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Positive Preaching and Modern Mind
This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.
Paperback
First published December 1, 1969
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About the author
P.T. Forsyth
142 books19 followersPeter Taylor Forsyth, Scottish theologian.
From The Soul of Prayer book description:
P. T. Forsyth is sometimes described as an English pre-cursor to Karl Barth. He was born in 1848 to a Scottish family of humble origins and later in life attended Aberdeen University, where he graduated with first-class honours in classical literature in 1869. In 1876 he was ordained and called to minister in Shipley, Yorkshire. In his early ministry in the Congregational Church, Forsyth fought orthodoxy and sought for the right to rethink Christian theology and pursue liberal thought. In 1878, however, Forsyth experienced a conversion from, in his own words, "being a Christian to being a believer, from a lover of love to an object of grace." A profound awareness of pastoral responsibility was awakened which radically altered the the course of his ministry. His conversion thrust him from the leadership of liberalism to a recovery of the theology of grace. Quickly, he became one of the better-known figures in British Nonconformity. In 1894, he received a call to Emmanuel College in Cambridge, where he preached his famous sermon, "Holy Father" in 1896. In 1901, he accepted a position as principal of Hackney Theological College, London where he remained until he died in 1921. Over his lifetime Forsyth published 25 books and more than 260 articles. He is often credited with recovering for his generation the reality and true dimensions of the grace of God.(
From The Soul of Prayer book description:
P. T. Forsyth is sometimes described as an English pre-cursor to Karl Barth. He was born in 1848 to a Scottish family of humble origins and later in life attended Aberdeen University, where he graduated with first-class honours in classical literature in 1869. In 1876 he was ordained and called to minister in Shipley, Yorkshire. In his early ministry in the Congregational Church, Forsyth fought orthodoxy and sought for the right to rethink Christian theology and pursue liberal thought. In 1878, however, Forsyth experienced a conversion from, in his own words, "being a Christian to being a believer, from a lover of love to an object of grace." A profound awareness of pastoral responsibility was awakened which radically altered the the course of his ministry. His conversion thrust him from the leadership of liberalism to a recovery of the theology of grace. Quickly, he became one of the better-known figures in British Nonconformity. In 1894, he received a call to Emmanuel College in Cambridge, where he preached his famous sermon, "Holy Father" in 1896. In 1901, he accepted a position as principal of Hackney Theological College, London where he remained until he died in 1921. Over his lifetime Forsyth published 25 books and more than 260 articles. He is often credited with recovering for his generation the reality and true dimensions of the grace of God.(
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 12, 2021
This is the first time I’ve heard of Forsyth. This book was wonderful. There were definitely things I disagreed with, however, the main scope of this book (purpose, philosophy, and content of preaching) is striking in a way not many books I’ve read on the subject are. Don’t be fooled by the title. Forsyth’s definition of “positive preaching” is different from the modern definition.
Forsyth leaned towards liberal theology during his young life. While he still had some of his younger tendencies, as he grew older, he straitened many of his doctrines into a mindset more consistent with historical Christianity. In addition to the importance and philosophy of preaching, this book also addresses how these two mindsets can affect preaching.
Some things that stuck out to me:
- The Church is the greatest preacher. The preacher’s job is to equip the church to preach.
- Preaching is a sort of sacrament and must be approached as an act of worship.
- The Gospel is at the heart and soul of our preaching. If we alter or misplace the Gospel, our preaching will be affected.
- The pastor’s job is first to God, than to the Church, than to the world. Evangelism is the job of the church, not primarily of the pastor.
Overall, a tremendous read. Every preacher should take the time to read this book.
Forsyth leaned towards liberal theology during his young life. While he still had some of his younger tendencies, as he grew older, he straitened many of his doctrines into a mindset more consistent with historical Christianity. In addition to the importance and philosophy of preaching, this book also addresses how these two mindsets can affect preaching.
Some things that stuck out to me:
- The Church is the greatest preacher. The preacher’s job is to equip the church to preach.
- Preaching is a sort of sacrament and must be approached as an act of worship.
- The Gospel is at the heart and soul of our preaching. If we alter or misplace the Gospel, our preaching will be affected.
- The pastor’s job is first to God, than to the Church, than to the world. Evangelism is the job of the church, not primarily of the pastor.
Overall, a tremendous read. Every preacher should take the time to read this book.
May 21, 2013
A great book, that is difficult to surpass regarding the matter of preaching - even 100 years later!
Lectures, printed up.
Lectures, printed up.
February 9, 2023
This book is very powerful. It is more powerful, to me anyhow, at the sentence-level than as a cumulative structure. "No one can feel more than I do that if all this be not absolute truth it is sheer nonsense. So it sifts men." I mean, that is good, that is very good. The book is a series of lectures, so its style is a bit oral and repetitive. Often several sentences in a row say much the same thing differently. But the book just sort of thunders away, sears away. Its main themes as I see them are the work of faith (it's actually a work, apparently), the necessity for love and holiness to cross-define each other, and the gospel and the cross of Christ as fiercely moral and vehicles of moral power. Its enemy is a turn-of-the-20th-century gospel that makes God a nice omniforgiving Father whose love has no holy edge, who's just a softie. So, yes, the book was written over a century ago, but its message still rings timely to me. These days it isn't just the church interested in omnitolerating love without a holy edge; it's the whole postChristian culture. I'm reminded of what I grew up knowing: that only being nice isn't going to face sin hard enough to heal.
April 30, 2020
(3 1/2) Interesting book. Some sections are powerful and make me want to preach more. Others are a too caught up in current day (early 1900s) controversies to be helpful to me.
December 22, 2016
I gave this book four stars-its content is five-star material. I marked Forsyth down for his weakness on the fundamentals of the faith. Forsyth was converted as a young liberal preacher through his study of the Scriptures but he never did entirely shake off the higher criticism of his youth. If you can forgive him this and press on, you will not be disappointed.
Forsyth is, admittedly, an acquired taste. He is at once a preacher, theologian, critic, and philosopher and he writes with a literary style completely his own, but if you are persistent enough to pierce the veil of his idiosyncrasies you will be richly rewarded. You will find him slow going at first, but when you begin to understand him, you will find yourself reading and re-reading lengthy passages again and again, in awe of the insight of this dear man of God.
This book has much to say about preaching and the Cross of Christ. I beg you, read it, prayerfully, and on your knees.
Forsyth is, admittedly, an acquired taste. He is at once a preacher, theologian, critic, and philosopher and he writes with a literary style completely his own, but if you are persistent enough to pierce the veil of his idiosyncrasies you will be richly rewarded. You will find him slow going at first, but when you begin to understand him, you will find yourself reading and re-reading lengthy passages again and again, in awe of the insight of this dear man of God.
This book has much to say about preaching and the Cross of Christ. I beg you, read it, prayerfully, and on your knees.
January 25, 2013
The chapters are lectures given at Yale Seminary in 1907 by this renowned English Theologian.
Very insightful and surprisingly applicable to the challenges faced, meaningful purposes, the tools needed by today's preachers.
Very insightful and surprisingly applicable to the challenges faced, meaningful purposes, the tools needed by today's preachers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews