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Sacred Rhetoric; Or a Course of Lectures on Preaching: Delivered in the Union Theological Seminary of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church ... U. S., In Prince Edward, Va
Excerpt from Sacred Rhetoric; Or a Course of Lectures on Preaching: Delivered in the Union Theological Seminary of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S., In Prince Edward, Va
My studies have also included Plato's Gorgias. Fenelon's Dialogues on Eloquence. Dr. G. Campbell's Lectures on Pulpit Eloquence. Porter's Hom'ilet'ics. M. Bungener, Priest and Preacher. Abbe Bautain, On Extempore Speech. Dr. J. W. Alexander's Thoughts. On Preaching. Theremin, Eloquence a Virtue. Shedd's Homiletics. Dr. Samuel Miller, On Public Prayer.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
My studies have also included Plato's Gorgias. Fenelon's Dialogues on Eloquence. Dr. G. Campbell's Lectures on Pulpit Eloquence. Porter's Hom'ilet'ics. M. Bungener, Priest and Preacher. Abbe Bautain, On Extempore Speech. Dr. J. W. Alexander's Thoughts. On Preaching. Theremin, Eloquence a Virtue. Shedd's Homiletics. Dr. Samuel Miller, On Public Prayer.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
- GenresTheologyNonfiction
371 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
36 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Robert Lewis Dabney
153 books42 followersRobert Lewis Dabney (March 5, 1820 – January 3, 1898) was an American Christian theologian, a Southern Presbyterian pastor, and Confederate Army chaplain. He was also chief of staff and biographer to Stonewall Jackson. His biography of Jackson remains in print today.
Dabney studied at Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Virginia (M.A., 1842), and graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1846.
He was then a missionary in Louisa County, Virginia, from 1846 to 1847 and pastor at Tinkling Spring, Virginia from 1847 to 1853, being also head master of a classical school for a portion of this time. From 1853 to 1859 he was professor of ecclesiastical history and polity and from 1859 to 1869 adjunct professor of systematic theology in Union Theological Seminary, where he later became full professor of systematics. In 1883, he was appointed professor of mental and moral philosophy in the University of Texas.
By 1894 failing health compelled him to retire from active life, although he still lectured occasionally. He was co-pastor, with his brother-in-law B. M. Smith, of the Hampden-Sydney College Church 1858 to 1874, also serving Hampden-Sydney College in a professorial capacity on occasions of vacancies in its faculty. Dabney, whose wife was a first cousin to Stonewall Jackson's wife, participated in the Civil War: during the summer of 1861 he was chaplain of the 18th Virginia regiment in the Confederate army, and in the following year was chief of staff to Jackson during the Valley Campaign and the Seven Days Battles.
After the Civil War Dabney spoke widely on Jackson and the Confederacy. He continued to hold racial views typical in the South before the Civil War, and his continued support of slavery in speeches and a book published after the war and his strong loyalty to the Confederacy until the 1890s made him a visible figure in the post-war South (Hettle, 2003).
While at the University of Texas he practically founded and maintained the Austin School of Theology (which later became Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary), and in 1870 was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.
Major works
Memoir of Rev. Dr. Francis S. Sampson (1855), whose commentary on Hebrews he edited (1857);
Life of General Thomas J. Jackson (1866)
A Defense of Virginia, and Through Her, of the South, in Recent and Pending Contests Against the Sectional Party (1867), an apologia for the Confederacy.
Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric (1870)
Syllabus and Notes of the Course of Systematic and Polemic Theology (1871; 2nd ed. 1878), later republished as Systematic Theology.
Systematic Theology (1878)
Sensualistic Philosophy of the Nineteenth Century Examined (1875; 2nd ed. 1887)
Practical Philosophy (1897)
Penal Character of the Atonement of Christ Discussed in the Light of Recent Popular Heresies (1898, posthumous), on the satisfaction view of the atonement.
Discussions (1890-1897), Four volumes of his shorter essays, edited by C. R. Vaughan.
Dabney studied at Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Virginia (M.A., 1842), and graduated from Union Theological Seminary in 1846.
He was then a missionary in Louisa County, Virginia, from 1846 to 1847 and pastor at Tinkling Spring, Virginia from 1847 to 1853, being also head master of a classical school for a portion of this time. From 1853 to 1859 he was professor of ecclesiastical history and polity and from 1859 to 1869 adjunct professor of systematic theology in Union Theological Seminary, where he later became full professor of systematics. In 1883, he was appointed professor of mental and moral philosophy in the University of Texas.
By 1894 failing health compelled him to retire from active life, although he still lectured occasionally. He was co-pastor, with his brother-in-law B. M. Smith, of the Hampden-Sydney College Church 1858 to 1874, also serving Hampden-Sydney College in a professorial capacity on occasions of vacancies in its faculty. Dabney, whose wife was a first cousin to Stonewall Jackson's wife, participated in the Civil War: during the summer of 1861 he was chaplain of the 18th Virginia regiment in the Confederate army, and in the following year was chief of staff to Jackson during the Valley Campaign and the Seven Days Battles.
