The Homiletical Plot: The Sermon As Narrative Art Form

by Eugene L. Lowry

"Full of ideas and clear in style. Gathers the basic raw material for a sermon in a lively way. A fresh new look that listeners and preachers are wanting desperately".----Dr. Fred B. Craddock Emory University.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian, Church, Religion, Leadership

100 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1980

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I made it out of seminary without reading this text, but it has unmade my entire sermon writing process. Which is a good thing.

The opening chapter and the closing 2 should be printed out and given to every preacher in America.

[Rob Duford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a preaching book unlike others, and was so refreshing. For two decades now I've chosen to prepare and present my sermons in story-telling format. That is to say I do not prepare or present my material as an outline with sub-points, transition statements, and filler illustrations. Instead I focused on a plot and attempted to take my listener on a journey that ultimately led them to Jesus.

You can imagine how refreshing it was to read a book where your actual style was put into words. I didn't even know that existed. In addition, Lowry opened my eyes to several new approaches and gaping holes in my own work.

This is a short read, but a powerful one.

[Nick Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lowry was the first homiletics teacher I ever heard, sometime in high school, when I knew I wanted to go to seminary, and I knew I was interested in (at the time, others’) preaching. That was in perhaps 2000. Finally, now almost ten years out of seminary (Duke with Richard Lischer for preaching, for those who care) I’ve read what is supposedly a classic. It’s a very simple idea, an essay’s worth of content really. It would be a great essay, but at this length it overworks and oversells one approach to a sermon over against many other good approaches. Might it be that reading it now, I miss its groundbreaking newness back in 1980? At any rate, worth being familiar with, and an approach that is now affecting my own, but not a great book overall.

[Natalie Herr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book and preaching/teaching that turns the 3 point sermon on its head. People are compelled by storytelling and curiosity, and this method taps into those things. A quick read that might change your teaching/communication style forever!

[Gage Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only picked this book up because the Foreword was by Fred Craddock, my fav preacher, but it was a real good read.

I always struggle to visualize how to apply preaching outlines so instead of making a hard shift in my writing style, I would rather focus on a few principles that stuck out to me:

Sermons as an art form, the importance of suspense and ambiguity before pointing to the Gospel, and intentionality to diagnose sin or hurt before prescribing a solution.

[Joey Sparks]

I might re-read this one but with a physical copy next time.

On listen, it’s not really what I was expecting based on who’d recommended it.

Most preaching books try their best to stand out as different from everyone else’s, but feels like they end up being more like them than they intend.

Once I realized he was using a deductive/traditional structure to write this book, it was humorous and I struggled to focus. That’s probably not the most fair on my part.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW. Ok so how? how do I pull this off. Call me lazy or unimaginative, but I would have adored about 17 more examples for each sermonic stage. Or if the scattered examples were pulled together into one sermon in an appendix? Still, this is excellent. 👌🏼

[Russell Sigler · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very interesting concept, especially when compared to the typical sermons you hear in the Bible Church/Non-Denom/Reformed worlds. At the end of the day, this book was written in the 1980's so it spends a lot of time addressing old problems (or problems reserved for the dying mainline churches).

5/5 stars to the purple bag skittles I was eating while finishing this book though.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the ministers where I go to church gave me this book as a read on the art of preparing sermons. It discussed the fact that the three point sermon with the tell them what you're going to tell them, tell them, tell them what you told them wasn't what people needed to hear. It discussed a narrative form that took 5 steps:
- Upsetting the equilibrium
- Analyzing the discrepancy
- Disclosing the clue to resolution
- Experiencing the gospel
- Anticipating the consequences
There were quite a few examples - maybe too many. He closes with some tips on story telling:
- Attend to every "insignificant" line
- Look between the lines
- Catch every encounter
- Bring data from your own experience
- Move behind behavior to motive
- Move behind facts to prior dynamics
- Utilize the senses
- Switch identification
- Utilize active grammar
- Break into first and second person singular form - this reference How does a Poem Mean? by Ciardi and Williams which I've had recommended to me - might be time to read it
- Move from the subjective to the objective
- Set the stage (foreshadowing)

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of a handbook of key books in understanding the New Homiletic.

Lowry’s work puts in words what most preachers know intuitively, that great preaching moves fro specific to general. His understanding of plot and the movement is easily understood with a Lutheran Law/Gospel dialectic, and I think can help Lutheran preachers bring a freshness to their preaching that is a long time coming.

