Igniting the Heart: Preaching and Imagination

Author Kate Bruce
Publisher SCM Press £16.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780334053194

Imagination is a relatively underexplored topic in the extensive literature available on preaching. This is surprising given that, as this book argues cogently, imagination is vital to effective preaching, indeed essential for sermons that the author hopes most preachers would like to deliver (and hear); sermons that ‘cause the hearts of their hearers to catch and their imaginations soar … that are laden with transformative potential … and filled with the revelatory power of God.’ An experienced preacher and tutor in homiletics, Bruce seeks in this engaging and persuasive book to inspire and equip preachers to be imaginative in the way they think about, prepare and deliver sermons. Covering the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of this comprehensively, her approach is grounded and inspiring and her style is accessible, insightful, and humane. Readers who are wary that imagination may be more to do with fantasy and feeling than reason and logic should be reassured by thoughtful chapters on what imagination is, and on a theology of imagination. This valuable and enjoyable book is a strongly recommended resource for beginners and experienced preachers alike.

PETER WRIGHT

Preaching