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From Pulpit to Public Square: Faithful Speech beyond Church Walls
176 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2025
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December 18, 2025
Many pastors find themselves speaking in public spaces. It might be a prayer at a city council meeting or a speech at a social justice rally. Sometimes the preacher can prepare far in advance, but often it is an emergency. I have found myself in many of those situations. My first major public responsibility came in the days after 9-11, when I was serving as President of the local clergy association. I was tasked with putting together a service that would speak to the entire community. I've had many opportunities since then, but it is not always easy to know what to say and how to say it compellingly.
I assume that most pastors will at some point find themselves speaking in a public space outside their congregation. However, much of our preparation for ministry focuses on congregational speech but doesn't address how we speak in public spaces. Fortunately, Richard Voelz has produced a book that addresses this area of concern. It's a book that would have come in handy twenty-five years ago!
Richard Voelz's latest book, "From Pulpit to Public Square," attempts to connect what takes place in the pulpit with what happens in public spaces. There is much that translates, but not everything. But knowing how to be present in public and prepare for those opportunities is important. In this relatively brief book, Voelz brings to the conversation both his personal experience as a pastor and as a professor of homiletics. He draws on homiletical theory but also community organizing strategies, both faith-based and faith-rooted (on this, he points us to the excellent book by Alexia Salvatierra and Peter Heltzel, Faith-Rooted Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World.
Voelz organizes the book around six primary questions that speak to what he calls "public proclamation." He defines "public proclamation" in very specific terms, which he explores throughout the book. I believe this is an excellent definition:
"Public proclamation is communication that is intended for the public sphere, grounded in hope, and employing faith-rooted language, with the purpose of working toward strategic goals of offering witness amid trouble, uniting in solidarity, and/or working toward justice and healing." (p. 9).
He defines each of these elements in his introduction. With this definition in hand, he asks six fundamental questions that he explores in the six chapters of the book.
Chapter 1 addresses the various "Theologies for Public Proclamation." To address the question of theologies for (not of) public proclamation, he lifts up the question "When I engage in the work of public proclamation, what convictions fundamentally ground my doing so?" (p. 20). In other words, what is the theological foundation for what and how I speak in public? He points out three possible perspectives, though there are more. He offers a word of caution here when it comes to the desire to engage in prophetic speech. He suggests we put a pause on that because it carries a lot of baggage, which can lead to lone ranger syndrome.
In Chapter 2, titled "The Self in Public Proclamation," Voelz speaks to how a minister is present and communicates in public spaces. The question here concerns: "What is my place in the communicative situation? In answering the question, one starts with the extent to which they represent their faith communities. As a pastor, I represent myself, but I also represent my congregation and perhaps my denomination. So, when it comes to answering this question, Voelz offers three recommendations. 1) Know your theologies of ministries. 2) "Form deep relationships among the church community that can weather disagreement." In other words, stay rooted. 3) "Find and nurture supportive relationships within the congregation (especially in leadership roles) and beyond it." (p. 40). I will acknowledge that early on, I did not fully nurture some of those relationships, which undermined my ministry inside and outside the congregation. I think I learned my lesson, but this is wisdom I would have welcomed. He also talks here about forms of power and strategizing, all of which is very helpful.
The third chapter, "Understanding the Contexts and Strategic Goals of Public Proclamation." In this chapter, Voelz addresses two questions. First, "How do I understand what's going on here?" In other words, what do I know about the context to which I will speak? The second question has to do with shaping the message, whether it is fully scripted or not. Thus, the question here is "What is the strategic goal of our communicative situation?"Regarding context, he speaks of four frames: the ecological, the culture, the resources, and the process frames. He writes that "these four frames help give us a sense of the lay of the land in which public proclamation participates." (p. 66). The second question has to do with strategy, including goals, organizational considerations, constituents, allies, opponents, targets, and tactics. In other words, in this chapter, Voelz speaks to the steps in preparation to speak in public.
