How Shall They Hear: Effective Preaching for Vital Faith

James L. Heflin  |  Southwestern Journal of Theology Vol. 35 - Summer 1993

“How Shall They Hear?“: Effective Preaching for Vital Faith. By Samuel D. Proctor. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1992. 104 pages. Paper, $8.95.  

These Yale Lectures for 1990 come from one with meaningful experience. Samuel D. Proctor has served as a pastor, professor, university president, and associate director of the Peace Corps. He currently is Professor of Christian Ethics at United Theological Seminary.  

What do the hearers expect in a sermon? The book is predicated on the proposal that four principal faith propositions “represent the core of what we should listen for in a sermon” (p. 11). Proctor devotes a chapter to each of the propositions, suggesting metaphorically that each is an arrow in the preacher’s quiver. The propositions: (1) God is present and active in human affairs; (2) Spiritual renewal is available to all; (3) Community is a realizable goal for the human family; (4) Eternity flows through time, and immortality is an ever-present potential (p. 10).  

Proctor presents his case with the authority of personal experience. Each chapter pulsates with vivid illustrations and application which will make the reader uncomfortable at times. He helps us face squarely the problem of sin in a complex world and the formidable task of communicating the gospel. Two evils which concern him as much as any others are racism and ethnic superiority. He challenges preachers to be prophetic, to bring to bear the teachings of Jesus on these and other sins. The preacher of the gospel has been set apart for this task and should be devoted to leading people to faith in God which brings deep meaning to life. A book which reminds of these two facts deserves our attention.  

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