Review: Reading for Preaching: The Preacher in Conversation with Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, and Journalists
Reading for Preaching: The Preacher in Conversation with Storytellers, Biographers, Poets, and Journalists by Cornelius Plantinga Jr.
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Two stars means, “I didn’t like it.” Three stars means, “I liked it.” This is one of those occasions where I’m stuck somewhere between. I didn’t like the concept of preaching presented in this book–a twenty-four minute sermon, full of literary illustrations and allusions, delivered by a man or a woman. I also didn’t like the fact most of the examples came from fiction works.
I liked the main premise of the book: preachers who read widely will most likely become better preachers. I liked the many benefits of reading explained in this book. I liked the author’s attempts to eschew the utilitarian reading-for-illustrations mindset. He wrote such things as, “Illustrations can be tricky, as we shall see, and reading expressly for them is probably not such a good idea.” And, “But reading just for illustrations feels a little too much like work. It also feels as if I am missing the point of reading, just as if I read the Bible only to see what it has to say about the colors green and red. I want to be reading stories and articles for nobler reasons while an incident or insight or saying rises up from the page and begs to slip into one of my sermons.”
Good points are scattered throughout this book. You may also have your interest piqued and directed to some new books for you. New reading ideas are always welcome. I don’t recommend reading for illustrations, though occasionally a quote or reference might be useful. I prefer reading good works the way Tolkien envisioned it, to add duff to the forest floor of your mind.
Reading is beneficial for preachers and non-preachers as well. A reading mind is an expanding mind and a non-reading one is a shrinking mind. If you choose to read this book, read it carefully with discernment.
Note: This review was originally posted at Short Booklog.
Rise to the Manliness of Originality
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
~ 1 Corinthians 12:11
When I first began in the ministry I owned about six books and had subscriptions to a couple of monthly Baptist papers. The internet was barely usable in those days with my 56k dial-up modem. I did frequent www.spurgeon.org and read everything on there, as well as a site with John Bunyan’s works and one with Arthur Pink’s. I didn’t have the money to improve on my supply of books very much at the time and the only thing I had in abundance was boxes of preaching tapes. I would listen to preaching tapes while driving and would go through several a week. Whenever I heard a good sermon, I would listen to it several times in a row to drain every drop out of it I could.
Listening to good preaching is a helpful thing to do, particularly for young preachers. Cassette tapes are a thing of the past but the internet and mobile devices have made it easier than ever to listen to good preaching. As helpful as it is though, there are some problems you want to avoid. Let me tell you about one of the problems I encountered and hopefully what I learned will help you as well.
A biographic bit first
I was one of those bright-eyed youths who was a natural-born imitator. I could easily imitate the voices and sounds from cartoons, equipment, sirens, etc. Once I was conducting a high-speed chase on the dirt pile by my house complete with sound effects. The siren I produced was enough to make a neighbor inquire if there was a fire or something.
Understand that I’m making no expert claims but only that I was passable enough to be entertaining to others and those passable imitations came with little to no effort. Through school and even into college I would sometimes entertain others with imitations of teachers and well-known figures.
This may not seem relevant nor interesting, but bear with me and it will be relevant. I cannot speak to the interesting part. The practical effect of such a gift is that I can imitate without meaning to. If I talk to a person long enough, I can start to mimic some of their phrases, voice inflections, and mannerisms if I don’t actively work to prevent it. The more distinctive the aforementioned are, the more likely I am to pick it up. I’m not saying I could stand in for the person and fool their friends and family as to who was speaking. I am only saying that it alters my own speech and mannerisms if I am not consciously avoiding it.
The relevant business
Pretty early in my ministry, I was preaching at different churches: pulpit supply, special services, and so forth. I started hearing a comment after I preached in different places. I started hearing that I reminded people of a certain preacher. The different people in different places were referring to the same preacher.
I didn’t think a lot on those comments at first. I figured they were being kind because I knew I did not compare in any way to that preacher. The comments starting changing after a while from me reminding people of this other preacher to people saying I sounded like this other preacher. They were still referring to the same preacher and I was little concerned about this.