Now that we have a sense of the lay of the land and know what our goals and strategies involve, we can move to the next question. That question, explored in chapter 4, titled "Knowing What to Speak in the Public Square," is "What are the theological emphases needed for this communicative situation, what is it that I want to say, and how do I hope people will respond?" In this chapter, Voelz distinguishes between faith-based organizing and faith-rooted organizing. They might sound similar, and they are, but faith-rooted organizing is more firmly rooted not just in the church as an institution but in its theological foundations. That is, what is it that drives one's public proclamation? In this chapter, Voelz invites us to adapt and make use of preaching practices to facilitate our public proclamation.
After setting a general direction for our public proclamation, in Chapter 5, Voelz addresses "form and design." This chapter, titled "The Shape of Public Proclamation," seeks to answer the question: "What kind of rhetorical-communicative strategy will best help achieve the goal(s)?" In answering this question, Voelz suggests that there are crossovers from sermon preparation, such that the what and how of a sermon are interrelated. He shares a couple of homiletical forms that can aid in this process. The point here is a good one --- be aware of and take care of how we prepare for public proclamation.
The final chapter is titled "Dynamic Public Proclamation: Concretizing Devices, Lively Language, and Embodiment" (Chapter 6). Here, the question is the same as before: "What kind of rhetorical-communicative strategy will best help achieve the goal(s)? The difference here is that while the previous chapter focused on larger blocks of communication, in this chapter, he delves deeper with a focus on lively speech that makes one's proclamation concrete. He speaks to a great number of possible styles, resources, and more. That can lead to effective communication in public spaces.
In his conclusion, which he titles "Migratory Speech for Contentious Times and a Blessing for the Work," Voelz offers a word of encouragement to clergy to be present in public spaces. We may not be a William Barber, but we should not shy away from being present. The good news is that what takes place in congregational pulpits can be useful as we move into public spaces, even if the contexts and processes might be different.
Richard Voelz is a practical theologian and theological educator. He writes for his students and for those of us who have been at this work for many years. He offers us tips and resources, including exercises at the end of each chapter that allow us to look at our public proclamation. In his appendix, he offers a set of worksheets that can be of help in preparing to go into the public square. As I said earlier, I could have used this book earlier in my ministry. But there is still much to gain from it for long-time preachers like me. So, thank you, Richard Voelz, for writing "From Pulpit to Public Square."
I assume that most pastors will at some point find themselves speaking in a public space outside their congregation. However, much of our preparation for ministry focuses on congregational speech but doesn't address how we speak in public spaces. Fortunately, Richard Voelz has produced a book that addresses this area of concern. It's a book that would have come in handy twenty-five years ago!
Richard Voelz's latest book, "From Pulpit to Public Square," attempts to connect what takes place in the pulpit with what happens in public spaces. There is much that translates, but not everything. But knowing how to be present in public and prepare for those opportunities is important. In this relatively brief book, Voelz brings to the conversation both his personal experience as a pastor and as a professor of homiletics. He draws on homiletical theory but also community organizing strategies, both faith-based and faith-rooted (on this, he points us to the excellent book by Alexia Salvatierra and Peter Heltzel, Faith-Rooted Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World.
Voelz organizes the book around six primary questions that speak to what he calls "public proclamation." He defines "public proclamation" in very specific terms, which he explores throughout the book. I believe this is an excellent definition:
"Public proclamation is communication that is intended for the public sphere, grounded in hope, and employing faith-rooted language, with the purpose of working toward strategic goals of offering witness amid trouble, uniting in solidarity, and/or working toward justice and healing." (p. 9).
He defines each of these elements in his introduction. With this definition in hand, he asks six fundamental questions that he explores in the six chapters of the book.
Chapter 1 addresses the various "Theologies for Public Proclamation." To address the question of theologies for (not of) public proclamation, he lifts up the question "When I engage in the work of public proclamation, what convictions fundamentally ground my doing so?" (p. 20). In other words, what is the theological foundation for what and how I speak in public? He points out three possible perspectives, though there are more. He offers a word of caution here when it comes to the desire to engage in prophetic speech. He suggests we put a pause on that because it carries a lot of baggage, which can lead to lone ranger syndrome.
