Southern Baptists and American Evangelicals
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 65, No. 2 - Spring 2023
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
By Daniel Overdorf. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2022, 240pp., $20.99
The subtitle to this book is a “simple approach to the sacred task.” This accurately sums up this little book on homiletics. Overdorf discusses everything a homiletic professor would address for an intro class on preaching. He does it well without overstating his case, or as he said with a “simple approach.”
Overdorf’s reliance on some of the New Homiletic teachers might cause consternation among some conservatives, but his adherence to the sacred text seems to be spot on. There is a need to address the flow of a sermon in the manner of the New Homiletic. This has been ignored because the end for the New Homiletic is the dilution of the Word’s authority. He never argues to simply allow people to glean what they wish to glean, but to preach the text as it is written, thus negating that argument.
In chapter two he argues against the idea of beginning with a topic as this can lead us to “preaching our thoughts rather than God’s” (p. 42). This is very beneficial, as so many do exactly that in their preaching calendars, thus the reason for our nomenclature at Southwestern Seminary of “text-driven preaching.” We desire for a text to be addressed in its whole and not just an idea we then impose on the Scripture, rooted in some topic.
He tackles the major facets of a sermon from introduction to conclusion. In addition, he has a section on how to tell a story which is helpful for those who struggle with that effort. This is needed as so many see deductive preaching as the only proper method for one who stands on the Scripture.
I particularly like his nomenclature for the delivery portion of the sermon. He uses the word “embody” which carries a better word picture than just how to speak a message. One needs to embody the text and the delivery be natural.
He addresses the idea of adding technology to the preaching experience by arguing there are several advantages to using technology in our sermons. It can bring emphasis to the sermon, engage multiple senses, is compatible with the way people learn in other venues and helps us to see different learning styles (pp. 172-73). Yet in chapter 8 he posits: “people see and hear the truth through us. We communicate the message with our voices and our bodies…They can see it in our eyes, hear it in our voices, and watch it in our body language….” These seem to be somewhat contradictory in their assessment. He wrestles with this problem when, in discussing some cons in using technology, he points out this can cause a break in communication which may be difficult to get back (p. 174). This is something to be very careful about and I fear he brought more confusion than light to this part of the book.
He argues for collaborating with other preachers on a consistent basis when writing a sermon. I certainly see wisdom in picking someone’s brain when the text is difficult in either content or application. However, I can see one being too dependent on the work of others and not his own work in the text. Since I am preaching for my people, from God, through his word, to the sheep He appointed me over, I would prefer to do the work primarily on my own. Every church community is different and the truths and their application in the text I see my people need, may differ drastically from another community of believers. I feel far more comfortable after having written the sermon, than before, meeting in a collaborative effort.
All in all, I found this to be a good resource for a quick and easy addressing of the preaching moment. I would not recommend it as a textbook for a class but as ancillary reading material, I feel it would very beneficial.
