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Simply Preaching: A Visual Guide
By Daniel Goodman
Review by Revd Matt Allen, Reviews and Resources Editor, Blackburn Centre Lead Tutor, Emmanuel Theological College
Attempting to write a review for Daniel Goodman’s Simply Preaching presented me with a new challenge. I wondered how it would be possible to review a book on preaching which was primarily full of illustrations and graphics. I was keen to try because Simply Preaching is a relatively unique offering in homiletic literature and reviews of this kind of book are fairly uncommon.
The author has adapted received wisdom on preaching and collated it into a self-published book with an engaging format. For a preacher, the simple ideas – written one to a page – offer stimulating thoughts to whet their appetite for reflecting on their preaching practice. Some practical additions include consideration of multicultural contexts, tips for both delivery and content, and advice on sermon beginnings and endings.
As a book to read, this is not a main course. Nothing is dealt with in any depth, there are no chapter headings or categories, there is no attribution of sources or evidence of critical evaluation, and there is occasionally a spelling error that ought to have been picked up in editing. There are certainly some gaps. For instance, the ‘Should I Preach’ Venn diagrams is good, but the importance of call/vocation is understated. However, the author is clear about what they are offering. They write as ‘a student of preaching’ and offer their thoughts in a creative and helpful manner.
Though this book doesn’t delve much beneath the surface, somehow the sum of the parts is greater than the whole, as it offers some profound truth, often in very few words. Insights into spiritual capital, preaching as ministry, ‘lean in’ moments, and the sacrifice of preaching are noteworthy. Goodman makes points in a succinct and vivid fashion despite the simplest of illustrations. In short, this light-hearted book has some profound moments.
Books offering general advice to preachers are useful and do not purport to be a substantial main course in homiletical literature. Doug Gay’s God be in my Mouth and Lucy Berry’s recent Being a Preacher are stand out examples.
If those offerings can be likened to tapas, then Goodman’s book might be thought of as some delicious nibbles, canapés, or perhaps, more fittingly for preacher an amuse-bouche.
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