Then I heard the comment that sent me into a panic. After I had preached, a man came up to me and told me I sounded just like that other preacher. He went to say that if he closed his eyes and listened to me, he would have thought that other preacher was preaching.
I don’t even know how to adequately describe the concern this caused in me. I wasn’t deliberately trying to imitate this preacher. So I managed to get a cassette tape of my own preaching and listened to it. First of all, listening to yourself preach is a weird experience and I don’t know why anyone would do it willingly. I was so unsettled by this comment though that I had to get to the bottom of it. When I listened to it, to my dismay, I had to agree that I sounded like him. I don’t think that it was so much that someone with closed eyes would mistake me for him, but it was undeniably like him.
I was so upset at this discovery but didn’t know what to do. A little prior to this time I had acquired a number of tapes with this preacher on them and I had been listening to them a lot to learn from them. I wasn’t re-preaching his sermons or anything, but in the process I had picked up some of his mannerisms and way of speaking.
I was mortified and didn’t know what to do about it. I turned to many different books on preaching and pastoral theology, but they didn’t address this particular situation. They did discuss plagiarizing but that wasn’t what was going on. Then I found the help I needed so desperately.
Charles Spurgeon has written on every topic under the sun
Not quite, but he got close. I love reading Spurgeon and sometimes the esoteric bits and plain advice can be as profitable as his sermons. I came across a passage in his Lectures to My Students that shined the light on my dark foreboding.
Gentlemen, a needful rule is — always suit your voice to your matter. Do not be jubilant over a doleful subject, and on the other hand, do not drag heavily where the tones ought to trip along merrily, as though they were dancing to the tune of the angels in heaven. This rule I shall not enlarge upon, but rest assured it is of the utmost importance, and if obediently followed, will always secure attention, provided your matter is worth it. Suit your voice to your matter always, and, above all, in everything be natural. Away for ever with slavish attention to rules and models. Do not imitate other people’s voices, or, if from an unconquerable propensity you must follow them, emulate every orator’s excellencies, and the evil will be lessened. I am myself, by a kind of irresistible influence, drawn to be an imitator, so that a journey to Scotland or Wales will for a week or two materially affect my pronunciation and tone. Strive against it I do, but there it is, and the only cure I know of is to let the mischief die a natural death. Gentlemen, I return to my rule — use your own natural voices. Do not be monkeys, but men; not parrots, but men of originality in all things. It is said that the most becoming way for a man to wear his beard is that in which it grows, for both in color and form it will suit his face. Your own modes of speech will be most in harmony with your methods of thought and your own personality. The mimic is for the playhouse, the cultured man in his sanctified personality is for the sanctuary. I would repeat this rule till I wearied you if I thought you would forget it; be natural, be natural, be natural evermore. An affectation of voice, or an imitation of the manner of Dr. Silvertongue, the eminent divine, or even of a well beloved tutor or president will inevitably ruin you. I charge you throw away the servility of imitation and rise to the manliness of originality.
Lectures to My Students, Vol. 1
Lecture 8, On the Voice
That whole passage is like apple butter on a hot biscuit, but the part about his own struggle after visiting Scotland or Wales was what helped me directly. Knowing that I have such a propensity means that I have to consciously fight against it. I have found there are steps I can take to avoid this problem as much as possible. You might think the answer is to avoid ever reading or listening to anyone else. That is a serious problem on its own and obviously not the answer. The answer however has broader application than mere voice mimicry so let’s broaden the scope a bit.
Originality: the same kind of different as me
I trust no one would intentionally mimic another in preaching and I hope no one would intentionally plagiarize another in preaching. There is a difference in being influenced by someone and copying them. Being influenced can be good and bad, but copying is never good and you especially never want to copy without giving proper attribution.
There are ways to avoid this unintentional effect, whether it would be the voice or the subject matter that is mimicked.
- Be aware of it as a possibility. Even if you don’t have the propensity to imitate the voices you hear, you must understand that being immersed in the writing or preaching of one man will have some effect on you. If you do have the gift of natural imitation, be on guard against it so you can reduce the effect as much as possible. This is also important to young preachers who sit under the regular ministry of a pastor.
- Diversify your reading and listening choices. Don’t immerse yourself exclusively for long periods of time in any one author or preacher. It’s probably also a good idea to diversify the time periods you are reading in. You don’t want to write or preach as though it were the seventeenth century.
- Analyze what you read and hear. If something affects you, think on it to try to understand why. If a particular presentation of truth strikes you as being clear and understandable, think about it and try to identify principles employed in the explanation.
- If you do quote someone, whether word for word or materially reproducing their ideas, give the proper credit. There is no shame in quoting in moderation. If someone has said something that is well put, memorable, and more concise than you could do it, quote them and give them credit. For example, I have preached a message on forgiveness where I use a brief list of what it means to forgive that I gleaned from Thomas Watson. When I use it, I give him the credit for it and do not try to pass it off as my own work.
- In reality, no one is completely original. We are all a mixture of upbringing, environment, education, influences, experiences, etc. Be self-aware and honest about it. At the very least, we are standing on the heads of those who have gone before us.
I hope some of this might be of help to you. At the very least, it’s something you should be aware of.
Reading Altitude
What have the prophets of Israel to do with fancy dress balls?
Advice for preachers from Jane Austen?
Dress balls, pretentious social etiquette, and pursuing husbands. Sound like a nightmare? I know. I understand.To get past the fluff and frills, I recommend Peter Leithart’s Miniatures and Morals. Leithart’s literary analyses are fascinating and he helps you see that Jane Austen was a brilliant writer, story crafter, and character artisan. There is much more to her writing than balls, ribbons, and meddlesome matchmakers. Whether you ever read anything by Austen or not, I still think Leithart’s book is worth reading.
As to her advice for preachers, it isn’t delivered directly. It is a statement about reading from her horror satire novel, Northanger Abbey. It is actually about taking the trouble to learn to read and that the difficulty is well worth it to be able to read.
you … may perhaps be brought to acknowledge that it is very well worth-while (sic) to be tormented for two or three years of one’s life, for the sake of being able to read all the rest of it.[ref]Austen, Jane (2013-02-11). Jane Austen Collection: 18 Works, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Love and Friendship, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Lady Susan, Mansfield Park & more! (Kindle Locations 28480-28481). Doma Publishing House. Kindle Edition.[/ref]
This quote has another application beyond the struggle to learn spelling, vocabulary, and grammar. It is also true of reading above your own head. The brain is like a muscle and reading like exercise. It stretches and strengthens the mind. Sherlock Holmes theorized the brain was “like a little empty attic” where the acquisition of knowledge was furnishing the room. He believed the walls were not elastic and after a time, each addition of knowledge caused the irretrievable loss of another piece of knowledge.
While the human brain is certainly limited, I don’t think the detective had quite the right picture. Tolkien’s appraisal of the mind as a forest floor or compost heap is more apt. He spoke of the origin of his own stories as growing “like a seed in the dark out of the leaf-mould of the mind: out of all that has been seen or thought or read, that has long ago been forgotten, descending into the deeps.”[ref]Carpenter, Humphrey (2000). J.R.R. Tolkien: a biography. (p. 126). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.[/ref] [pq]All that we see, hear, read, or think is thrown “on one’s personal compost-heap” to decompose into rich fertilizer for yields in the years ahead.[/pq]
The way to strengthen muscles is through progressive resistance. You keep lifting just beyond your ability until you are truly maxxed out. You strengthen your mind the same way. Read above your head and your capacity will grow. Be advised though that reading above your head is torturous for a time. Stick to it and you will steady out.
Just one final word of caution. Remembering Tolkien’s metaphor, what you toss on the pile is not ready for immediate use. It needs time to break down and mix. Reading beyond your means can be frustrating, tormenting, and exhilarating. You will be tempted by the excitement to wax eloquent at once. Be patient. A fruitful harvest is not reaped immediately the field is plowed or seed sown, but it will come.
So it is worthwhile to be tormented for a while by reading above your head to be able to read above your head for the rest of your life.
Recommended Listening
Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck ~ 1 Timothy 1:19
This is the subject Donald Whitney took up before a graduating class of seminary students. He touches on the almost inevitable ruin of every minister and how to avoid it. Whitney brings many years of experience and sober thinking to this vital subject. I recommend listening to this message. You should probably take good notes and meditate on the truth and wisdom of what is said.
The original link can be found here: http://www.sbts.edu/resources/chapel/chapel-fall-2005/the-almost-inevitable-ruin-of-every-minister-and-how-to-avoid-it/
The Reading Preacher
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
~ Ecclesiastes 12:12
What should preachers read?
I have been asked at different times and also have read and listened to different discussions about what kind of reading preachers should do. This discussion starts on the footing of two assumptions. First, the Bible is the one book for all preachers of the Gospel. God’s very Word is the primary place of reading, study, meditation, devotion, and memorization. All further references to reading is always to be taken as less than the reading of the Word of God.The second assumed footing is that preachers should read. I love that assumption and believe it, though not everyone shares it. Some may see reading as a luxury at best that they don’t have time to do. Others may see reading as a distraction away from the more important works of the ministry. Still others may see reading as sinister and are afraid of reading any other man unless they be led astray. Other objections are made but I don’t want to try to answer all objections just now. Rather, let me give a few brief encouragements to reading before we pass on to the substance of reading.
The pastor/preacher needs to know a little bit about everything. Consider Jesus, Paul, and Solomon in their preaching and teaching. They incorporated familiarity with about all areas of life. They incorporated pieces of agriculture, business, investing, government, sailing, fishing, travel, geography, biology, botany, zoology, building, finance, labor, philosophy, literature, history, sports, war, and more [ref]McDurmon, Joel (2009, May 15). What Does Your Preacher Know? [Web Article]. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://americanvision.org/1859/does-your-preacher-know/.[/ref]
It would take a lifetime, perhaps longer, to gain experience in all these areas, but you can read about them and expand your knowledge sooner. The point here is not to gain knowledge to flaunt or act as a know-it-all. Knowledge without wisdom only tends to arrogance (1 Corinthians 8:1). You must be a thoughtful reader, reflecting on what you read, comparing with your life experience, and discerning truth. Being able to use and apply the knowledge you gain will make you a more competent teacher (1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:24). If you are gaining knowledge with wisdom, it will humble you as you begin to understand how much you don’t know.
Areas of Reading
With the aforementioned in mind, let me suggest that the preacher’s reading should be in different areas of emphasis. Some of these will be directly related to Bible study and others to life in the world. The following list is alphabetical and not in order of importance. Some areas will be more naturally interesting to you than others, but I think it is important at times to read outside your own niche interests.
- Apologetics – Give preference in this category to presuppositional authors rather than evidentialist authors. It will take a while to get a handle on it, but it will be time well spent. I confess in the beginning of my ministry, I ignored apologetics altogether. I thought the subject was about nothing more than arguing with atheists and agnostics and it seemed pointless. I was very wrong. While apologetics does deal with unbelievers, it is more important to pastoral ministry. It will help you strengthen the faith of your people which is under relentless attack daily.
- Biblical Studies – These are topical books that deal with some subject of study from the Bible. These books focus on one primary topic, such as the ten commandments, the tabernacle, the life of Jesus, etc.
- Biography – Christian biography is at the top of this list, i.e. pastors, missionaries, etc. However, don’t discount biographies of different people in history such as generals, presidents, kings, scientists, inventors, athletes, and business men. Much can be learned in various areas by reading about people in different walks of life.
- Business/Personal Finance/Self-Improvement – These books must be read carefully, but the preacher needs to know about business and how to steward different areas of life, e.g. money, time management, and personal discipline.
- Church History – The folly of youth is displayed about every ten years when a college-age group of kids think they have discovered the gospel and the church for the first time in centuries. To borrow phrase of Paul, “I would not have you to be ignorant.” The history of the Lord’s church is a history of God’s faithfulness and the truth of His Word (Matthew 16:18). Neither His church, nor His gospel has been lost. His Word does not fail.