After the Civil War Dabney spoke widely on Jackson and the Confederacy. He continued to hold racial views typical in the South before the Civil War, and his continued support of slavery in speeches and a book published after the war and his strong loyalty to the Confederacy until the 1890s made him a visible figure in the post-war South (Hettle, 2003).
While at the University of Texas he practically founded and maintained the Austin School of Theology (which later became Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary), and in 1870 was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.
Major works
Memoir of Rev. Dr. Francis S. Sampson (1855), whose commentary on Hebrews he edited (1857);
Life of General Thomas J. Jackson (1866)
A Defense of Virginia, and Through Her, of the South, in Recent and Pending Contests Against the Sectional Party (1867), an apologia for the Confederacy.
Lectures on Sacred Rhetoric (1870)
Syllabus and Notes of the Course of Systematic and Polemic Theology (1871; 2nd ed. 1878), later republished as Systematic Theology.
Systematic Theology (1878)
Sensualistic Philosophy of the Nineteenth Century Examined (1875; 2nd ed. 1887)
Practical Philosophy (1897)
Penal Character of the Atonement of Christ Discussed in the Light of Recent Popular Heresies (1898, posthumous), on the satisfaction view of the atonement.
Discussions (1890-1897), Four volumes of his shorter essays, edited by C. R. Vaughan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 28, 2025
I have read this book twice and refer to it frequently in sermon prep. I give five stars to two types of books: Those that are paradigm shifting for me personally and those that are classics. This one falls into the first category. For me, it changed the way I looked at sermon preparation and delivery. It is not perfect. As one reviewer said, he focuses on the rational too much at times. He can be dry and over the heads of those of us who were not trained as he was. But on the whole a young pastor can spend a lifetime implementing and perfecting the suggestions for sermon preparation and delivery mentioned by Dabney. I also appreciated his emphasis on how preaching must flow from piety. The inner life of the preacher will be reflected in his preaching. Finally, he has a chapter on public prayer, which I have not seen in any of my contemporary preaching manuals. I really enjoyed this book.
Read 3rd time in 2025. Still 5 stars. So many great lines throughout the book that remind the preacher of the need for diligence in preparation and holiness. What stuck out to me this time was his emphasis on the preaching side, especially the need to not read your manuscripts or memorize your sermon. A great read for young preachers, if they will take the time to carefully work it through.
Read 3rd time in 2025. Still 5 stars. So many great lines throughout the book that remind the preacher of the need for diligence in preparation and holiness. What stuck out to me this time was his emphasis on the preaching side, especially the need to not read your manuscripts or memorize your sermon. A great read for young preachers, if they will take the time to carefully work it through.
October 16, 2014
I had not previously read this, so I was a little surprised to find that much of what he had to say in the first six lectures (mostly about the text) is very similar to what I have been telling my students in exegesis classes for years. His nineteenth-century style may be difficult for some, but i found much here both to encourage and challenge me in my own sermon preparation and preaching.
April 19, 2009
First rate. Excellent.
September 7, 2016
Dabney's Sacred Rhetoric is an absolute masterpiece! It is a full course on preaching, covering everything from exegetic questions to homiletic concerns; from structure and logic, to word choice; from elocution to hand gestures.
What distinguishes this volume from other books on preaching is that one never gets the impression that Dabney's “rules” are merely his personal preference. None of his rules seem arbitrary. Everything, from study habits, to sermon preparation, to delivery, is rooted in his definition of the preacher as God's “herald.” The practical implications of this are numerous and vitally important.
First of all, it impacts exegesis by forcing the preacher to work as hard as he possibly can to get at the Holy Spirit's intended meaning. Dabney would rightly, I believe, charge a man with blasphemy for putting words into God's mouth if he ventured to obtrude a foreign meaning into the text – or even to preach a right doctrine, but from the wrong text.
Second, as God's herald, everything the preacher does must be done with a view to preserving God's honor in the church. This injunction would cut out the levity which is prevalent in many modern pulpits.
Thirdly, faithfulness to the text raises the authority of Scripture in the estimation of the congregation. Any strained interpretations, esoteric applications, or allegorizing, are ruled out. By nature they cause one or both of two evils: They engender confusion in the congregation and/or belittle the value and authority of Scripture. In the first case, we must ask how faithful a herald a man is when the recipients of his message have no clue what he's talking about. And in the latter case, devotion to Scripture and desire to read/study is killed because the congregation feels as if there is no possible way they could ever figure out what Scripture means. The devotional duty of reading Scripture is thus discouraged by the man who is actually tasked with proclaiming it.
