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The Joy of Preaching
A source of instruction and encouragement for all ministers of the gospel. Highly recommended by Warren W. Wiersbe.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 1989
About the author
Phillips Brooks
423 books26 followersPhillips Brooks (December 13, 1835 – January 23, 1893) was an American Episcopal clergyman and author, long the Rector of Boston's Trinity Church and briefly Bishop of Massachusetts, and particularly remembered as lyricist of the Christmas hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem".
In the Episcopal liturgical calendar he is remembered on January 23.
Born in Boston, Brooks was descended through his father, William Gray Brooks, from the Rev. John Cotton; through his mother, Mary Ann Phillips, he was a great-grandson of Samuel Phillips, Jr., founder of Phillips Academy (Andover, Massachusetts). Three of Brooks' five brothers – Frederic, Arthur and John Cotton – were eventually ordained in the Episcopal Church.
In 1877 Brooks published a course of lectures upon preaching, which he had delivered at the theological school of Yale University, and which are an expression of his own experience. In 1879 appeared the Bohlen Lectures on The Influence of Jesus. In 1878 he published his first volume of sermons, and from time to time issued other volumes, including Sermons Preached in English Churches (1883) and "The Candle of the Lord" and Other Sermons (1895).
Brooks also introduced Helen Keller to Christianity and to Anne Sullivan.
In the Episcopal liturgical calendar he is remembered on January 23.
Born in Boston, Brooks was descended through his father, William Gray Brooks, from the Rev. John Cotton; through his mother, Mary Ann Phillips, he was a great-grandson of Samuel Phillips, Jr., founder of Phillips Academy (Andover, Massachusetts). Three of Brooks' five brothers – Frederic, Arthur and John Cotton – were eventually ordained in the Episcopal Church.
In 1877 Brooks published a course of lectures upon preaching, which he had delivered at the theological school of Yale University, and which are an expression of his own experience. In 1879 appeared the Bohlen Lectures on The Influence of Jesus. In 1878 he published his first volume of sermons, and from time to time issued other volumes, including Sermons Preached in English Churches (1883) and "The Candle of the Lord" and Other Sermons (1895).
Brooks also introduced Helen Keller to Christianity and to Anne Sullivan.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 21, 2026
The Joy of Preaching could be summarized as follows: ideal preaching requires an all-round ability of the preacher to balance many scriptural qualities at once. The parts of this book were better than the whole. The first chapter covered the two elements of preaching, which were the truth and the personality of the preacher. Under the truth, he summarized briefly what truths we should preach, but he more thoroughly covered the danger we fall into when teaching the truth: mechanism and criticism. Under personality, he explained the import of preserving individuality and why utilizing the individual strengths that God has given you are most important than attempting to put on the ideal personality or set of traits. He discussed the purpose of preaching, which mainly constituted salvation. This section, while I agree that salvation is indeed the main point of preaching, I disagreed with his explanation of it. He gave a list of five potential options for what salvation was and then told the preacher to select. That is not so, and preaching is no preaching which selects its Gospel, or which does not have as its aim their preparation for eternity, either their justification or their sanctification.
He discussed qualities of the preacher, which included personal piety, unselfishness, hopefulness, and good health. However, the final qualification he listed was an intangible quality that he described as someone who we could call a “born preacher.” This quality I think I have seen in my father, and it is a remarkable description of something which is fundamental to being a preacher and yet is very difficult to describe. The section on the elements of personal power were interesting, the most helpful for me personally being the freedom from self-consciousness that should characterize the preacher. I find this to be a difficulty when I preach or speak to others. His section on the vitality of enjoying the work of the ministry was very important too. Too many pastors have so little joy that they struggle to serve the Lord adequately, or give up after years of discouragement. The section on self-conceit as a danger in the ministry is a cause for prayer in me, I am afraid that the last section on self-conceit and littleness may apply to me at times.
The preacher in his work explained the function of combining biblical preaching (and the study required to go into it) with pastoring, or knowing the sheep. He said that unless you remain very general, it is hard to make any fast rules. The principles he confines us to are giving the truth and being sympathetic. The people must see that you are frank, and share the facts as they are, but they must also see that you are loving. He speaks of the limits of leadership as well—we really only have authority when it comes to explaining the will of God in particular matters. He also discussed faithfulness, a topic which I found important, but a section in which I did not find too great insight.
