We believe this volume is a faithful response to the difficult issues associated with preaching and autobiography. We hope it will be both a useful tool and a catalyst among teachers and preachers for further discussion on the role personal experience plays in interpreting and preaching biblical texts. We serve the Christ who revealed himself to the world so that the world might more clearly see the Father. As we explore this uncharted territory, our desire is to faithfully proclaim the gospel message in a way that others will come to know the God that Christ reveals.
- From the Introduction
For more than two decades, Dave Bland has devoted his life to preaching tenures with the Eastside Church of Christ in Portland, Oregon and, currently, with the White Station congregation in Memphis. Dave complements his life's activity in preaching with a background in rhetoric (Ph.D., University of Washington) and has long cultivated an interest in wisdom literature. In addition to preaching, Dave serves as full time Professor of Homiletics at Harding University Graduate School of Religion in Memphis.
David Fleer's devotion to preaching first found expression through a long-tenured pulpit ministry with the Vancouver Church of Christ in the state of Washington. His Ph.D. in Speech Communication at the University of Washington moved him into teaching, where he is currently Professor of Religion and Communication at Rochester College. Co-editor of the current series on preaching, David's work is characterized as a thoughtful and passionate attempt to walk afresh in the world of Scripture so that readers and listeners may experience the reality of the Gospel of God.