[Evan Hoekzema · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book when it comes to considering your communication approach. That preaching is not just communicating information, but an event that plays out more like a story. Lowry emphasizes the continuity from start to finish with a simple approach for engaging your audience and taking them with you along each preaching journey. Definitely worth the read!

[Wim Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Studieboek (predikkunde) na paar jaar praktijkervaring herlezen. Blijft een geweldige methode. L. heeft humor en is ‘to the point’. Ik weet nog steeds niet waar de exegese precies ‘werkt’ binnen deze aanvliegroute, maar dat is voor L. wellicht een vanzelfsprekend onderdeel van het voorwerk.
Dit zijn zeven kernideeën:

i) L. begint met een kritische analyse van de klassieke, vaak deductieve preekstructuur (stelling - drie punten - conclusie). Hij betoogt dat deze vorm de hoorder passief kan maken en de spanning en dynamiek van de bijbelse boodschap kan ondermijnen. De hoorder weet vaak al vanaf het begin waar de preek naartoe gaat, wat de betrokkenheid vermindert.

ii) Het centrale argument van L. is dat een preek effectiever is als deze de vorm van een verhaal of plot aanneemt. Dit betekent niet noodzakelijk dat elke preek een verhalende preek (storytelling sermon) moet zijn, maar dat de structuur van de preek een narratieve dynamiek moet hebben die leidt tot een ‘aha!’-moment bij de hoorder. Het ‘hoe’ is belangrijk, omdat de hoorder vaak al weet hoe het afloopt.

iii) De ‘Lowry Loop’ heeft deze structuur:
Fase 1: Oops (Upsetting the Equilibrium / De Balans Verstoren): De preek begint met het introduceren van een conflict, een probleem, een spanning, of een alledaagse observatie die niet helemaal klopt of die vragen oproept. Dit trekt de aandacht van de hoorder en creëert een ‘jeuk’ – een gevoel dat er iets opgelost of verklaard moet worden.
Fase 2: Ugh (Analyzing the Discrepancy / De Discrepantie Analyseren): In deze fase wordt de spanning of het probleem verder uitgediept. De hoorder wordt geconfronteerd met de complexiteit en de moeilijkheid van de situatie. De ‘jeuk’ wordt intenser. L. benadrukt dat de prediker hier de neiging moet weerstaan om de oplossing te snel te geven. Hier verdieping aanbrengen (psychologisch, antropologisch, sociologisch, theologisch)!
Fase 3: Aha (Disclosing the Clue to Resolution / De Sleutel tot Oplossing Onthullen): Dit is het keerpunt van de preek. Een inzicht, vaak vanuit de bijbeltekst, wordt geïntroduceerd dat een nieuwe kijk op het probleem biedt en de weg naar een oplossing opent. Dit is het moment van openbaring, de ‘aha-erlebnis’.
Fase 4: Whee (Experiencing the Gospel / Het Evangelie Ervaren): Na het ‘aha’-moment ervaart de hoorder de opluchting en de vreugde van de oplossing of het goede nieuws (het Evangelie). De implicaties van het nieuwe inzicht worden duidelijk en voelbaar.
Fase 5: Yeah (Anticipating the Consequences / Anticiperen op de Consequenties): De preek sluit af met een blik op hoe dit nieuwe inzicht of deze ervaring van het Evangelie doorwerkt in het dagelijks leven. Het gaat om de toepassing en de uitdaging om vanuit dit nieuwe perspectief te leven.

iv) De Lowry Loop is inherent inductief. In plaats van te beginnen met een algemene waarheid en deze toe te passen, begint de preek met een specifieke ervaring of probleem en leidt de hoorder naar een ontdekking van de bijbelse boodschap. De hoorders worden zo actieve deelnemers in het proces van betekenisgeving.

v) Door de preek als een zich ontvouwend plot te structureren, wil L. de betrokkenheid van de hoorder maximaliseren. De spanning en nieuwsgierigheid houden de aandacht vast, en het ‘aha’-moment zorgt voor een diepere impact en herinnering.

vi) De prediker is niet zozeer een leraar die kennis overdraagt, maar meer een gids die de hoorders meeneemt op een ontdekkingsreis. Het vereist van de prediker dat hij/zij de ‘plot’ zorgvuldig construeert en de spanning weet vast te houden.

vii) L. ziet deze narratieve benadering niet als een loutere techniek, maar als een manier van preken die diep geworteld is in de manier waarop God zich openbaart – vaak door verhalen, gebeurtenissen en de ervaring van het volk Israël en de vroege kerk. Hij keert zich zowel tegen een te sterke Barthiaanse werkwijze als een al te makkelijk opkomen van God uit menselijke ervaringen.