He then continues with the idea of the sermon, where are the actual thinking and grounds of the sermon to be found. The most helpful sections were on the necessity of understandability in preaching and the infusion of personality into the sermon. It is vital that a sermon be understood. To try and preach, and have only imprecise ideas, or else complex ideas, explained in a boring fashion is a great error. He expounds on the negative results protruding from he termed “autobiographical preaching,” or preaching which has a constant flow of story and anecdotes from one’s life, which intrigues gossip and invites distractions, but does very little for the thrust of the message. He then give good ways of imparting personality in preaching, by tempering the experiential, by including a degree of frankness, and by imparting to the congregation one’s own life. He, furthermore, delivers some principles on doctrinal controversy, and dealing with current issues, and he recommends a good deal more involvement than I would. He argues that in a place and country where the ideas of so many are shaped by the ministers (which nowadays is no longer the case), there should often be preaching upon moral and social issues in society. I would not recommend this, but this, nevertheless, was a helpful chapter.
His chapter on the making of the sermon was a mixed chapter, with less good than I hoped for. I agreed with his section on education, although I believe there to be exceptions, especially in missions. His sections of the style, on the “Great Sermon” (as he called it), on being aware of your audience, on the dangers of imitations (both the positive danger and the negative), and on using illustrations, especially using the OT narratives and types to illustrate the New were helpful. However, I disagreed with his section on selecting the text. If the message is expositional and verse-by-verse, then the selection of the topic should be easy. His section on the idea of not tying one’s thoughts to a particular passage or confining one’s ideas to what can accurately be deduced by the grammar and intent of a passage is dangerous at best. He stated that the first 1200 years of church history saw preaching much like that, a fact I would very much enjoy seeing proof of because of our lack of historical documentation on the preaching of much of the centuries from the 500’s until the 1200’s. This tactic seems especially apt to lead one into eisegesis, and I would refrain from its adoption.
His section on the congregation was helpful, but it seemed to be tainted by unbiblical Episcopal ecclesiology. For example, his advice “have as few congregations as you can” is only an error if leaders have multiple assemblies under their guidance. His sections on the three types of attenders (the skeptic, the habitual attenders, and the seekers) were helpful, and I should hope to use that advice in talking to individuals. His assumptions about the Christian congregation explain why preachers err, because they either fail to treat the church as a growing coherent group, or they fail its positive and Christian nature, or neglect the fact that it is alert and questioning.
His chapter on the preacher for this present age is an often-neglected topic. Preachers many times either become unaware of or in cowardice refuse to deal with the errors and sins of the present generation. The biblical pastor must answer the particular assaults on the truth and on godly living that come in his age. His section on science said it perfectly: “The preacher must rely on the strength of what he does believe, and not on the weakness of what he does not believe.” Too many pastors address from a materialist standpoint the evidence presented them, or else adopt fully the conclusions of science, or else in fear shy away. None of these are the right recourse. His section on ignoring God as the first cause because we elevate His use of secondary causes too high is also a particularly dangerous idea. He also answers very effectively why there is so much biblical ignorance.
The section on the value of the human soul, why it at first seemed like an odd title, is actually one of the most important sections in the book. There is nothing more integral to understanding the nature of scriptural ministry, or the importance of biblical preaching than knowing the value of the human soul. Long after every other aspect of our life and ministry are gone, the souls we minister to will be there, and it is our particular duty to ensure we see them in glory. His section on the three errors that pastors fall into, of flippancy, flattery, and respect explained expertly why many pastors fail to have a scriptural ministry. Authoritarian pastors whose attitude is flippant and servile pastors whose attitude is flattering both have the same error in that they say what they think will bring them the most convenience, rather than what will honor God.
The appendix on the teaching of religion, in which he explained the four views taken of religion, and the synthesis of the best three (legalism, experientialism, and revivalism) that should be applied in preaching was very convicting. Overall, this book was an eight out of ten. I would not put it in the highest 10 books on the ministry, but it did certainly have some insightful truths, and helpful reminders that many pastors would do well to adopt and implement.
