The Homiletical Plot: The Sermon as Narrative Art Form

In this volume, the author argues that the best sermons are those that take on the tension and movement of a story - not just any story but "the" story of God's dramatic encounter with humanity. Whether working through narrative or non-narrative texts, the task of the preacher is not to organize or outline but to lead the congregation through five sequential stages of the homiletical plot: upsetting the equilibrium, analyzing the discrepancy, disclosing the clue to resolution, experiencing the gospel, and anticipating the consequences. Through moving the plot from a point of tension to a point of resolution, the listener is thus held captive to the revelation of God.