Masters of Preaching

The Most Poignant and Powerful Homilists in Church History

By (author) Ray E. Atwood Foreword by Jerome Hanus

Not available to order

Publication date:

16 February 2012

Length of book:

322 pages

Publisher

Hamilton Books

ISBN-13: 9780761857815

The history of Catholic homiletics is rich and layered with theology and spirituality. Every period of Church history contains preachers who have been blessed with oratorical skills and spiritual depth. They are saints, scholars, bishops, priests, and deacons from the Eastern and Western traditions. Masters of Preaching—the first book of its kind—lays the foundations for a deeper understanding of Christian preaching. It is an important contribution to the subjects of history and preaching. This exceptional text sheds light on the lives and sermons of the Church’s most talented preachers. Through the lives and works of thirty-one men, the reader will experience fine sermons from the most eloquent homilists. There is much to learn from this important book.

Preface
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction

1 The Essence of Good Preaching
2 Preaching in the Old Testament as a Prelude to Christian Preaching
3 Preaching in the New Testament
4 Preaching in the Post-Apostolic Church
5 Preaching in the Age of the Fathers
6 Preaching in the Middle Ages
7 Preaching in the Reformation Period and Beyond
8 Preaching in the Modern and Contemporary Era

Conclusion

Here is a lucid, comprehensive book on preaching from a Catholic perspective. Father Atwood reaches deep into the Church’s long tradition of great homilists and makes their wisdom and gifts readily available to today’s seminarians, priests, and especially lay ministers eager for inspiration and guidance. The book describes preaching styles and themes from a wide variety of ancient and contemporary sources, always with an eye to helping homilists deepen their own spiritual awareness and hence increase the impact of their words. The book includes a sample homily from each homilist discussed and invites readers to see for themselves these . . . wonderful examples of preaching in practice.