As One with Authority: The Ministry of Preaching. By John R. Brokhoff. Wilmore, KY: Bristol Books, 1989. 192 pages.  

John R. Brokhoff is Professor Emeritus of Preaching at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He taught homiletics at Candler from 1950-55 and 1965-80.  

Authority comes, not from the manner in which the sermon is preached, Brokhoff declares, but from the content of what is preached (p. 12). That is the basic affirmation of the book. The purpose of this book is to correct a problem Brokhoff believes was created by too great an emphasis on inductive preaching. He asserts that preachers have become non-authoritarian in method and style and have denied authority in the content of preaching (p. 12). The challenge in preaching today, Brokhoff believes, is to proclaim an authoritative message without becoming authoritarian.  

The contents of the book are divided into four parts: The Milieu of Preaching, The Messenger of Preaching, The Message of Preaching, and The Methods of Preaching. The development of the material at times consists of a collection of random thoughts on the outline subdivisons.  

This volume calling for some corrections in contemporary preaching is worthwhile reading in that it will prompt more thought about the state of the art. The author bases his work on a sound theology of preaching and offers some valuable suggestions gleaned from years of experience of teaching, preaching, and reading. The book suffers from lack of documentation. Also, the reader may prepare for a surprise on the first line of the foreword, where Phillips Brooks is introduced as Philip Brooks.