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The Theologian as Preacher by Colin E Gunton. Published by T & T Clark Publishers, pp166. ISBN 978-0567031211 £14.99
Colin Gunton was very clear that he needed to preach regularly if his work as a theologian (he was Professor of Christian Doctrine at King’s College, London) was to remain vital. As associate minister at Brentwood United Reformed Church, Colin preached once or twice a month for over twenty years. The love and respect of his congregation is so evident in the ‘Foreword’ to these twenty five sermons, delivered in the five years immediately preceding his early death in 2003. But the book is more than the sermons, for a brilliant ‘Introduction’ by Dr Stephen Holmes, a friend and colleague of Colin, puts the sermons in the context of the preacher’s theology and ecclesiology and tells how Colin’s experience as preacher and pastor expressed itself as university teacher and researcher.
The sermons themselves are commendable for their brevity and for their biblical base. Colin Gunton believed that the congregation should hear a good chunk of scripture in worship and most of his sermons used three substantial bible passages which it would be wise to read before reading the sermon. There’s a very helpful index of the biblical passages which would assist anyone seeking sermon material on a particular reading. But this book will also appeal to those who don’t preach. The sermons could be used as the basis for bible study or simply to provide personal nourishment.
I sometimes found the style a little outmoded but, once I started ‘dipping in’, I soon warmed to the exploration of questions of Christian faith in sermons with such tantalising titles as ‘Materialism’, ‘The Problem of Evil’ and ‘Eternal Punishment’. Many of the sermons explore clauses in the Nicene Creed but there’s one that was given at a funeral and another at a wedding. Many, such as ‘Christianity and Islam’, ‘Death and Modernity’ and ‘Secular and Divine Power’ address contemporary issues, but always in the context of carefully selected scripture. The theological and biblical basis for the sermon always shines through. Occasionally, the interpretation and affirmations dazzle, rather than illuminate, but that is no surprise when confronted with the thoughts and beliefs of one so profound.
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