Novel Preaching

Fiction writers are highly creative people who have learned the discipline of translating their ideas into effective communication. That same combination of creativity and skill comes into play for preachers crafting their sermons.In this lively and accessible book, Alyce McKenzie explores how fiction writers approach the task of writing novels: how they develop ideas, find their inspiration, and turn the spark of a creative notion into words on paper that will captivate the masses. McKenzie shows how preachers can use the same techniques to enhance their own creativity and to turn their ideas into powerful, well-crafted sermons.Novel Preaching offers a wealth of advice from successful fiction writers, including Isabelle Allende, Frederick Buechner, Julia Cameron, Annie Dillard, Natalie Goldberg, Stephen King, Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates, and Melanie Rae Thon, and also includes sample sermons from McKenzie.

Alyce M. McKenzie is Professor of Homiletics at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. She is the author of a number of books, including The Parables for Today and Preaching Proverbs: Wisdom for the Pulpit.