Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #140465 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 138 pages

Synopsis
In this volume, the author argues that the best sermons are those that take on the tension and movement of a story - not just any story but "the" story of God's dramatic encounter with humanity. Whether working through narrative or non-narrative texts, the task of the preacher is not to organize or outline but to lead the congregation through five sequential stages of the homiletical plot: upsetting the equilibrium, analyzing the discrepancy, disclosing the clue to resolution, experiencing the gospel, and anticipating the consequences. Through moving the plot from a point of tension to a point of resolution, the listener is thus held captive to the revelation of God.

Customer Reviews

Preachers are meant to be story-tellers
Lowry challenges the usual preaching style (tell them what you're going to say, say it, then tell them what you've said). He says no good storyteller gives away the climax of a story like that. Rather, sermons should be stories with: plot, tension, climax, etc. The book was easy to read, and his advice for sermon preparation has been very instructive. Experientially, the times I have used this approach, I have gotten many favorable comments on the sermons.

Add some storytelling to your sermon
This is an excellent book for those involved in preaching and teaching the word of God. After reading this book, one important fact stayed with me. That is "pay attention to detail." When relating a story or parable, Lowry emphazises that every detail must be included. Like a movie director, those of us involved in preaching are encouraged not to give away the"plot" but to keep the congregation in "suspense."

I recommend this book.

A Prescription for Narrative Preaching
Eugene Lowry is Professor of Homiletics at He is also a preacher and a jazz pianist - the latter two being not unconnected. He has written a number of books on narrative preaching, of which this is the best known.

The Homiletical Plot suggests that preachers should structure their sermons according to the basic structure which underpins many stories. After all, Jesus told stories far more often than he gave three-point sermons!

According to Lowry's scheme the basic narrative plot has five parts:

1) Oops!--upsetting the equilibrium;
2) Ugh!--analysing the discrepancy;
3) Aha!--disclosing the clue to resolution;
4) Whee!--experiencing the gospel;
5) Yeah!--anticipating the consequences.

Lowry explains these in the chapters which form the heart of the book. It's good but I only gave four stars because it's a bit too theoretical for my taste. I would have liked some examples of sermons which used the format; these would have helped bring the ideas to life.

I have never constructed a sermon in the way that Lowry outlines; nevertheless, I do sometimes use his schema to check the structure of my own sermons and I find that they often follow his structure. In such cases the book can be useful for refining what I've already done.

Overall a good book; any preacher will benefit from reading it.