Fourthly, in direct opposition to current ministerial philosophy, Dabney would forbid the preacher from mentioning himself (for good or bad) in his sermon. Contemporary ministerial philosophy holds that a minister is more successful if he is vulnerable with his congregation, and evidences this vulnerability by detailing his own failures and foibles from the pulpit in his sermons. Dabney calls this “arrogant coxcombry.” Based on the preacher's office as herald, any mention of himself is ruled out. First, because God has not sent us His heralds to proclaim themselves, and secondly the habit of obtruding yourself into the pulpit depreciates the authority of Scripture in the eyes of the congregation. The normative authority of God's Word stands on its own. The pastor's success or failure to comply with Scripture is irrelevant to God's authority to command whatever He has willed to command.
Fifthly, Dabney absolutely forbids bringing politics and current secular fads (for us this would be top-sellers, movies, TV shows, etc) into the sermon. This is an amazing position because Dabney was chaplain and Chief of Staff to Stonewall Jackson. But again, this is entirely in keeping with his definition of the preacher as herald. The message is God's, not the preacher's. With regard to politics, his warning is that by taking up contemporary “hot topics,” the preacher is betraying a desire to build a name for himself by cashing in on the heat of a current event. He would be doing his job better, and serving his congregation better if he worked to turn them back to things of eternal value, rather than goad them their jaded hearts in the pursuit of worldly passions. He actually says that when you introduce the secular into your pulpit, you have taken “the first steps toward backsliding, apostasy, damnation.”
There are a few issues Dabney addresses which are no longer relevant. For instance, he gives elaborate instructions on projecting one's voice. All of his concerns are no longer live issues due to the advent of sound systems. A preacher now uses microphone, and hence no longer needs to worry about projecting his voice loud enough to be heard by those in the back rows.
The only instructions he gives which I found hard to understand or accept have to do with the writing and delivery of the sermon. Dabney stresses the importance of writing well. He stresses the need to revise with ruthlessness, to leave no section of the sermon unexamined. He wants to preacher to write his first draft of the sermon in a “stream of consciousness” sort of manner. Only after it has been written, should he stop to address various turns of phrases and word choices. So it appears that the written sermon is his choice, but then he berates anything by extempore preaching. He notes that there are many very, very good preachers who (1) write their sermons at about 2/3 actual length, and because they have studied so well, they are comfortable with using their manuscript, without actually reading it, and are yet free to add new thoughts which present themselves during the actual delivery of the sermon. But strangely, this is not what he recommends. He also dislikes the memorized sermon, because of the possibility of an artificial delivery, the preacher more concerned with not forgetting a line than the actual content. And he absolutely rejects reading sermons. His description, however, of extempore preaching fails to distinguish itself from the first method. He demands strict study habits, deep and long meditation on both the content and structure of the sermon. Nothing he says about his preferred method differs from the first method, except that one does not take paper with hism into the pulpit. But then again, we find a problem that is clearly no longer relevant. His image of a manuscript or of notes, is handwritten. Granted, losing one's place in certainly more likely when using handwritten notes or manuscripts than when using a computer printed manuscript.
Sadly, some of his better points are casualties of the passage of time as well. One of his rules is that the sermon should be defined by its “Scripturalness.” In order to do this, he recommends using the actual phraseology of Scripture. However, because he is thinking exclusively of the King James version, the rhetorical effect of his injunction is somewhat blunted. In his day, because the King James version was the standard for home, school, and church, its phraseology was familiar to everyone. Any expression lifted from Scripture would be instantly recognized as Scripture. This is no longer the case. Too few people, in or out of church, are familiar enough with the language of the King James to recognize that a statement made in the pulpit is a Scripture citation. And related to this is Dabney's view that by accommodating this language of Scripture, one's own vocabulary and oratorical style will be improved. Again, sadly, with the demise of common usage of the King James, his injunction would fail to achieve the desired effect.
The work concludes with instructions on the preacher's public prayer. Dabney argues that the preacher should put the same work into his public prayers as he does his sermons. But he also warns the preacher to remember to Whom the prayers are addressed. Praying for effect is prayer to the congregation, not to God.
On the whole, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Though it was written for seminarians who had yet to minister regularly in the pulpit, it contains nuggets of wisdom that can benefit even the most veteran preacher.
What distinguishes this volume from other books on preaching is that one never gets the impression that Dabney's “rules” are merely his personal preference. None of his rules seem arbitrary. Everything, from study habits, to sermon preparation, to delivery, is rooted in his definition of the preacher as God's “herald.” The practical implications of this are numerous and vitally important.
First of all, it impacts exegesis by forcing the preacher to work as hard as he possibly can to get at the Holy Spirit's intended meaning. Dabney would rightly, I believe, charge a man with blasphemy for putting words into God's mouth if he ventured to obtrude a foreign meaning into the text – or even to preach a right doctrine, but from the wrong text.
Second, as God's herald, everything the preacher does must be done with a view to preserving God's honor in the church. This injunction would cut out the levity which is prevalent in many modern pulpits.