He discussed qualities of the preacher, which included personal piety, unselfishness, hopefulness, and good health. However, the final qualification he listed was an intangible quality that he described as someone who we could call a “born preacher.” This quality I think I have seen in my father, and it is a remarkable description of something which is fundamental to being a preacher and yet is very difficult to describe. The section on the elements of personal power were interesting, the most helpful for me personally being the freedom from self-consciousness that should characterize the preacher. I find this to be a difficulty when I preach or speak to others. His section on the vitality of enjoying the work of the ministry was very important too. Too many pastors have so little joy that they struggle to serve the Lord adequately, or give up after years of discouragement. The section on self-conceit as a danger in the ministry is a cause for prayer in me, I am afraid that the last section on self-conceit and littleness may apply to me at times.
The preacher in his work explained the function of combining biblical preaching (and the study required to go into it) with pastoring, or knowing the sheep. He said that unless you remain very general, it is hard to make any fast rules. The principles he confines us to are giving the truth and being sympathetic. The people must see that you are frank, and share the facts as they are, but they must also see that you are loving. He speaks of the limits of leadership as well—we really only have authority when it comes to explaining the will of God in particular matters. He also discussed faithfulness, a topic which I found important, but a section in which I did not find too great insight.
He then continues with the idea of the sermon, where are the actual thinking and grounds of the sermon to be found. The most helpful sections were on the necessity of understandability in preaching and the infusion of personality into the sermon. It is vital that a sermon be understood. To try and preach, and have only imprecise ideas, or else complex ideas, explained in a boring fashion is a great error. He expounds on the negative results protruding from he termed “autobiographical preaching,” or preaching which has a constant flow of story and anecdotes from one’s life, which intrigues gossip and invites distractions, but does very little for the thrust of the message. He then give good ways of imparting personality in preaching, by tempering the experiential, by including a degree of frankness, and by imparting to the congregation one’s own life. He, furthermore, delivers some principles on doctrinal controversy, and dealing with current issues, and he recommends a good deal more involvement than I would. He argues that in a place and country where the ideas of so many are shaped by the ministers (which nowadays is no longer the case), there should often be preaching upon moral and social issues in society. I would not recommend this, but this, nevertheless, was a helpful chapter.
His chapter on the making of the sermon was a mixed chapter, with less good than I hoped for. I agreed with his section on education, although I believe there to be exceptions, especially in missions. His sections of the style, on the “Great Sermon” (as he called it), on being aware of your audience, on the dangers of imitations (both the positive danger and the negative), and on using illustrations, especially using the OT narratives and types to illustrate the New were helpful. However, I disagreed with his section on selecting the text. If the message is expositional and verse-by-verse, then the selection of the topic should be easy. His section on the idea of not tying one’s thoughts to a particular passage or confining one’s ideas to what can accurately be deduced by the grammar and intent of a passage is dangerous at best. He stated that the first 1200 years of church history saw preaching much like that, a fact I would very much enjoy seeing proof of because of our lack of historical documentation on the preaching of much of the centuries from the 500’s until the 1200’s. This tactic seems especially apt to lead one into eisegesis, and I would refrain from its adoption.
His section on the congregation was helpful, but it seemed to be tainted by unbiblical Episcopal ecclesiology. For example, his advice “have as few congregations as you can” is only an error if leaders have multiple assemblies under their guidance. His sections on the three types of attenders (the skeptic, the habitual attenders, and the seekers) were helpful, and I should hope to use that advice in talking to individuals. His assumptions about the Christian congregation explain why preachers err, because they either fail to treat the church as a growing coherent group, or they fail its positive and Christian nature, or neglect the fact that it is alert and questioning.
His chapter on the preacher for this present age is an often-neglected topic. Preachers many times either become unaware of or in cowardice refuse to deal with the errors and sins of the present generation. The biblical pastor must answer the particular assaults on the truth and on godly living that come in his age. His section on science said it perfectly: “The preacher must rely on the strength of what he does believe, and not on the weakness of what he does not believe.” Too many pastors address from a materialist standpoint the evidence presented them, or else adopt fully the conclusions of science, or else in fear shy away. None of these are the right recourse. His section on ignoring God as the first cause because we elevate His use of secondary causes too high is also a particularly dangerous idea. He also answers very effectively why there is so much biblical ignorance.
