attitudes in the text. As he moves through each story, he helps readers correct long-standing biases, shows how many of these controversies are still with us, and provides sample sermons to demonstrate how these stories might be preached more effectively.

David Buttrick is Drucilla Moore Buffington Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics Emeritus at Vanderbilt Divinity School.