Thirdly, faithfulness to the text raises the authority of Scripture in the estimation of the congregation. Any strained interpretations, esoteric applications, or allegorizing, are ruled out. By nature they cause one or both of two evils: They engender confusion in the congregation and/or belittle the value and authority of Scripture. In the first case, we must ask how faithful a herald a man is when the recipients of his message have no clue what he's talking about. And in the latter case, devotion to Scripture and desire to read/study is killed because the congregation feels as if there is no possible way they could ever figure out what Scripture means. The devotional duty of reading Scripture is thus discouraged by the man who is actually tasked with proclaiming it.
Fourthly, in direct opposition to current ministerial philosophy, Dabney would forbid the preacher from mentioning himself (for good or bad) in his sermon. Contemporary ministerial philosophy holds that a minister is more successful if he is vulnerable with his congregation, and evidences this vulnerability by detailing his own failures and foibles from the pulpit in his sermons. Dabney calls this “arrogant coxcombry.” Based on the preacher's office as herald, any mention of himself is ruled out. First, because God has not sent us His heralds to proclaim themselves, and secondly the habit of obtruding yourself into the pulpit depreciates the authority of Scripture in the eyes of the congregation. The normative authority of God's Word stands on its own. The pastor's success or failure to comply with Scripture is irrelevant to God's authority to command whatever He has willed to command.
Fifthly, Dabney absolutely forbids bringing politics and current secular fads (for us this would be top-sellers, movies, TV shows, etc) into the sermon. This is an amazing position because Dabney was chaplain and Chief of Staff to Stonewall Jackson. But again, this is entirely in keeping with his definition of the preacher as herald. The message is God's, not the preacher's. With regard to politics, his warning is that by taking up contemporary “hot topics,” the preacher is betraying a desire to build a name for himself by cashing in on the heat of a current event. He would be doing his job better, and serving his congregation better if he worked to turn them back to things of eternal value, rather than goad them their jaded hearts in the pursuit of worldly passions. He actually says that when you introduce the secular into your pulpit, you have taken “the first steps toward backsliding, apostasy, damnation.”
There are a few issues Dabney addresses which are no longer relevant. For instance, he gives elaborate instructions on projecting one's voice. All of his concerns are no longer live issues due to the advent of sound systems. A preacher now uses microphone, and hence no longer needs to worry about projecting his voice loud enough to be heard by those in the back rows.
The only instructions he gives which I found hard to understand or accept have to do with the writing and delivery of the sermon. Dabney stresses the importance of writing well. He stresses the need to revise with ruthlessness, to leave no section of the sermon unexamined. He wants to preacher to write his first draft of the sermon in a “stream of consciousness” sort of manner. Only after it has been written, should he stop to address various turns of phrases and word choices. So it appears that the written sermon is his choice, but then he berates anything by extempore preaching. He notes that there are many very, very good preachers who (1) write their sermons at about 2/3 actual length, and because they have studied so well, they are comfortable with using their manuscript, without actually reading it, and are yet free to add new thoughts which present themselves during the actual delivery of the sermon. But strangely, this is not what he recommends. He also dislikes the memorized sermon, because of the possibility of an artificial delivery, the preacher more concerned with not forgetting a line than the actual content. And he absolutely rejects reading sermons. His description, however, of extempore preaching fails to distinguish itself from the first method. He demands strict study habits, deep and long meditation on both the content and structure of the sermon. Nothing he says about his preferred method differs from the first method, except that one does not take paper with hism into the pulpit. But then again, we find a problem that is clearly no longer relevant. His image of a manuscript or of notes, is handwritten. Granted, losing one's place in certainly more likely when using handwritten notes or manuscripts than when using a computer printed manuscript.
Sadly, some of his better points are casualties of the passage of time as well. One of his rules is that the sermon should be defined by its “Scripturalness.” In order to do this, he recommends using the actual phraseology of Scripture. However, because he is thinking exclusively of the King James version, the rhetorical effect of his injunction is somewhat blunted. In his day, because the King James version was the standard for home, school, and church, its phraseology was familiar to everyone. Any expression lifted from Scripture would be instantly recognized as Scripture. This is no longer the case. Too few people, in or out of church, are familiar enough with the language of the King James to recognize that a statement made in the pulpit is a Scripture citation. And related to this is Dabney's view that by accommodating this language of Scripture, one's own vocabulary and oratorical style will be improved. Again, sadly, with the demise of common usage of the King James, his injunction would fail to achieve the desired effect.
The work concludes with instructions on the preacher's public prayer. Dabney argues that the preacher should put the same work into his public prayers as he does his sermons. But he also warns the preacher to remember to Whom the prayers are addressed. Praying for effect is prayer to the congregation, not to God.
On the whole, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Though it was written for seminarians who had yet to minister regularly in the pulpit, it contains nuggets of wisdom that can benefit even the most veteran preacher.
April 11, 2025
This may be my favorite book on preaching. Dabney deals with sacred rhetoric as both science and art, and even more importantly, as a supernatural act.