The section on the value of the human soul, why it at first seemed like an odd title, is actually one of the most important sections in the book. There is nothing more integral to understanding the nature of scriptural ministry, or the importance of biblical preaching than knowing the value of the human soul. Long after every other aspect of our life and ministry are gone, the souls we minister to will be there, and it is our particular duty to ensure we see them in glory. His section on the three errors that pastors fall into, of flippancy, flattery, and respect explained expertly why many pastors fail to have a scriptural ministry. Authoritarian pastors whose attitude is flippant and servile pastors whose attitude is flattering both have the same error in that they say what they think will bring them the most convenience, rather than what will honor God.
The appendix on the teaching of religion, in which he explained the four views taken of religion, and the synthesis of the best three (legalism, experientialism, and revivalism) that should be applied in preaching was very convicting. Overall, this book was an eight out of ten. I would not put it in the highest 10 books on the ministry, but it did certainly have some insightful truths, and helpful reminders that many pastors would do well to adopt and implement.
March 18, 2022
It's probably been too long since I've read a book-length treatment of preaching. There are probably too many blog posts about it these days, and while they are fine, they are not always as well vetted. It compares to the productivity bloggers who write up their *exhaustive* thoughts after one whole week trying a new system/app.
Brooks' book comes from lectures he gave at Yale University (in 1877) after almost twenty years of preaching. While I don't think he and I would be doctrinal twins, I certainly appreciated his homiletical observations.
For what it's worth, Brooks wrote "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and was a contemporary of the well-known evangelist, D. L. Moody (from whom my father-in-law and brother-in-law were named).
Here are just two of my (many) underlined quotes, both tagged in my system as #emergency for when I need some vocational encouragement:
> “And so the first business of the preacher is to conquer the tyranny of his moods, and to be always ready for his work.” (p. 63)
And:
> “A man’s first wonder when he begins to preach is that people do not come to hear him. After a while, if he is good for anything, he begins to wonder that they do” (p. 60)
Brooks' book comes from lectures he gave at Yale University (in 1877) after almost twenty years of preaching. While I don't think he and I would be doctrinal twins, I certainly appreciated his homiletical observations.
For what it's worth, Brooks wrote "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and was a contemporary of the well-known evangelist, D. L. Moody (from whom my father-in-law and brother-in-law were named).
Here are just two of my (many) underlined quotes, both tagged in my system as #emergency for when I need some vocational encouragement:
> “And so the first business of the preacher is to conquer the tyranny of his moods, and to be always ready for his work.” (p. 63)
And:
> “A man’s first wonder when he begins to preach is that people do not come to hear him. After a while, if he is good for anything, he begins to wonder that they do” (p. 60)
October 28, 2025
This is one of the books that most engaged me this year. Brooks is such a poetic pastor and a magnanimous man, The Joy Of Preaching both refreshes and challenges, it exhorts to faithfulness in the ministry and glories in the work. So many golden nuggets of wisdom spread across each page for young and old preachers alike.
"Truth through personality" is Brooks' definition of preaching, and the rest of the book essentially unpacks that, particularly the "personality" point, which is his great contribution to the subject. The doctrine that undergirds Brooks' whole idea is in the incarnation. Just as the Lord came as a "whole person" human, so we in our whole person must also come to the work of preaching. And just as the Scriptures were truly human and truly divine, so we must also approach preaching as true humans. The whole preparation of the preacher, therefore, is not merely head education or emotionalism or legalism, but the making of a man in all his parts, opening his heart to God and to those around him.
I highly recommend for any preacher or minister of the Word.
"Truth through personality" is Brooks' definition of preaching, and the rest of the book essentially unpacks that, particularly the "personality" point, which is his great contribution to the subject. The doctrine that undergirds Brooks' whole idea is in the incarnation. Just as the Lord came as a "whole person" human, so we in our whole person must also come to the work of preaching. And just as the Scriptures were truly human and truly divine, so we must also approach preaching as true humans. The whole preparation of the preacher, therefore, is not merely head education or emotionalism or legalism, but the making of a man in all his parts, opening his heart to God and to those around him.
I highly recommend for any preacher or minister of the Word.
January 2, 2019
An excellent work on the preacher and preaching. A necessary read for any who wish to do the work of ministry well.
March 22, 2020
Startling insights offered in clear, well-organized writing. Occasionally long-winded, but a gem, for sure! (PS. you don't have to be a preacher to appreciate this book!)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews