Exploring and Proclaiming the Apostles' Creed

by Roger E. Van Harn

Foreword by Geoffrey Wainwright

Doctrinal preaching has fallen on hard times in recent years. Exploring and Proclaiming the Apostles' Creed seeks to stimulate renewed interest in -- and provide useful models of -- Christian proclamation that is truly rooted in the central tenets of the faith. Using the Apostles' Creed as a template for doctrinal, confessional preaching, this book draws together an ecumenical cast of respected biblical scholars and preachers who explain the creed and demonstrate its preaching possibilities. Each of the book's fifteen chapters consists of an essay that explores and illuminates one of the creed's articles of faith, followed by a scintillating sermon that models how that article can be preached as good news today.

"Walter R. Bouman
Richard A. Burridge
Philip W. Butin
Gabriel Fackre
David F. Ford
Colin Gunton
Richard B. Hays
Craig C. Hill
Scott E. Hoezee
Leslie J. Hoppe
George Hunsinger
Scott Black Johnston
James F. Kay
Richard A. Lischer
Thomas G. Long
Lois Malcolm
Daniel L. Migliore
Richard A. Norris Jr.
Steven D. Paulson
Cornelius Plantinga
Cynthia L. Rigby
Fleming Rutledge
William M. Shand III
Marguerite Shuster
Wm. C. Turner
Robert Louis Wilken
Ralph C. Wood
Susan K. Wood
Frances M. Young
Robin Darling Young"

Genres: Theology

317 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2004

Reviews

[Andy Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this as the set text for a ministry course. Each section of the Apostles' Creed is given a scholarly essay and a sermon, mostly pastoral but some exegetical. Essays and sermons are written in academic language for the most part, which means a fondness for the recondite, the arcane and the erudite. An easy read it is not though it provides many opportunities for thoughtful reflection.
The major drawback is that it lacks an index so finding parts again is nigh impossible without substantial re-reading.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of MANY great new books on the Creed: Alister McGrath's I Believe; Luke Timothy Johnson, The Creed (2003);Michael Horton, We Believe, and the last section of David Matzko McCarthy, The Good Life [2004]. This one is anthology by a variety of pretty notable neo-orthodox types, mostly from the mainline Reformed camp. Some are less orthodox than I might like, but almost every essay in here is insightful and provactive.

Each of 15 articles of the Creed is given a theological essay by one author and a sermon by another. Among the most notable contributors are: Colin Gunton; Neil Plantinga (CRC evangelical); Ralph Wood (Barthian Baptist); James Kay and George Hunsunger(Barthian Princetonian Presbyterians); Daniel Migliore (Princetonian, more liberal than Kay or Hunsinger); Richard Hays (neo-orothodox, Duke); Fleming Rutledge (neo-orthodox Episcopal priestess). Several others (Tom Long, Cynthia Rigby etc.) BTW have Princeton connections.

While somewhat uneven theologically, this is a must read for the preacher or serious student of the Creed. Probably my third choice after McGrath and Johnson.

[Eric Chappell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The church order of the denomination I was raised in mandates catechetical/confessional preaching. Honestly, I've never really agreed with the practice, but this collection of essays and sermons made me reconsider its viability, at least with the Apostles' Creed. Van Harn has collected a nice smattering of theological voices (Colin Gunton, Cornelius Plantinga, George Hunsinger, Richard Hays, etc.) in a collection of exploratory theological essays and sermons on the Creed. It's a great resource for the confessional section of your bookshelf and would be valuable if you were teaching or preaching through the Creed.