As science, he breaks down the kinds of and parts of sermons. As art, he encourages more than Bible mad-libs, but as “the rational adjustment of means to an end.” As supernatural, he doesn’t tell preachers to seek an anointing, but to seek godly character. Again and again, Dabney emphasizes that character makes the difference.
> If this work has any peculiarities to which value may be attached, they are these: that the necessity of **eminent Christian character** is urged throughout as the foundation of the sacred orator's power.
> I wish you to infer hence this most momentous of all conclusions, that the prime qualification of the sacred orator is sincere, **eminent piety**.
On the manuscript or extemporaneous uesiton, he leaves no doubt: *no* manuscript. Ha. He says this requires more than less preparation. I find that 1) I like and benefit from the drafting process, 2) I like and benefit from more notes to review/share later, and 3) I don’t have the amount of time it would take me to compensate for a weakness in quick external processing. I’m not refusing to grow, I’m acknowledging a combination of limits.
When I was in seminary I heard MacArthur reference Dabney’s “three stages through which preaching has repeatedly passed” multiple times: 1) scriptural truth is faithfully presented in scriptural garb, 2) doctrines taught are still those of the Scriptures, but their relations are moulded into conformity with the prevalent human dialectics, and 3) the methods and explanations conformed to the philosophy of the day, but the doctrines themselves contradict the truth of the Word. It was edifying to hear them again and in their own contextual dress.
Highly recommended to those responsible to preach the Word in season and out.
As science, he breaks down the kinds of and parts of sermons. As art, he encourages more than Bible mad-libs, but as “the rational adjustment of means to an end.” As supernatural, he doesn’t tell preachers to seek an anointing, but to seek godly character. Again and again, Dabney emphasizes that character makes the difference.
> If this work has any peculiarities to which value may be attached, they are these: that the necessity of **eminent Christian character** is urged throughout as the foundation of the sacred orator's power.
> I wish you to infer hence this most momentous of all conclusions, that the prime qualification of the sacred orator is sincere, **eminent piety**.
On the manuscript or extemporaneous uesiton, he leaves no doubt: *no* manuscript. Ha. He says this requires more than less preparation. I find that 1) I like and benefit from the drafting process, 2) I like and benefit from more notes to review/share later, and 3) I don’t have the amount of time it would take me to compensate for a weakness in quick external processing. I’m not refusing to grow, I’m acknowledging a combination of limits.
When I was in seminary I heard MacArthur reference Dabney’s “three stages through which preaching has repeatedly passed” multiple times: 1) scriptural truth is faithfully presented in scriptural garb, 2) doctrines taught are still those of the Scriptures, but their relations are moulded into conformity with the prevalent human dialectics, and 3) the methods and explanations conformed to the philosophy of the day, but the doctrines themselves contradict the truth of the Word. It was edifying to hear them again and in their own contextual dress.
Highly recommended to those responsible to preach the Word in season and out.
April 24, 2023
Really fantastic. Dabney has given me several things to work on. And the man surprises you with a sentence here and there that is so insightful.
November 20, 2018
Helpful.
June 17, 2023
Really excellent. Solid, wise, insightful, eloquent, and thoroughly evangelical.
Liked it.
Liked it.
April 1, 2024
This should be given more than the allotted stars. While certain aspects of this manual are difficult, such as Dabney’s discussions of logic and rhetoric, not to mention that most of the footnotes are in Latin, Evangelical Eloquence is a treasure trove of insight. Everything in this volume gives an air of practical wisdom. Furthermore, Dabney’s touches upon most every topic, making this a valuable preaching handbook.
Frankly, I would consider this book to be the best work on preaching that I have read. It deserves repeated visits.
Frankly, I would consider this book to be the best work on preaching that I have read. It deserves repeated visits.
March 7, 2017
This course of lectures on preaching must have been "the result of strenuous effort," for it is excellent. I intend to revisit this manual often, though I may not read through it again. A thorough index would be supremely helpful.
June 5, 2009
Excellent.
April 25, 2024
Excellent and very helpful.
Not perfect. A bit that could be labeled rationalistic, valuing what spontaneously emerges from within man over something prepared.
Not perfect. A bit that could be labeled rationalistic, valuing what spontaneously emerges from within man over something prepared.
April 28, 2023
Note and Quotes and lots of them from this book. This is one of those gems that was mentioned in another book I read, and I am glad I picked it up.
This is not so much the technical aspect of sermon preparation as it is the oratorical aspect or delivery of the sermon. I've learned over the years that you can spend a lot of time in preparation but if your delivery is off or distracting all that hard work in prep will have been wasted. The preacher's goal, as the author states, is to move the listeners, (calls them auditors) to action.
While he cites the likes of Cicero, he never supersedes the spiritual element needed in preaching.
He goes over in detail, the different components of the sermon including the intro, argument (main body), and conclusion. I have always been one to write the intro first, he suggests, as do others, to write out the argument first. Something I will incorporate or at least try to, going forward.
