Of Seeds and the People of God: Preaching as Parable, Crucifixion, and Testimony - Hardcover

by Michael P. Knowles (Author), Paul Scott Wilson (Foreword by)

Preachers mount the pulpit steps terribly burdened by the conviction that they are somehow responsible for the growth and spiritual well-being of their congregants. How, they ask themselves, can mere words communicate the reality of God, bring life to a congregation, or foster spiritual growth? This study argues that effective sermons function much like Jesus' parables--by bearing witness to divine power. Parables and preaching both testify to something beyond themselves: to a life-giving dynamic that far outstrips the force of words alone. Preachers are not go-betweens or gatekeepers for the kingdom of heaven: rather, they imitate Jesus by dying to themselves in the very act of proclamation, relying directly on God for their sermons to bear fruit. As well as offering a novel interpretation of Jesus' agricultural parables, Of Seeds and the People of God presents a Christ-shaped theology of preaching. Beyond exegesis or rhetoric alone, faithful proclamation is a question of spirituality, of preachers and listeners together yielding to God's gift of new life.

Author Biography

Michael P. Knowles holds the George F. Hurlburt Chair of Preaching at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. In addition to shorter studies in homiletics, pastoral theology, and biblical interpretation, his previous publications include We Preach Not Ourselves: Paul on Proclamation (2008) and The Unfolding Mystery of the Divine Name: The God of Sinai in Our Midst (2012).