What do you think?
Rate this book
The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition: Preaching the Literary Artistry and Genres of the Bible
The Sacred Duty and Delight of Handling the Word of God
In order to understand, appreciate, and faithfully preach the word of God, pastors must discern the literary nature of the Bible. Instead of just acknowledging the various genres of Scripture, pastors and teachers should allow these genres to influence how the text is approached and communicated. In The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition, they will learn how to both read and preach the Bible as a literary anthology.
To accomplish this, Douglas Sean O'Donnell and Leland Ryken teach pastors how to faithfully preach while keeping the original authors' intentions in mind, helping them grow in their craft and love for God's word. They explain how to read 6 genres--including narratives, parables, epistles, poetry, proverbs, and visionary writings--for the purpose of captivating congregations with the richness of Scripture.
Written for Pastors: Especially young pastors or those just out of seminary Practical: Contains guides, tables, and examples to help develop sermons Heartfelt: Written with the desire for pastors to learn and grow as communicators
In order to understand, appreciate, and faithfully preach the word of God, pastors must discern the literary nature of the Bible. Instead of just acknowledging the various genres of Scripture, pastors and teachers should allow these genres to influence how the text is approached and communicated. In The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition, they will learn how to both read and preach the Bible as a literary anthology.
To accomplish this, Douglas Sean O'Donnell and Leland Ryken teach pastors how to faithfully preach while keeping the original authors' intentions in mind, helping them grow in their craft and love for God's word. They explain how to read 6 genres--including narratives, parables, epistles, poetry, proverbs, and visionary writings--for the purpose of captivating congregations with the richness of Scripture.
Written for Pastors: Especially young pastors or those just out of seminary Practical: Contains guides, tables, and examples to help develop sermons Heartfelt: Written with the desire for pastors to learn and grow as communicators
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 11, 2022
18 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Sean O'Donnell
41 books15 followersDoug O'Donnell is the Senior VP of Bible Publishing at Crossway Books. He has authored or edited over a dozen books, including commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew, the Song of Songs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and 1-3 John. He earned his PhD from the University of Aberdeen.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 7, 2025
This is a wonderful resource. I will return to it regularly for fresh ideas about how to approach and communicate from different genres of Scripture. Practical tools and insights fill every chapter.
What attracted me to this initially was Douglas Sean O’Donnell. He authored my favorite commentary on Ecclesiastes. What I didn’t realize is how ideologically close O’Donnell is with the leaders of Simeon Trust, and its British equivalent, Proclamation Trust. Helpfully, the work is filled with the same hermeneutical underpinnings and concerns that animate those training programs.
I also found myself disagreeing at the same points as I would with others in our circles of reformed Christianity that would doggedly hold to the necessity of preaching certain literarily-determined pericope lengths, that would demand the main point of the sermon always be the main point of the argument of that pericope, and that consecutive exposition through whole books of Scripture is the only faithful way to approach the preaching task. I don’t think that this theology of preaching is theological enough in that it often disallows progression from biblical theology into systematic exposition of how even the discreet statements—particular words or short phrases embedded within larger movements of thought but ancillary to their main point—all comprise God’s perfect deposit of self-disclosure meant to guide us into the knowledge of himself and all things in relation to himself, all of which ought to be fair game for canonically constrained exposition. To anathematize the preaching of Spurgeon, Ryle, and most of the Puritans would be anathematized in our circles, but certain instincts in their approach (O’Donnell and Proc Trust) place such preaching outside the bounds of faithfulness.
I am still wrestling through how to articulate the methodological differences I have with some of their claims. For that, this work is a great conversation partner.
What attracted me to this initially was Douglas Sean O’Donnell. He authored my favorite commentary on Ecclesiastes. What I didn’t realize is how ideologically close O’Donnell is with the leaders of Simeon Trust, and its British equivalent, Proclamation Trust. Helpfully, the work is filled with the same hermeneutical underpinnings and concerns that animate those training programs.