While 361 pages long it is an easy read. The content is such that you are kept engaged throughout. I only got bogged down a few times with material I wasn't readily familiar with. I will be revisiting those sections.
I enjoyed the section on Extempore preaching. I will myself do this. He makes the distinction, and I am glad he did, between impromptu preaching and Extempore. Extempore does not mean you didn't put any prep time into the text, it just means you preaching without notes whereas impromptu preaching is more on-the-spot preaching. I have had a couple of occasions where this happened when I visited another church while on vacation.
I really appreciated his chapter on Publick Prayer. Lots of food for thought there. He addresses the weaponizing of prayer by using prayer to attack others. There is nothing more diabolical than this as far as I am concerned.
I didn't want this review to be too long so I will end it here.
This is not so much the technical aspect of sermon preparation as it is the oratorical aspect or delivery of the sermon. I've learned over the years that you can spend a lot of time in preparation but if your delivery is off or distracting all that hard work in prep will have been wasted. The preacher's goal, as the author states, is to move the listeners, (calls them auditors) to action.
While he cites the likes of Cicero, he never supersedes the spiritual element needed in preaching.
He goes over in detail, the different components of the sermon including the intro, argument (main body), and conclusion. I have always been one to write the intro first, he suggests, as do others, to write out the argument first. Something I will incorporate or at least try to, going forward.
While 361 pages long it is an easy read. The content is such that you are kept engaged throughout. I only got bogged down a few times with material I wasn't readily familiar with. I will be revisiting those sections.
I enjoyed the section on Extempore preaching. I will myself do this. He makes the distinction, and I am glad he did, between impromptu preaching and Extempore. Extempore does not mean you didn't put any prep time into the text, it just means you preaching without notes whereas impromptu preaching is more on-the-spot preaching. I have had a couple of occasions where this happened when I visited another church while on vacation.
I really appreciated his chapter on Publick Prayer. Lots of food for thought there. He addresses the weaponizing of prayer by using prayer to attack others. There is nothing more diabolical than this as far as I am concerned.
I didn't want this review to be too long so I will end it here.
August 26, 2020
The source material is excellent! Dabney was a master of rhetoric and homiletics. If you are a preacher, theologian, teacher, or seminarian you will get a thorough lecture from Dabney on the subject of preaching. The seven cardinal virtues of a sermon are particularly helpful; it was for me personally in learning how to properly craft a sermon. So this book gets big points for its content and theological underpinnings including Sola Scriptura, the centrality of the text in preaching, and the power of the Holy Spirit to effectively bring and work the preaching into the listener. My negative quibble is the book is incredibly dry and can be a slog to get through. Dabney speaks in a 19th century educator tone to seminarians of his day; thus, there are Latin phrases untranslated, most aren't too hard to work around, and his language is a bit stuffy. It's really boring at times, but the material keeps you going through it!
April 18, 2020
It took me a few months to get through this book, which was probably a good thing: I could slowly digest it. It is full of wonderful little nuggets of truth. However, it certainly wouldn't be the first book I'd recommend to a man who is beginning to think about preaching. Maybe after a time this would be good for him, but I wouldn't encourage him to start here.
February 19, 2023
Some parts are difficult and dry, but there is excellent advice and help for preaching, and an underlying emphasis on the necessity of the spiritual life of the preacher being right. Perhaps my favorite chapter was the final chapter on public prayer.
September 14, 2024
Superb. The best homiletics book out of dozens. Yes, you should read the others, but this one was beneficial to me after one year of ministry. Although I read it once during seminary, it was as if I'd never read it - Dabney's insights were practical and pertinent and challenging.
January 10, 2023
Eloquent indeed.
February 22, 2024
3.5 rounded up. I thought he had engaging tone and really helpful thoughts for the construction of sermons. Highly recommend.
May 23, 2024
Slow at times, but excellent.
The final chapter on the minister's public prayer might be the best part of the whole book.
The final chapter on the minister's public prayer might be the best part of the whole book.
January 19, 2025
Slightly tedious at times. But the gold, when gold, was gold.
December 6, 2016
Dabney's Evangelical Eloquence is a collection of lectures given to ministerial students. For the most part it is full of tight-laced common sense rhetorical advice. He offers some helpful opinions on text selection and repeatedly reminds preachers to stay close to the text. A reminder which needs to be repeated often, especially in our subjective, opinionated culture.
The lectures touch the bases of basic rhetorical principles; Dabney strikes me as a bit fastidious, but there are some gems of wisdom and insight. It may be like drinking apple cider vinegar when you have a sore throat; it tastes terrible, but you know it will help in the long run. I'd like to revisit this book in the future, as I reckon there will be some gems I missed, and Dabney is likely to be a good coach for preaching; and like any coach must knock you around every now and again!
Here are a few of the quotes I found most poignant.
Let the great principles of gospel love be presented with a breadth and warmth which instead of dissecting, will dissipate the doubt.