- Commentaries – You probably won’t read a lot of commentaries from beginning to end, but you should be reading in them relevant to different passages you are studying. Commentaries sometimes provide exegetical and application help, but are usually most helpful in getting your own thoughts going about a text. They are also helpful to check your work. If no one at any time has ever seen what you are seeing in a text, you should proceed very cautiously.
- Logic, Rhetoric, and Argument – Understanding logic and such will help you understand the reasoned arguments in the Bible, detect logical fallacies and specious reasoning in others, and form sound arguments of your own. You will become a more critical thinker and a more apt teacher.
- Marriage and Family – This subject is of vital importance in the community, country, church, and the world. The family–husband, wife, and children–is the God-designed institution and is to be honored highly. Be careful in this area to select biblically faithful authors and not the worldly-minded.
- Pastoral/Preaching – The call to ministry cannot be taken too seriously. The preacher needs to grow immensely in this area. You will have many experiences as you go along and reading well will help you to consider those experiences and grow in wisdom from them. Your preaching, also, can always improve and should. Your grandmother loves you and thinks you’re the best preacher since Spurgeon, but she is not exactly an unbiased and capable critic. The pursuit to grow is unending for the preacher of God’s Word. Seek authors in this area who are consciously competent to be a real help to you.
- Sermons – Few sermons are worth reading, but those that are, are worth reading. Spurgeon’s sermons are well worth reading. You must be extremely careful here to know how to read and profit from the sermons of others. Don’t plagiarize or puppet some other preacher.
- Theology – Read systematic and biblical theologies. They each have their place and value. Biblical theology is the fad right now and has bred some peculiar snobbery where systematics are denounced and despised. They don’t know what they are talking about and will be bumped off the bandwagon on the next bend. We need both theologies and we need to learn from both and understand what each contributes.
- World History – All history is God’s history. He is always at work whether we can tell it or not. We need to know about the kingdoms of the world and what their place on God’s stage is for His own glory.
- Writing – The art and craft of writing is really about thinking well and effective communication. You may not aspire to publishing but learning more about language and its use will help you in forming sermons, writing letters, and being a better communicator. It will also make you a better reader, listener, and learner.
I realize that list seems like a lot, and it is, but often one book will cover many of these different areas. It is not as daunting as it might seem. There are other categories that could be listed, but I have tried to be specific to the preacher. I have one final category that I wanted to say a little more about, so I saved it for the end.
Recreational Reading?
I do recommend reading works of fiction and literature. Stick mostly with the classic works and authors. Be very selective among any current authors. It might seem like a waste, but I believe such reading is beneficial. I don’t think it should dominate our reading, but it has a place. Think about some of these benefits.
- The reading in the above areas is mostly heavy reading. Fiction is relaxing to the mind and provides a break. I don’t mean we should suspend reason or truth to read fiction, but such books can be refreshing. They put your mind into different avenues of thought
- Fiction stimulates the imagination and fuels creativity. Good story will add spice to the blandness of your mind.
- Fiction can expand your mind and your vocabulary. This helps you learn, think, and communicate more clearly and effectively.
- Knowledgeable and professional writers across all areas agree on at least one thing. If you want to write well, read well. Reading those who are masters of their craft will teach you to be a better reader and writer.
- Though I have grouped fiction in the “recreational” category, you can already see there is an educative value in it. Good fiction can help us understand the world we live in and the human condition. It’s not a primary source, but it is a good source. The characters and situations are fictional and sometimes the world is even a fantasy, but there are still things to be learned. This often works through comparing reality to this particular view of reality, or mythical reality. The parables use this sort of method in instructing, “The kingdom of heaven is like…”
In this vein, I leave you with one last recommendation. Read the works of Arthur Conan Doyle on Sherlock Holmes. You can find these collected into one volume for cheap. Read a story from time to time. Holmes as a character is not without his flaws. He is the embodiment of rationalist modernity. Holmes’ worldview is strictly naturalistic materialism. He believes everything can be explained by natural means. However, he provides numerous examples of logical thinking and inductive reasoning. It may not suit everyone’s tastes, but I have found them enjoyable and even informative.
I hope this can be of some help. I also hope you will comment and we can have a good conversation.