I also found myself disagreeing at the same points as I would with others in our circles of reformed Christianity that would doggedly hold to the necessity of preaching certain literarily-determined pericope lengths, that would demand the main point of the sermon always be the main point of the argument of that pericope, and that consecutive exposition through whole books of Scripture is the only faithful way to approach the preaching task. I don’t think that this theology of preaching is theological enough in that it often disallows progression from biblical theology into systematic exposition of how even the discreet statements—particular words or short phrases embedded within larger movements of thought but ancillary to their main point—all comprise God’s perfect deposit of self-disclosure meant to guide us into the knowledge of himself and all things in relation to himself, all of which ought to be fair game for canonically constrained exposition. To anathematize the preaching of Spurgeon, Ryle, and most of the Puritans would be anathematized in our circles, but certain instincts in their approach (O’Donnell and Proc Trust) place such preaching outside the bounds of faithfulness.
I am still wrestling through how to articulate the methodological differences I have with some of their claims. For that, this work is a great conversation partner.
January 28, 2024
While many preaching books strike the same chords and review the same material, O'Donnell has contributed something that is both unique and needed in the evangelical preaching space: a literary approach to the Bible. By surveying the various genres of Scripture, O'Donnell offers some excellent tools for preaching all of God's word. The outline of the book was easy to read, and each genre that is covered will include tools for the study and the pulpit. O'Donnel, doesn't waste any words in this book and I found it particularly helpful in understanding the more difficult genres of Scripture such as visionary writing and poetry. I hope this book makes its way into the seminary classes because the beauty of the literature of the Bible can be easily overlooked. In an age where so many people are craving meaning and purpose in life, preaching the literary artistry of the Bible may be the means that God uses to powerfully transform this generation. This book is a must-read for all current and aspiring preachers.
December 11, 2024
Beautiful listen via audiobook. Artistic rhetoric, helpful content, great ideas for preaching and preparing sermons. Well worth reading for the preacher/pastor.
April 17, 2024
I listened to this book (free on Spotify!) in conjunction with Ryken’s “Words of Delight” and Kristie Anyabwile’s “Literarily” to teach a class on biblical genres at my church. The book worked well with the other two but I think if I had used it on its own I would have been left with a few gaps. I’m obviously not a preacher but O’Donnell and Ryken’s instructions serve well for a layperson as well. A good read for the right person, but I’d advise comparing and contrasting with other works on the topic. I probably would have gotten more out of it if I’d read a physical copy rather than listening, too.
November 28, 2022
My Rating: Put it on your list
Level: Easy read, some Biblical knowledge needed; moderate length (under 300)
Summary
As the subtitle indicates, the book is about preaching the genres of the Bible. It is written to pastors, but I think anyone leading a Bible study, or interested in getting a better understanding of genres can benefit. The book is broken into six chapters - The Greatest Story Ever Told (Preaching Narrative), Let Him Who Has Ears Hear (Preaching Parables), Love Letters (Preaching Epistles), The Beauty of Simple (Preaching Poetry), Words of Wisdom (Preaching Proverbs), And I Saw (Preaching Visionary Writings). Each chapter is broken into two parts, reading and preaching. Additionally, each chapter ends with resources for deeper dives into the genre. There is also an introduction and a conclusion.
My Thoughts
This book is a great introduction to the genres (broadly defined) of the Bible. While it is geared toward preachers, with additional notes about preaching and parts of sermons in various chapters, it is still a helpful book for any Bible teachers or anyone interested in a better understand of the Bible. If you haven't been exposed to literary aspects or genres of the Bible, this will help you read it well, and I think the book could also be used by itself as part of a study for a community group. People are generally familiar with narrative, you've probably heard a sermon/teaching on parables, but most people have not had much introduction to proverbs or visionary wittings, and certainly not much about poetry. The poetry chapter alone is probably worth the price of the book.