[Preaching] is to unfold to the hearers the counsel of God for their salvation.
There is a profusion of preaching and public exercises; yet there is far less scriptural intelligence among our church-goers than among our ruder forefathers.
Let him make all his human learning ancillary to the simple work of ascertaining and explaining the argument of the Holy Spirit. Let him drink into the very meaning and temper of that inspired discussion. And let him do nothing else but place it, without change or addition, in contact with the souls of his hearers. He will find with delight that he has now opened a way to their hearts. God’s sermons will tell upon them as men’s sermons never do. Your conceit and ambition may persuade you that your human arrangement is more regular, more logical, more complete than his. He knows better, for he is omniscient. Have faith and humility to trust his truth in his own biblical forms, and you will find your sermons clothed with a true power and unction. If you thus honour his word, he will honour your ministry with success.
[...] after the clearer text has prepared the way, that its light may be thrown upon [less clear texts] and thus facilitate their comprehension.
[Preaching] demands unity in discourse.
The nail is only driven home by successive blows upon the same spot.
If you would not wear out after you have ceased to be a novelty, give the minds of your people food. Young pastors not seldom yield to a timidity, lest the multitude should be repelled by the homeliness of the truth; and they imagine that they are catering better for the popular tastes, by relieving them of the labour of attention and amusing them with rhetorical pyrotechnics. I do not here remark upon the wickedness of such an expedient. Pastoral experience proves that it is not adapted to its end, low as that end is. The men who draw the multitude are (if we except those who have more successfully satisfied the depravity of our race by positive error) the instructive pastors. The crowd flocks a few times to behold the empty show. But when it feels the necessity of being fed, it resorts to the place where solid food is provided for the mind, even if it be with plainer equipage. Make your people feel that they are gaining permanent acquisitions of knowledge from you, and they will not desert you.
The lectures touch the bases of basic rhetorical principles; Dabney strikes me as a bit fastidious, but there are some gems of wisdom and insight. It may be like drinking apple cider vinegar when you have a sore throat; it tastes terrible, but you know it will help in the long run. I'd like to revisit this book in the future, as I reckon there will be some gems I missed, and Dabney is likely to be a good coach for preaching; and like any coach must knock you around every now and again!
Here are a few of the quotes I found most poignant.
Let the great principles of gospel love be presented with a breadth and warmth which instead of dissecting, will dissipate the doubt.
[Preaching] is to unfold to the hearers the counsel of God for their salvation.
There is a profusion of preaching and public exercises; yet there is far less scriptural intelligence among our church-goers than among our ruder forefathers.
Let him make all his human learning ancillary to the simple work of ascertaining and explaining the argument of the Holy Spirit. Let him drink into the very meaning and temper of that inspired discussion. And let him do nothing else but place it, without change or addition, in contact with the souls of his hearers. He will find with delight that he has now opened a way to their hearts. God’s sermons will tell upon them as men’s sermons never do. Your conceit and ambition may persuade you that your human arrangement is more regular, more logical, more complete than his. He knows better, for he is omniscient. Have faith and humility to trust his truth in his own biblical forms, and you will find your sermons clothed with a true power and unction. If you thus honour his word, he will honour your ministry with success.
[...] after the clearer text has prepared the way, that its light may be thrown upon [less clear texts] and thus facilitate their comprehension.
[Preaching] demands unity in discourse.
The nail is only driven home by successive blows upon the same spot.
If you would not wear out after you have ceased to be a novelty, give the minds of your people food. Young pastors not seldom yield to a timidity, lest the multitude should be repelled by the homeliness of the truth; and they imagine that they are catering better for the popular tastes, by relieving them of the labour of attention and amusing them with rhetorical pyrotechnics. I do not here remark upon the wickedness of such an expedient. Pastoral experience proves that it is not adapted to its end, low as that end is. The men who draw the multitude are (if we except those who have more successfully satisfied the depravity of our race by positive error) the instructive pastors. The crowd flocks a few times to behold the empty show. But when it feels the necessity of being fed, it resorts to the place where solid food is provided for the mind, even if it be with plainer equipage. Make your people feel that they are gaining permanent acquisitions of knowledge from you, and they will not desert you.
July 7, 2010
So far it is enjoyable, if a bit dry. Nothing really remarkable prose-wise, but content has a few notable issues.
First, his classification of oration is somewhat odd--it doesn't include poetry or anything that we would consider "just for fun." "The immediate end of eloquence is to produce in the hearer some practical volition."--page 30. "The end, I repeat, of every oration is to make men do."--page 34 But, if you just insert "sermon" for each "oration," it works out pretty well.
Second, he doesn't (and this surprised me, considering his uncompromising nature) consider it appropriate for a sermon to alienate. I understand this as a general rule, and I'm sure he just doesn't qualify it, or maybe I just haven't reached the qualification yet. Whatever. Just keep that in mind.
