the theologian as preacher, the preacher as theologian

   Yesterday my copy of The Theologian As Preacher arrived. It is a second collection of sermons from Colin Gunton, edited by his daughter Sarah and former student John Colwell. It is a companion to the earlier published Theology Through Preaching (2001).  Both books, as well as containing some great examples of a great theologian preaching, contain two excellent introductions. The first collection of sermons had a introduction from Gunton's friend Christoph Schwobel on the art of preaching theologically. This recent collection has an introduction from Gunton's former student Steve Holmes on how Gunton is an example of the theologian as preacher and the preacher as a theologian. Gunton believed that theologian must also be rooted in a local church and serve the church through preaching. Holmes comments that Gunton said on more than one occasion 'You can always tell when a theologian has stopped preaching; here work loses something vital'. Gunton passionately believed, as Barth and others before him, that theology was for the church. The theologian is a servant of the church, whose work should be 'directed to the maintenance, edification and extension of the church of Christ' (Holmes, 'Introduction', The Theologian as Preacher, 2005, xxii). For Gunton, theology is never abstract (although rarely it may be temporarily so) and is always directed towards helping the church be faithful to its story. Schwobel identifies that  preaching must be biblical, pastoral (able to speak faith, hope and love to various circumstances that life presents us with), doctrinal (helping the church to think right, as well as act right or to say it another way, to help the church be faithful to its story) and congregational (helping the local church understand its life and mission as God's people). These four areas often appear to be lacking in art of preaching which is often too obssessed with being relevant and telling amusing stories. Holmes says in his introduction that

One of the great themes of these sermons, surely, is asking what is truly relevant. Much of what passes for 'relevance' in our preaching is simply a capitulation to a pagan value system (or, at best, a despairng admission that one's congregation has capitulated). Sport or celebrity or items of passing notice in the news media are endlessly recycled in the pulpit in the (surely mistaken!) belief that this will aid the preacher in being heard. Colin's preaching challenged such assumptions and practices. (xxi)

He goes on to say that preacher should not give up on theology and succumb to the temptation for the quick-fix (downloadable sermons!!!) for 'the gift of theology to preaching is roots that run deep and draw up the life-giving water that alone can truly refresh the people of God'. This new collection of sermons again demonstrates what a gift Colin Gunton was to the church and especially to the congregation of Brentwood URC where he was much loved and much missed.