Preaching with Confidence: A Theological Essay on the Power of the Pulpit

by James Daane

A discussion on the power of effective preaching

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Stephen Mulder]

Second time reading through this book. Really good emphasis in the beginning of the book about the power of preaching and the inescapable offense of proclaiming the gospel. "If God's Word is so powerful that the demons and the dead and the forces of nature can hear and must obey it, then it can also work its own way and gain a hearing on the campus, in the clinic, and on city streets." His book could have been strengthened by a discussion of experimental/experiential preaching. One walks away from the book with a bit of the sense that preaching is simply exposition of the biblical text. Thankfully, Daane clearly states that preaching is "not a religious essay ... or a lecture". But more could have been said regarding application of the Biblical text to the congregation.

[Jacob London]

This short book is a treatise against the modern pulpit that often lacks the Word of God, and thus confidence and power. Daane asserts that in order to recapture the fervent spirit in the church for the Word of God that we saw in the Reformation, we must again preach the Word.

This book is short, but often had eye opening points. A good reminder of the purpose of the office of pastor. My only criticism is that it can be quite dry at some points.

[Douglas Wilson]

This short book had some good and profound things to say about the high calling of the preaching office. Very good.

[Daniel Rohde]

Very helpful!

[Eddie Mercado]

3.5 stars. A helpful book, and short. There appears to be a Neo-Orthodox streak in Daane and an astonishing lack of reflection on the Spirit and preaching, but the basic principles are sound.

[Tyler Pedersen]

James Daane sounds a clarion call for preachers to be confident that the Lord Himself will speak through their faithful preaching. He argues that nothing saps the life out of a sermon like a preacher who lacks confidence that God still speaks. The book is basically a series of variations on this theme. The gist is that men should preach God's word like it is His word. The concluding chapters contain helpful tips for sermon preparation and wise words for sermon craft. Daane is a proponent of the one-point sermon, arguing that mining a particular text of Scripture for its stand-out theme and getting to a memorable phrasing of it focuses the preacher's preparation time and more often than not leads to a clear message for Sunday morning.

[Peter Jones]

A solid, short introduction to preaching that would be a good refresher for pastors. Much of what is said can be found elsewhere. But the usefulness of the book is found in its brevity. He hits the main things, like the authority of the preacher, the power of the Word, basic sermon construction, and illustrations without overwhelming the reader or boring him. His chapter on the offense of Christ was a particularly good reminder that the preaching of the gospel does not automatically make people feel better about themselves.