[Sam Creagar · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I am claiming here that the gospel is not a push from the back side of our lives into goodness but a release from the inevitability of doing evil. The proclamation of the gospel must be other than a weekly “guilt trip” placed on our parishioners. The awfulness of human guilt needs redemption, not a lecture. The preached Word makes possible the redemption into new life by its announcement of what God has done and is doing. Sermonically, this means that the central issue is the proclamation of that good news.”

Lowry’s hope in The Homiletical Plot is to encourage preachers and teachers to lean into the storytelling power of Scripture. To let things like tension, ambiguity, gospel-inspired reversals do the work of capturing attention and stirring imagination. A sermon doesn’t need to be a lecture. It can be a story, guide a listener through a plot, and come out at the end with an opportunity for our future to be changed not by our own power, but by the power of the Gospel rightly recognized, celebrated, and applied. The sermon’s greatest moment is when the preacher can make the ambiguity, felt needs, and desperation of the listener intersect with the Gospel of Christ. The power of our faith is in what He has done, not in what we strive to do. Actions that flow form that recognition are sure to fill us with more hope and a greater capacity to live like Christ: caring for all and sharing the truth that the same love that forgave and transformed us can forgive and transform others too.

Lowry’s book is obviously not going to appeal to everyone. But for all my preaching and teaching friends, I’d highly recommend giving it a read. It’s brief, to the point, and might breathe some fresh air into your sermon prep and delivery.

[Casey Blackbird · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot of good here. I’ve often thought about my intro to preaching class as a “here’s the basic process by which you can crank out a sermon,” which then must be enriched through broader engagement. This book is a great “broadening agent.”
His presentation can be a bit idiosyncratic at times, reflecting some of the common themes you see in other scholars who heavily study the parables. Like other advocates of the new homiletic, his criticism of the old homiletic often feels arbitrary—deductive structures can be, and often are, just as engaging; whether a structure/plot is horizontal or vertical is arbitrary, etc.
Not surprisingly (it was written in the 80s), the literary criticism is dated, but also limited. The how-catch-em form of detective fiction that he cites (eg Columbo) can actually reinforce an argument for the old homiletic: “Giving it all away at the start” does not necessarily negate attention-holding ambiguity.
Again, helpful. I’m implementing aspects of this form into my preaching even now.

[Garrett Bagwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this short, yet compelling read, Lowry advocates for a kind of preaching radically different from what this reader was taught in seminary. He is compelled to see preaching not simply as the conveyance of information but as the invitation to an experience. Lowry gives language to the sometimes ethereal concept of a narrative arc in communication. He parses the subtle and crucial distinction between “narrative” preaching and “telling stories,” even going so far as to delineate between “telling stories” and “storytelling.” A great book for new and aspiring preachers as well as seasoned veterans.

“Preaching is more than a faithful witness, more than a topical report, more than a moral lesson, more than an exposition of a text. It should be an event-in-time that intends a divine-human meeting in the context of corporate worship,” (Lowry, 122).

[Evan Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Lowry's call for an understanding of the sermon as a narrative art, is deeply grounded in the 1970's world he wrote it in, but somehow saliently timeless. Kudos for crafting a book stuffed with examples and references mostly forgotten by time that continues to carry the helpfulness and clarity of a modern classic.

Lowry will challenge you to think through common sermon tropes we all assume are necessary or disdain but fall into anyway. His commentary on opening by upsetting the equilibrium of the hearer was especially clear and helpful. I also appreciate his moderating spirit between liberal and conservative preaching instincts, as well as his balance between imagination and exegetical excellence.

A great read. One that will be on my mind for the rest of time as I craft sermons and presentations of any kind. I recommend this to anyone who preaches or presents in long form.

[Izzy Markle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pro to this book is that it thinks outside the regular construction and segmentation of traditional sermon structure (keyword, 3 point, McDill) and stresses the need for flow and building tension, and narrative arc. So some helpful tools on being more engaging.

Con is that, like much of the new homiletic, gives a lot (and perhaps too much) freedom to the speaker to wander from the text, or at least stay from a full and accurate exposition of the text, and to assume or impose narrative elements when they aren’t present.

My conclusion, takes the methods and implement them, but always while being tethered to text and it’s intended meaning and genre.

