225 - Imagery for Preaching

Imagery for Preaching
By Patricia Wilson-Kastner
Minneapolis, Fortress, 1989. 108 pp. $6.95.

This is a good discussion of the importance for preaching of using biblical imagery. God's self-revelation comes to us through the sensory dimensions of Scripture and affects our whole persons. By praying our way into Scripture's scenes, entering their images, and sensing their tensions and graceful resolutions, we are opened to allow God to transform our lives and the lives of our congregations. Sermons are acts of liturgical prayer and integral parts of the eucharistic liturgy.

The book discusses the importance of imagery in various disciplines, briefly describes some biblical images, gives some guidelines for their sermonic use, and treats sermon development. A sample sermon is provided.

The book is marred only by the first chapter's unbiblical identification of creation with the Creator and by some sweeping generalizations about the lack of affective appreciation among past preachers (read Spurgeon!) and scientists (read Loren Eiseley or Lewis Thomas).

Elizabeth Achtemeier
Union Theological Seminary
Richmond, Va.