In Chapter 2, titled "The Self in Public Proclamation," Voelz speaks to how a minister is present and communicates in public spaces. The question here concerns: "What is my place in the communicative situation? In answering the question, one starts with the extent to which they represent their faith communities. As a pastor, I represent myself, but I also represent my congregation and perhaps my denomination. So, when it comes to answering this question, Voelz offers three recommendations. 1) Know your theologies of ministries. 2) "Form deep relationships among the church community that can weather disagreement." In other words, stay rooted. 3) "Find and nurture supportive relationships within the congregation (especially in leadership roles) and beyond it." (p. 40). I will acknowledge that early on, I did not fully nurture some of those relationships, which undermined my ministry inside and outside the congregation. I think I learned my lesson, but this is wisdom I would have welcomed. He also talks here about forms of power and strategizing, all of which is very helpful.
The third chapter, "Understanding the Contexts and Strategic Goals of Public Proclamation." In this chapter, Voelz addresses two questions. First, "How do I understand what's going on here?" In other words, what do I know about the context to which I will speak? The second question has to do with shaping the message, whether it is fully scripted or not. Thus, the question here is "What is the strategic goal of our communicative situation?"Regarding context, he speaks of four frames: the ecological, the culture, the resources, and the process frames. He writes that "these four frames help give us a sense of the lay of the land in which public proclamation participates." (p. 66). The second question has to do with strategy, including goals, organizational considerations, constituents, allies, opponents, targets, and tactics. In other words, in this chapter, Voelz speaks to the steps in preparation to speak in public.
Now that we have a sense of the lay of the land and know what our goals and strategies involve, we can move to the next question. That question, explored in chapter 4, titled "Knowing What to Speak in the Public Square," is "What are the theological emphases needed for this communicative situation, what is it that I want to say, and how do I hope people will respond?" In this chapter, Voelz distinguishes between faith-based organizing and faith-rooted organizing. They might sound similar, and they are, but faith-rooted organizing is more firmly rooted not just in the church as an institution but in its theological foundations. That is, what is it that drives one's public proclamation? In this chapter, Voelz invites us to adapt and make use of preaching practices to facilitate our public proclamation.
After setting a general direction for our public proclamation, in Chapter 5, Voelz addresses "form and design." This chapter, titled "The Shape of Public Proclamation," seeks to answer the question: "What kind of rhetorical-communicative strategy will best help achieve the goal(s)?" In answering this question, Voelz suggests that there are crossovers from sermon preparation, such that the what and how of a sermon are interrelated. He shares a couple of homiletical forms that can aid in this process. The point here is a good one --- be aware of and take care of how we prepare for public proclamation.
The final chapter is titled "Dynamic Public Proclamation: Concretizing Devices, Lively Language, and Embodiment" (Chapter 6). Here, the question is the same as before: "What kind of rhetorical-communicative strategy will best help achieve the goal(s)? The difference here is that while the previous chapter focused on larger blocks of communication, in this chapter, he delves deeper with a focus on lively speech that makes one's proclamation concrete. He speaks to a great number of possible styles, resources, and more. That can lead to effective communication in public spaces.
In his conclusion, which he titles "Migratory Speech for Contentious Times and a Blessing for the Work," Voelz offers a word of encouragement to clergy to be present in public spaces. We may not be a William Barber, but we should not shy away from being present. The good news is that what takes place in congregational pulpits can be useful as we move into public spaces, even if the contexts and processes might be different.
Richard Voelz is a practical theologian and theological educator. He writes for his students and for those of us who have been at this work for many years. He offers us tips and resources, including exercises at the end of each chapter that allow us to look at our public proclamation. In his appendix, he offers a set of worksheets that can be of help in preparing to go into the public square. As I said earlier, I could have used this book earlier in my ministry. But there is still much to gain from it for long-time preachers like me. So, thank you, Richard Voelz, for writing "From Pulpit to Public Square."
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