[Miguel Gonzalez-Feliciano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having only briefly touched on the Lowry loop in my seminary homiletics class, this work was immensely helpful and fleshing out and correcting some of my misconceptions. I can appreciate the way that Lowry gets towards narrative preaching, but have some questions about his distinction between narrativity and a sermon and narrative preaching as a whole. A worthwhile read for any preacher seeking to expand their style and techniques. Towards the end of the book, Lowry provides some helpful techniques for reading scripture and generating a sermon with some new insights, I found this section to be particularly helpful beyond just better understanding the Lowry Loop.

[Jesse Ludema · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic. Strongly recommend to every preacher. The thing that sticks with me most about this book is the necessity of moving from tension to resolve in any sermon- itch to scratch- problem to solution. This single concept occupies the majority of the book, but it is worth it. It has also motivated me to be a better storyteller, or rather, thinking of the way my sermons can be a narrative, rather than logical discourses. I anticipate this being a book that will creep into my mind every time my pen hits the paper for sermon prep.

[Porter Sprigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m all about storytelling so this book was right up my alley. The theory here is so great and I love the anticipation and engagement Lowry talks about building for your congregation. Having said that, the book had no clear examples of a sermon utilizing this technique in full. It would have been more effective of a book if it had at least one example sermon, highlighting how the form is to be developed.

[Stephen G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, concise, accessible book on preaching. Lowry makes the case that good preaching is telling a story rather than constructing a building. He emphasizes the need to utilize suspense/intrigue and preach inductively rather than deductively. He codifies the approach in an easy-to-follow yet effective process and has clever, memorable sounds for each stage. I highly recommend this book for any preacher.

[Dan Lupo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most influential books on preaching I’ve read. Lowry seeks to change the very design of how we think about sermons. While I have some gripes on the specifics of the structure sometimes, what was most impactful was his perspective on tension and relief in sermons. The Homiletical Plot is a very quick and easy recommendation from me for anyone who has a bit of preaching experience under their belt.

[Joshua Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas, but I think the author is far too dogmatic about his approach, and I think he has a really good approach. Even though I tend to lean towards narrative preaching, I can’t deny the impact and power from preaching that is not based on this approach. I definitely think the author is a little too critical of other approaches. I believe he can think his way is the best without constantly taking potshots at those with different processes especially when they preach the same gospel.

[Paul Herriott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books on preaching are a delicate task, make them too formulaic and the art is lost, make them too airy and the content will be absent. Lowry does a fine job of allowing this book to begin, cover, and end where it should. Allowing the idea of narrative to encompass the sermon, creates a ambiguity that entices the listener.

[David Bruyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

What began as a very promising thesis steadily dissolved into a welter of liberal cliches. The irony is not small that a book about retaining interest through the suspense of narrative form should dissipate its force steadily as the book goes on. This is a thesis that needs to be taken up by a staunchly evangelical author, committed to expository preaching.

[Adam Bloch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read almost as many words about this book in another volume (a much longer book that discussed several different preaching styles) and I liked the idea then, but this is the original book (even in an updated edition, they kept the wording of the body of the book the same). It has lots of great reminders for preachers, even if they don't adapt this style as their routine method.

[Caleb White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too many sermons are predictable and the audience can write the rest of it after the first few sentences. This book teaches us how to create interest and tell the story of the good news much in the way that Jesus did through his parables. It’s been helpful to me in understanding how to craft a sermon to better show the good news of Jesus and help people hunger for it.

[Micah Natal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some helpful tools on being more engaging in preaching. The author advocated for flow, the building of tension and narrative arc which was unique. However, it was unhelpful because the author gives too much freedom to the speaker to wander from the text. Which diminishes proper exposition of the text and imposes narrative elements when they aren't present.

[Cameron Barham]

“We need to form a new image of the sermon—one that is congruent with our best preaching. Truth is, to continue our example, a sermon is not a doctrinal lecture. It is an event-in-time, a narrative art form more akin to a play or novel in shape than to a book. Hence we are not engineering scientists; we are narrative artists by professional function.”, p. xx

[Will Dole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have strong disagreements with some core assumptions of this book. But it was well-written.

Lowry’s emphasis on how a sermon moves, and attending to that movement with a focus on narrative form, made it well-worth the time thinking, arguing, and interacting him. I wouldn’t necessarily hand it to a beginning preacher, but I’d definitely recommend it to practicing preachers.