Book Review: Talking God: Preaching to Contemporary Congregations

Abstract

Talking God: Preaching to Contemporary Congregations. By Albert R. Cutie. New York: Morehouse Publishing, 2016. ix + 128 pp. $16.00 (paper).How can preaching more effectively meet the needs of our changing world? Exploring this challenge is Cuties project in this slim volume based on his D.Min. thesis for the School of Theology, University of the South. Talking God's overarching aim is practical. After describing the challenges presented by the present context, which Cutie maintains are driven by the ongoing media revolution of the last two centuries, he considers six iconic preachers who illustrate an evolutionary are in style and methodology in the post-Reformation era (p. 9). John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Fulton Sheen, Billy Graham, Joyce Meyers, and Michael Curry responded to their cultural milieus in ways that were contextually media-aware. Cutie identifies key learnings for contemporary preachers: breaking the mold by taking preaching out of doors; promoting widespread publication to a larger audience; conversation with other religious traditions; using biblical images to speak to concerns of both believers and non-believers; adapting contemporary styles (self-help guru, life-help coach) to offer guidance for everyday life; and connecting the Word, with energy and enthusiasm, to immediate realities (p. 36).Cutie then turns to our present context. There simply is not yet enough research to understand how listening works in the twenty-first century, especially as multitasking and decreasing attention spans are normative (p. 40). The use of technology, especially the internet, will continue to demonstrably affect both preachers and hearers, so much so that traditional understandings of church itself need to be rethought. New models of communication that are interactive rather that preacher-to-listener may be more effective- and closer to the practice of early Christian communities. People shop for church by going online, checking out websites, and reading reviews, and the once common foundation of biblical/religious understanding is a thing of the past.More than ever it is incumbent upon preachers to be mindful of and committed to effective communications practices, and to understand themselves as professional communicators. To be more effective, Cutie proposes that preachers need to know their audience: its demographics, traditions, and core commitments. Preachers should include humor and anecdotes, which help engage listeners and make preachers more accessible and interesting. Those who are serious about reaching their audiences must dispense with manuscripts. Like the pulpit, they are a barrier to authenticity, credibility, and the connection that needs to take place in order for the gospel to be heard. …