{"id":66341,"date":"2025-02-10T10:39:51","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T16:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/?p=66341"},"modified":"2025-02-10T10:39:53","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T16:39:53","slug":"brief-book-review-when-prophets-preach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/praytellblog.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/10\/brief-book-review-when-prophets-preach\/","title":{"rendered":"Brief Book Review: When Prophets Preach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Prophets Preach: Leadership and the Politics of the Pulpit<\/em>
by Jonathan C. Augustine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who\u2019s it for?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All preachers who care about sermons that reach into the lives of people of faith who want to make a difference in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the main point? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Augustine calls preachers to embrace the preachers\u2019 role in conveying faith in its\u00a0salvific, social,\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0civil\u00a0<\/em>capacities which means addressing real world problems that affect political matters. Augustine defines \u201cprophetic preaching\u201d as something more profound than preachers telling people how to live. He specifically explores the lives of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King Jr. to unpack the meaning of reconciliation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this book significant \/ important? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this time in the history of the world\u2013\u2013with wars and famine harrowing people in many parts of the world, with anxiety and dread over the climate change, with natural disasters increasing as the planet responds to the stresses of carbon emissions, with technological options calling upon everyone constantly to adapt to new tools and unknown futures, and more\u2013\u2013preachers need to find a way to speak of the world\u2019s reality and the reality of God\u2019s presence in ways that can be heard by the people who are listening. If preaching is to make a difference in how people work toward peace and justice, it is crucial for preachers to reach for deep knowledge of what it is to be \u201cprophetic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this book practical? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Augustine defines prophetic preaching as re-describing reality according to God\u2019s values. This places major reliance on God\u2019s word as a critique of power and wealth. When preachers are faced with a drive to address political issues, Augustine outlines four circumstances whose presence is advantageous:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. the pastor is politically oriented\u2013\u2013which means aware of socio-economic matters as they are influenced by politics<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. the members are receptive to being confronted with the real-world ramifications of faith<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. theological positions free the church to respond to a prophetic word because they are not hampered by a theology that disallows protest\u2013\u2013the church is not inordinately tied to maintaining the status quo\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. the political climate is ripe because the needs of those who are poor, oppressed, and suffering is undeniable<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What intrigued me the most? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Augustine carefully lays out the prophetic leaders in scripture who demonstrated the connections between the word of the Lord and the needs of the present moment. To make clear the import of the biblical narratives, he connects the practice of crucifixions in the Roman empire with Jim Crow lynchings in the U.S. In addition, he notes that when asked to teach prayer, Jesus specifically named a common oppression for the poor: \u201cForgive us our debts.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Implications. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Given current political divisions in the U.S., this book offers intense encouragement for preachers to speak the truth about <\/p>\n\n\n\n