To Preach or Not to Preach is a challenging look at one of the most sacred of traditions in what we call church: the sermon, or more particularly preaching. While this book does not seek to end preaching, it does seek to establish that much of what we call church has taken preaching away from its scriptural purpose and made it into a tradition that destroys that which it is said to help, namely spiritual formation and the priesthood of the believer. These two things have also lost their purpose in the traditions of church to make preaching seem justified.
Norrington effectively addresses the lack of biblical support for preaching as we’ve come to accept it. The book isn’t a novel perspective, but one well researched and noted
While researching this book, I've found many Mennonite groups in England have considered it in the past...
In 1996 a British author made available a challenging book, titled: To Preach or Not To Preach. Basically, he challenges the idea of a monologue from a single "special person" as affective, say nothing of not being biblical.
While preaching is necessary, Norrington shows that we have turned God's purpose on its hear. Preaching was to be used as an evangelistic tool outside the fellowship of believers. The book is copiously noted, more than 500 endnotes supporting his thesis.
I can see one reason this book appealed to Anabaptist and Brethren types is that greatly advances the ideal of plurality of leadership and the priesthood of every believer.
The original book was taken out of publication in the late 1990s. Norrington faced stiff critique of his work. In 2007 Norrington died, but not before working with Searching Together magazine to publish a response to the critics. Now that response has been put with the original work and offered to believers. The book is more readable with a more gracious layout. In addition, it is available in eBook format….
You can find it everywhere in online books stores.
Norrington effectively addresses the lack of biblical support for preaching as we’ve come to accept it. The book isn’t a novel perspective, but one well researched and noted
While researching this book, I've found many Mennonite groups in England have considered it in the past...
In 1996 a British author made available a challenging book, titled: To Preach or Not To Preach. Basically, he challenges the idea of a monologue from a single "special person" as affective, say nothing of not being biblical.
While preaching is necessary, Norrington shows that we have turned God's purpose on its hear. Preaching was to be used as an evangelistic tool outside the fellowship of believers. The book is copiously noted, more than 500 endnotes supporting his thesis.
I can see one reason this book appealed to Anabaptist and Brethren types is that greatly advances the ideal of plurality of leadership and the priesthood of every believer.
The original book was taken out of publication in the late 1990s. Norrington faced stiff critique of his work. In 2007 Norrington died, but not before working with Searching Together magazine to publish a response to the critics. Now that response has been put with the original work and offered to believers. The book is more readable with a more gracious layout. In addition, it is available in eBook format….
You can find it everywhere in online books stores.
