"Discipleship and witness are not self-sustainable. Preaching equips God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11)
The gospel is news that passes from the lips of one who has heard to the ears of one who has not yet heard, then (God willing) it burrows in the soul, energizing the hands in daring response to a word received. Preaching is instigated by an astounding claim: Good News; God has spoken to us. The Christian life is what you get when ordinary folk respond: I have heard.
The book (a companion to Preachers Dare) is for anyone who listens to sermons—which includes preachers, since there’s no way to preach without gaining skills as a listener. Listening is a human skill, but as God’s Word is proclaimed, the hearer experiences a vocal mix of preacher, listener, and God.
“There is no shortage of resources out there for how to prepare and preach a sermon, and yet faith comes from hearing. In turning our attention to the homiletical process of listening, Willimon has given clergy and laity alike a true gift. Together, we get to listen for God’s daring Word—a word that in our hearing brings about holy obedience, persistent hope, and daring discipleship.”
—Karoline M. Lewis, Marbury E. Anderson Chair of Biblical Preaching, Professor of Biblical Preaching, Luther Seminary; Program Director, Festival of Homiletics
“Listening to a sermon is a spiritual discipline—that is the simple, profound insight that underpins this rich offering from Will Willimon.”
—Lauren F. Winner, Associate Professor, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC
Preachers Dare is adapted from Will Willimon’s Lyman Beecher Lectures on Preaching at Yale and is inspired by a quote from the great theologian Karl Barth. In a world in which sermons too often become hackneyed conventional wisdom or tame common sense, preachers dare to speak about the God who speaks to us as Jesus...
Feeling most at home behind a pulpit, William H. Willimon s deepest calling is to be a preacher and truth-teller of Jesus Christ. Willimon is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke University Divinity School and retired Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, after serving for 20 years as faculty member and Dean of the Chapel at Duke University. He continues to give lectures and teach at universities around the world. Willimon earned a doctoral degree from Emory University and has been honored with 13 additional doctorates. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.
A study by the Pulpit and Pew Research Center found that Willimon is one of the most widely read authors among mainline Protestant pastors. An international survey conducted by Baylor University named him one of the "Twelve Most Effective Preachers" in the English-speaking world. With over a million copies of more than 60 books sold, his popularity is undeniable.
