Willimon on Homiletical Communication

In The Intrusive Word (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), Willimon exhorts preachers to be careful not to go too far in making the gospel understandable.  In his words, this is "reducing the gospel to a slogan for a bumper sticker" or mixing the gospel with some "common human experience" (24). "We must learn to preach again …

Willimon on Preaching

  Willimon is at it again:  "One of the chief responsibilities of baptized Christians is to submit to Scripture, to let Scripture judge our discipleship rather than for us to judge the possibility and permissibility of Scripture's demands.  Preaching is a major means of helping us fulfill that responsibility." "It may be more accurate to …

Willimon on “The Wonderful Thickness of the Text”

"Have you ever noticed that when publishers wish to create a comprehensive guide to a particular subject, they like to employ the term Bible in the title?  The Quilting Bible, The Backpacker's Bible, even The Jeep Owner's Bible promise clear, practical down-to-earth guidance on everything and anything related to their particular subject.  If you want …

Wise Words from Willimon

  William Willimon speaks about the unhelpful notion of "translating" the gospel into everyday language and the failure of churches to speak the biblical truth.   "[They say] Take this biblical image and translate it into something more palatable to people who use Cuisinarts.  The modern church has been willing to use everyone's language but its own.  In conservative …