A Manual for Preaching

“Wise, humble, realistic, vividly illustrated, erudite, comprehensive, constructively contrarian, playful, memorable, but above all helpful for the serious preacher. Dr. Kuruvilla’s magnum opus builds upon decades of preaching, equipping preachers, and writing for them. Some homiletics texts are purely theoretical, or the exemplary sermons are so detached from the theory that they could have been written by someone else. Not this volume. Kuruvilla demonstrates how to discern the theology of the pericope and how that theology governs the sermon. Time and again, words in this book reminded me of the detailed underlying scholarship in earlier works in the Kuruvilla corpus. Then, just when I needed it, some saying, like simplicity always wins, glued itself to my brain, or some image, like the preacher as curator of a work of art (the text), put the call to preach into perspective. This book is not for the lazy. It takes seriously the price preachers must pay to prepare, but it will richly reward those who learn from its precepts and examples.”—Greg R. Scharf, professor emeritus of homiletics and pastoral theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“In the multitude of books on preaching, Abraham Kuruvilla’s book will prove to be of more value than most, whether for novice or experienced preachers. The book does exactly what it claims, helping a preacher to move step-by-step from text to sermon. It rightly emphasizes the importance of preaching units of Scripture to the church in continuity, rather than picking away at unrelated texts, and of doing so through a theological lens. The book is full of seasoned wisdom, making use of Kuruvilla’s own experience—both his successes and, occasionally, his failures. He helpfully applies his wisdom throughout the book by using the story of Jacob and the Letter to the Ephesians. I recommend it not only for personal enrichment but as a textbook for any class in homiletics.”—Derek Tidball, former principal, London School of Theology

“No matter where we are in our preaching journey, we can learn from this man, who does it well. Listen to Abe preach, and I promise that you will be blessed with fresh insights and clear applications. You will also take note of his ability to pay careful attention to the text all the while showing its relevance to today’s audience. In this book, he uses illustrations to help us understand how he gets from text to sermon, from two thousand years ago to today.”—Erwin W. Lutzer, pastor emeritus, The Moody Church

“Abe Kuruvilla knows that the journey from text to sermon is not a straight line. Each week the preacher faces a brand-new challenge: How exactly do we get from this particular text to a sermon that is biblically faithful, theologically accurate, and life changing in its impact? This book offers a reliable guide that will encourage preachers by showing them it can be done. A Manual for Preaching is exactly what its name implies. Here you will find practical help that will enable you to enter the pulpit with confidence week after week. Read it! Study it! Share it with a friend!”—Ray Pritchard, president, Keep Believing Ministries