Common Sense Preaching

by Dee Bowman

Maybe it was my fault. Maybe I came to this book with expectations that were just too high. After all, I’d heard it touted by many—including several people for whom I have great respect. And a book on preaching by an outstanding orator... I thought it was a “can’t miss.” Part of it may have been that I didn’t get quite what I expected. Honestly, I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this.

Common Sense Preaching is, simply put, a book on communication theory, particularly as it relates to preaching. If you are a preacher or a preacher-to-be who is not familiar with communication theory—whether through personal study or a collegiate curriculum—you will find this book incredibly helpful. Bowman covers a year’s worth of communication coursework in 208 pages, and constantly turns it to the subject of your profession. If you are, however, familiar with communication theory, you can probably just as easily skip this book—unless you’re looking for a refresher on the subject or for an approach to communication theory as it relates to preaching. There are, of course, some things which aren’t specifically related to communication theory—a chapter on who is qualified to preach and types of sermons, as well as a chapter on preaching in “this age” (a chapter that is somewhat suspect, as it talks about the great evolution brought about by the overhead projector!)—but the bulk of this volume could just as easily be learned in an Introduction to Communications or Public Speaking class.

A couple of other things also jumped out at me that struck me the wrong way. In his chapter on who is qualified to preach, Bowman suggested that the preacher be humble—a point with which anyone would probably agree. It is unfortunate, however, that immediately before this, he argued that humility is difficult to define: “The minute you say you’ve got it, you’ve lost it” (25). I have always taken issue with this particular definition of humility—one that makes this commanded virtue impossible to attain and Jesus the only person in history who was able to know He had it (“I am meek and lowly in heart”). “Okay, preachers, you all need to be humble... how you’ll do that, I have no clue, because no one can have humility and know they have it.” If this is the case, why should we even pursue humility? While this isn’t a huge issue, it certainly made my brow furrow and have to put the book down for a while before I could come back to it with an open mind.

The other comment was one he made on several occasions which struck me as odd. He argued that when Christians come together, they come to hear preaching. Without getting on a soapbox, let me say that such may be the case, but I’m not sure it is the way it ought to be. The purpose of coming together is mutual edification to the end of love and good works (Heb 10:24–25). While that may (and should) include preaching, the notion that it is the sole purpose of coming together is a very preacher-centric view that (I hesitate to say) almost sounds denominational.

Now that I’ve written a not-too-pleasant review of a book by someone whom I respect, let me say that, honestly, it’s probably worth your time to read, unless you’ve spent several years of your life studying communication at the college level. Part of my obstacle to this book was it not being what I expected. If you go into it knowing what to expect and looking for teaching in that regard, you will probably find it useful and very practical.

The Editors do not advocate everything taught by the authors of the books we review. Like us, these authors are fallible humans and those who choose to read these books should measure them by the bible, the one true standard.