PreachingToday.com Book of the Year That Speaks to the Soul of the Preacher

Doctrine That Dances:
Bringing Doctrinal Preaching
and Teaching to Life
By Robert Smith Jr.
B&H Academic

Robert Smith Jr.—one of the finest preachers in America—is not as widely known as he should be, but like his preaching, his book is a feast of words. That's good because others have been known to turn his important subject—the preaching of doctrine—into a plateful of hay. Not Smith: "Like yeast," he writes, "which loses itself in dough and yet causes the dough to graduate from flatness to a fully rounded dinner roll, doctrine causes preaching to rise in fullness of authority and accent."

Smith's book hinges on two metaphors. The first metaphor is of the preacher as escort. The preacher's job is to draw out of the biblical text its intended message, apply it relevantly, and thereby to escort the hearers into the presence of God where they can be transformed. The second metaphor is of the preacher as dancer. The preacher's job is to communicate doctrine with such life and exuberance that the hearers' souls—and maybe even their bodies!—dance like David before the ark.

One of the award judges wrote, "Smith's book was just good for my soul as a preacher—his passion, his conviction, many of his stories and illustrations, and the content overall."

Another wrote, "I like the book because it addresses a subject that has not received much attention and appeals to a breadth of sources. The writing is entertaining."

Honorable Mention

Surprised by Hope:
Rethinking Heaven, the
Resurrection, and the
Mission of the Church
by N. T. Wright
HarperOne

Craig Brian Larson is the pastor of Lake Shore Church in Chicago and author and editor of numerous books, including The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching (Zondervan). He blogs on Knowing God and His Ways at craigbrianlarson.com.