Third, and this was the big one for me, is that when speaking of the Sabbath, he seems to do what we all too often do--separate the week into secular and spiritual (page 42). The week is not ours with the Lord's Day being God's. The week is God's, and the Lord's Day is for us to renew the covenant that we broke over the week, and then start serving God in a new week. This is something that he lived correctly, but apparently taught wrongly, as it wasn't a big concern for his day. It is for ours.
Fourth, and this was an ouch, he seems to think that humans are rational, which we generally aren't: "How shall the heart be reached, except through the head?"--53. Generally, we should ask, "How shall the head be reached, except the defenses of the heart be superseded?" We don't use logos to affect a change in pathos, but vice versa.
However, it has so far been excellent, with a great wealth of invaluable teaching.
First, his classification of oration is somewhat odd--it doesn't include poetry or anything that we would consider "just for fun." "The immediate end of eloquence is to produce in the hearer some practical volition."--page 30. "The end, I repeat, of every oration is to make men do."--page 34 But, if you just insert "sermon" for each "oration," it works out pretty well.
Second, he doesn't (and this surprised me, considering his uncompromising nature) consider it appropriate for a sermon to alienate. I understand this as a general rule, and I'm sure he just doesn't qualify it, or maybe I just haven't reached the qualification yet. Whatever. Just keep that in mind.
Third, and this was the big one for me, is that when speaking of the Sabbath, he seems to do what we all too often do--separate the week into secular and spiritual (page 42). The week is not ours with the Lord's Day being God's. The week is God's, and the Lord's Day is for us to renew the covenant that we broke over the week, and then start serving God in a new week. This is something that he lived correctly, but apparently taught wrongly, as it wasn't a big concern for his day. It is for ours.
Fourth, and this was an ouch, he seems to think that humans are rational, which we generally aren't: "How shall the heart be reached, except through the head?"--53. Generally, we should ask, "How shall the head be reached, except the defenses of the heart be superseded?" We don't use logos to affect a change in pathos, but vice versa.
However, it has so far been excellent, with a great wealth of invaluable teaching.
September 19, 2013
This is one of those books that needs to be read on a yearly basis, or at least every eighteen months. It is the *best* all around text on preaching. Others are better in more technical or more applicatory aims, but Dabney delivers on all counts.
The reason Dabney was great as a theologian was because he could divide an analyze a topic and then show the internal causal connections. He does this with rhetoric as well. I used "rhetoric" instead of Preaching because this is primarily a book on rhetoric. It can also be used by rhetoricians as well as pastors. Dabney gives good advice on how to thoroughly analyze a topic without presenting an overkill of information.
While it is dense and thorough and definitely not light reading, it is not that difficult, either. Dabney's points follow one another and is method is rather tight. If read prayerfully and with pencil in hand, the rhetorician and pastor will find a right, usable template for sermons and messages.
On a historical note, this book is also valuable. If you want to know how 19th century preachers thought and read the text, this is a perfect case study. One is encouraged to read this alongside his essay "Simplicity in Pulpit Style" in Discussions vol. III, pp.80-90.
The reason Dabney was great as a theologian was because he could divide an analyze a topic and then show the internal causal connections. He does this with rhetoric as well. I used "rhetoric" instead of Preaching because this is primarily a book on rhetoric. It can also be used by rhetoricians as well as pastors. Dabney gives good advice on how to thoroughly analyze a topic without presenting an overkill of information.
While it is dense and thorough and definitely not light reading, it is not that difficult, either. Dabney's points follow one another and is method is rather tight. If read prayerfully and with pencil in hand, the rhetorician and pastor will find a right, usable template for sermons and messages.
On a historical note, this book is also valuable. If you want to know how 19th century preachers thought and read the text, this is a perfect case study. One is encouraged to read this alongside his essay "Simplicity in Pulpit Style" in Discussions vol. III, pp.80-90.
August 25, 2013
An excellent book on preaching, both on what preaching is and on crafting a sermon. Dabney's ideas on bringing eloquence and rhetoric into the pulpit to elevate the communication of the Word for the hearer are thought provoking. Taken from a series of lectures on preaching, this is a must read for all who aspire to preach. I'll have to revisit this at some point in the future.
February 1, 2016
Excellent book on expository preaching. Dabney integrates much insight into speaking from ancient philosophers and the Scriptures. This book is not so easy to follow (at least for me, I have to pay careful attention to it).
February 9, 2009
Liked it, but it was a bit tedious. Especially if you aren't well versed in classical Aristotelian rhetoric. But some good insights on how to deliver a sermon with clarity and precision.
August 22, 2010
Reading Dabney as fast as I did is kinda like gulping wine. I should return to this book someday when I have time to swirl and sip.
December 13, 2019
Dabney takes the best of the classical rhetoricians (and Whately) and applies those principles to effective preaching. Don't miss this one.
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July 9, 2012This book is probably far better than I thought it was at the time. Being a freshman means you don't know enough to know how good the books you're forced to read really are.
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