Christian Eloquence: Contemporary Doctrinal Preaching

Anderson's book shows us how to use an untapped resource - the homilies and sermons of the Church Fathers and Scholastics. Despite preaching in a different day and age and to a different audience, their goal was the same as any modern preacher, teacher, or catechist. They were attempting to communicate the Word of God to their audience in a persuasive way through the use of rhetoric. He shows us how, by imitating them and learning from them, we can discover new ways to bring Christ to others through words as well as actions. It's great to have on the shelf as a theological/historical resource as well as a homiletic aid.

Anderson's book has changed my outlook on preaching and given me more confidence in preaching. Anderson discusses the different styles of preaching and how to best implement these styles. The classical preachers that are examined in this book are very helpful and practical. The explanation of their backgrounds and the approaches that they used in preaching was very insightful. Another aspect of this book that was very useful for me was the emphasis of the spirituality of the preacher and how important this is in actual preaching. I would recommend this book to students learning the art of preaching, but also to those who have been preaching for years. If you are up for the challenge of improving your preaching, read this book.

If you are a seminarian, priest, pastor or minister: DO NOT PASS THIS BOOK UP- This is the best resource I've found concerning Homiletics. It has really given me a foothold into the world of Patristic Preaching. Anderson deftly opens up the methods and presuppositions that the Church Fathers and other great saints employed in their preaching, making them accessible and relevant for contemporary proclaimers of the Word. After reading this book, I see myself after ordination being enabled to turn to the wisdom of all the great preachers throughout the rich tradition of the Church in the writing of my homilies. This is one of the most inspiring books you will read, since it offers a doorway to many other countless sage works beyond itself.

If you find that your priest, pastor, or preacher is getting to be borring, dull, or uninspiring you might want to give him or her a copy of this book. Verry easy to read, the guidelines on how to know your audience and how to delight and challenge them are very simple. Dr. Anderson makes very accessible the method of various great preachers in the Christian Tradition. If you yourself want to become a better preacher this book is very accessible and great for the priest, pastor, deacon, seminarian, etc.

This is an excellent book. Of particular value is the chapter on John Colet's Convocation Sermon, delivered to a group of English bishops and priests in 1512. The courage, and bluntness, Colet used in addressing the English clergy is a good example for anyone who wants to respond to current scandals and abuses in the Church. This and the other sermons whose texts are included in this book are an amazing resource in and of themselves. The sermons in this book, and Dr. Anderson's analysis and commentary on them, show how reform can truly be Catholic. This book has been a tremendous resource for me as I prepare for my ordination as a priest this coming June.