Recommended Books (Winter 2021)
What societies read, or do not read, has a significant effect on the nature of political discourse in modern democratic countries. Historian Paul Johnson argues that the press, as we now know it, first set “the pace of political change in all the advanced societies” during the 1820s with the invention of the steam press.[1] In the intervening two centuries, the printing industry has gone through massive changes that have surely...
Book Review: Charles Malcolm Wingard, Help for the New Pastor
Needless to say, ministry is not easy, and it can be discouraging for the young pastor just starting out despite the many years of training at Bible college or seminary. You know how to prepare a sermon, but where should you start? You know you need to visit people, but how do you balance this with the much-needed office time to prepare for Sunday? Starting out in ministry can almost be like sitting down with a jigsaw puzzle right out...
Rhetoric: Clarity in Preaching and Teaching
As a teacher and (occasional) preacher, I find fascinating the subject of rhetoric, which simply refers to “how one ought to speak.”[1] In fact, several years ago, I published two other pieces on rhetoric, entitled “Rhetoric: The Christian and Non-verbal Communication” and “Rhetoric to the Glory of God.” In this post, I would like to return to the topic of rhetoric. One of the important means by which a preacher is the most effective...
Relational Discipleship
by Aaron Pierce Unsurprisingly, discipleship is a buzzword that has increasingly arisen in church conversations over the last decade. This trend is positive since many pastors of the twentieth century unfortunately relegated discipleship to the backburner. But with this new re-emphasis has appeared a vast array of materials, curriculums, and opinions on the nature and practice of discipleship in the local church. One particular...
What Preachers Can Learn from Tom Brady
(Note: An earlier version of this article appeared at www.fwbtheology.com, the official blog of the Free Will Baptist Commission for Theological Integrity) This past Sunday, for the ninth time in eighteen years as a starting quarterback, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots played in the Super Bowl. He had won five of his previous eight trips to football’s biggest game (and the most watched sporting event in America) before adding a...
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