Theology Is for Proclamation Book

Forde's objective is to correct modern preaching. He does this with three basic premises: "getting God off our backs," God preached vs. God not preached, and doing the text to the hearers. Both theists and atheists alike attempt to get God off their backs. The theist attempts through theodicy and synergism; the atheist attempts by getting rid of God entirely. Both are results of what Forde calls the "upward fall" (48) as opposed to what we normally call the fall, since the "fall of man" is not really a downward ascent but when in which we attempt to ascend to be gods'to usurp God's throne.

Also as a result of the upward fall is our attempt to proclaim God not preached rather than God preached. Here, Forde borrows from Luther's Deus absconditus/Deus revelatus theology. As theologians of glory, we attempt to preach the hidden God. As a direct result of the upward fall, as gods we think we can examine the hiddenness of God and draw sound conclusions from our examination, but they are merely examinations. Seeking to be gods, we do not let God be God. We are only to preach God preached, or God revealed'what He has made known about Himself.

Furthermore, preachers are to do the text to the hearers. Forde puts it best, we "inquire what the text did to the hearers and prepare to do that again" (156). This directly challenges the usual allegorical method of modern preaching, where preachers find some secret meaning in a text that the text is not truly conveying. The allegorical method attempts to make the text relevant. In doing so, instead of the text changing our story, we interpret the text to "fit our story" (153). Rather, the preacher is to do to his hearers what the text did to the hearers of its day.

This is a great read for any theological student. However, as the book is geared towards proclamation/preaching from the pulpit in the public office of the pastor, this book will be most meaningful and insightful for pursuing pastors, particularly Lutheran pastors. Forde's systematic theology is a brilliant theology that challenges today's modern conventions, especially those of the evangelical persuasion. This being the case, evangelicals will find the book especially challenging and frustrating, as Forde completely dismantles their presumptuous thinking and interpretative framework.

(see my full review at )