Seeking a Powerful, Prophetic & Pastoral Voice
A Feature Review of
Preaching in a New Key: Crafting Expository Sermons in Post-Christian Communities
Mark R. Glanville
Paperback: IVP Academic, 2025
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Review by: Rob O’Lynn
Depending on how you understand the nature of preaching, a preacher starts crafting a sermon either from an idea (topical) or a text (expository). While a case could be made for using more idea-centered preaching sparingly, most preaching literature focuses on text-based exposition. Well, at least it did. Not that it no longer means that but that I cannot remember when the last new treatment of expository preaching was published. Although classic treatments from Chapell, Craddock, Long, Robinson and Wilson continue to circulate through revised editions (a fourth edition of Robinson’s Biblical Preaching was released in March 2025), most work in expository preaching has been more specifically focused on books of the Bible. Much of this work has been excellent and needed. However, what we have been missing is the starting point—how to engage in expository preaching in an increasingly post-Christian context.
Enter Mark Glanville, an Australian minister and Hebrew Bible scholar, now leading a center for missional engagement in Canada. And he flies out of the gate, setting the reality before the reader that syrupy Ted Talks that are devoid of hope and purpose and, most importantly, scripture are not cutting it. Preaching must push us toward a deeper exploration of faith (Part 1), must accept that it is an artisan craft (Part 2) that thrives on beauty (Part 3), and is steeped in tradition (Part 3). Through a mixture of engaging dialogue that borders on playful, hand-drawn graphics and numerous side conversations, Glanville keeps the reader engaged throughout this new exploration of what many think to be an old conversation.
Overall, this book is nothing short of incredible and beautiful. It is incredible because it repositions expository preaching as the homiletical approach to communicating the gospel to our post-Christian context. Not that there are many other viable options but that dwelling in the text during the sermon has become passé, even among evangelicals. In a time when preachers are rage-baited to rant and rail against social concerns on one hand or prop up those same social concerns with non-canonical “texts” on the other, Glanville completes the Herculean task of bringing us back to scripture and to its authority in our lives as Christians. Yes, we must speak to social concerns. However, we do so in light of scripture, for that is the foundation upon which our faith is built.
This is why this book is beautiful. Glanville loves, I mean loves, scripture and admonishes his readers to develop a similar love for scripture. In developing this love, we can allow scripture to speak powerfully, prophetically and pastorally to us in new and engaging ways. This, then, translates into our sermons, as we creatively and compassionately labor to imbue our sermons with the same prophetic and pastoral power. The image of musical improvisation courses through the book, remind us that we are seeking new footing in our post-Christian context. Filled with insights and activities, this book comes as a welcome addition to the homiletic library and offers itself as a conversation partner and traveling companion.
My only critique, and it is small, is that I would have liked there to be some worked-out examples of what his estimation of expository preaching looks and sounds like. There are several good snippets throughout and two variations in the appendix (theme, short passage), however I would have liked to see at least one full manuscripted sermon. That being said, the lack of full samples does not take away from the book’s overall (and much-needed) contribution. The sources that he draws from expands the diversity in new and beautiful directions. I am excited for my preaching students to read it this fall!
Rob O'Lynn
Rob O'Lynn is Associate Professor of Preaching and Ministry, Director of Graduate Bible Programs, and Dean of the School of Distance and General Education at Kentucky Christian University. He has served congregations in Arkansas, Texas, West Virginia and Kentucky. You can follow him @DrRobOLynn on BlueSky or Instagram.
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