Preaching Fools: The Gospel as a Rhetoric of Folly

by Charles L. Campbell

The court jesters, clowns, foolish all images of the comic, sometimes tragic, fool. Across national and cultural borders, the archetype of the fool has played a significant role in how communities interpret and ascribe identity. As Charles Campbell and Johan Cilliers remind us, the Christian preacher, tasked with delivering a paradoxical gospel, is also a fool. In a delicate exploration with enlightening results, Preaching Fools uses a diverse representation of fools and foolish actions to show how modern preaching is inseparable from the folly of the cross. Campbell and Cilliars walk the fine line between the ugliness and beauty of the gospel and challenge readers toward a deeper engagement with its unsettling message.

260 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2012

Reviews

[Lizzy Taylor]

intriguing concept that just imo didn’t need to be stretched out into an entire book 🤷‍♀️ would have liked this as an essay but it was just a strug to get through it