Preaching Hard Texts of the Old Testament

Achtemeier, Elizabeth

ISBN 10: 1565633334 / ISBN 13: 9781565633339

Published by Hendrickson Pub, 1998

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 4.2M_MN_H0005VI6

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Preaching Hard Texts of the Old Testament
• Publisher: Hendrickson Pub
• Publication Date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1565633334
• ISBN 13: 9781565633339
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

"Achtemeier launches out on a campaign to stir preachers to preach the toughest texts of the Old Testament with courage and conviction. Her book is a delight and a challenge. She never fails to provoke, enlighten, encourage."
—William H. Willimon, Duke University

Elizabeth Achtemeier has carefully chosen thirty-one Old Testament passages that are difficult to understand and more difficult still to preach. The sacrifice of Isaac, God’s command for Hosea to marry a harlot, Moses’ use of the bronze serpent to heal snake-bitten Israelites—these and many other passages are illumined for the preacher who no longer wants to fear these texts. In each chapter, Achtemeier discusses the text and then offers suggestions for forming a sermon based on that text. In treating specific unsettling passages, Achtemeier also addresses thematic difficulties found throughout the Old Testament, such as the frequent militaristic portrayals of God, the often perplexing behavior of Old Testament prophets, and the many anthropomorphic descriptions of God.

"Many find it hard to preach from Old Testament texts. In this collection of sermons Elizabeth Achtemeier shows that even the hard texts of the Old Testament can produce significant and profound preaching."
—James Luther Mays, Union Theological Seminary in Virginia

About the Author

Elizabeth Achtemeier is Adjunct Professor of Bible and Homiletics at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. She is author of a number of books, including Nature, God, and Pulpit and Preaching from the Old Testament. She is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (USA).