Quest for Better Preaching: Resources for Renewal in the Pulpit. By Edward F. Markquart. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1985. 239 pages. Paper, $10.95.  

For some of the best thoughts of the best authors on the vital topics of preaching, read this volume. Markquart, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Washington, secured the reading lists of the Lutheran seminaries in America and gleaned the most helpful information on preaching from 23 of them. He selected both books and topics well.  

The major goal of the book is “to help the preacher improve the quality of his preaching by listening to the wisdom of contemporary pastors and professors of homiletics and putting some of their insights into practice” (p. 16). Markquart’s authors include Achtemeier, Brooks, Buechner, Craddock, Davis, Fant, Stott, Thielicke, and others.  

In the first chapter he raises the question: “Why Can’t We Have Better Preaching?” Chapter two deals with some of the current criticisms of preaching. Beginning with chapter three his topics include the preacher as person, theologian, textual exegete and interpreter, prophet, and storyteller. Markquart’s schema is to quote four or five of the best authors on each topic. The last five chapters form a unit on language and form. Using scriptures and his selected authors as guides, he offers valuable suggestions about the use of story, analogy, and imagery. He adds more insights from his own experience in the latter part of the book. The Appendix is a plan for improvement which calls for the pastor to enlist a group of his church members to work with him on his preaching.  

This volume is written for the pastor who is so pressed for time that he may not read the latest on preaching and sermon preparation. In a few places the work suffers from repetition, perhaps an unavoidable problem in this kind of material. The book’s value lies in its collective wisdom. The pastor, student, or teacher who takes the time to read and follow the suggestions found here will become a better preacher.