The author does a good job of not being too narrow (explaining how much poetry is throughout the Bible, and looking into proverbs that aren't just the book of Proverbs). This is especially true in the visionary writings chapter, while heavy on Revelation, the chapter didn't focus on it only. The split of each chapter on reading, then preaching is valuable. The first part offers a great intro to the genre, with the second part being on preaching (or teaching).
In some ways, it was odd that this is written for preaching, as I would expect most preachers/pastors to have learned these structures in seminary or somewhere else before preaching. That said, I think it is great that genre is getting some publicity, and it's focus is getting to more people, especially those interested in teaching. Too many errors in interpreting various verses/chapters in the Bible come from not having even a basic understanding of literature.
Overall, the book is valuable and a good place to start for those wanting to learn more about writings of the Bible, the end of each chapter gives additional resources (books) you can look into to expand your understanding. For those who aren't preachers, it is still a book to add to your list. I'm not sure you'll find a better intro to genres of the Bible. O'Donnell has a bit of a 'preaching' stick that gets a little long/redundant, but most points are still applicable to regular teachers and Bible study leaders.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. More reviews at MondayMorningTheologian.com
Level: Easy read, some Biblical knowledge needed; moderate length (under 300)
Summary
As the subtitle indicates, the book is about preaching the genres of the Bible. It is written to pastors, but I think anyone leading a Bible study, or interested in getting a better understanding of genres can benefit. The book is broken into six chapters - The Greatest Story Ever Told (Preaching Narrative), Let Him Who Has Ears Hear (Preaching Parables), Love Letters (Preaching Epistles), The Beauty of Simple (Preaching Poetry), Words of Wisdom (Preaching Proverbs), And I Saw (Preaching Visionary Writings). Each chapter is broken into two parts, reading and preaching. Additionally, each chapter ends with resources for deeper dives into the genre. There is also an introduction and a conclusion.
My Thoughts
This book is a great introduction to the genres (broadly defined) of the Bible. While it is geared toward preachers, with additional notes about preaching and parts of sermons in various chapters, it is still a helpful book for any Bible teachers or anyone interested in a better understand of the Bible. If you haven't been exposed to literary aspects or genres of the Bible, this will help you read it well, and I think the book could also be used by itself as part of a study for a community group. People are generally familiar with narrative, you've probably heard a sermon/teaching on parables, but most people have not had much introduction to proverbs or visionary wittings, and certainly not much about poetry. The poetry chapter alone is probably worth the price of the book.
The author does a good job of not being too narrow (explaining how much poetry is throughout the Bible, and looking into proverbs that aren't just the book of Proverbs). This is especially true in the visionary writings chapter, while heavy on Revelation, the chapter didn't focus on it only. The split of each chapter on reading, then preaching is valuable. The first part offers a great intro to the genre, with the second part being on preaching (or teaching).
In some ways, it was odd that this is written for preaching, as I would expect most preachers/pastors to have learned these structures in seminary or somewhere else before preaching. That said, I think it is great that genre is getting some publicity, and it's focus is getting to more people, especially those interested in teaching. Too many errors in interpreting various verses/chapters in the Bible come from not having even a basic understanding of literature.
Overall, the book is valuable and a good place to start for those wanting to learn more about writings of the Bible, the end of each chapter gives additional resources (books) you can look into to expand your understanding. For those who aren't preachers, it is still a book to add to your list. I'm not sure you'll find a better intro to genres of the Bible. O'Donnell has a bit of a 'preaching' stick that gets a little long/redundant, but most points are still applicable to regular teachers and Bible study leaders.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. More reviews at MondayMorningTheologian.com
September 5, 2022
To be honest, this book was better than I thought it would be. A lot of good ideas for being more creative homiletically while still being faithful to the text. A few of the suggestions pushed the envelope too far for my comfort, which was disappointing--especially because both of the authors are presbyterian more or less. Although both Ryken and O'Donnell appear on the cover, it was the latter who wrote the book. But he footnotes the former on nearly every page.
The earlier chapters are more cohesive than the latter ones, which basically turn into lists of suggestions. And I have some theologically quibbles here and there. Worst, though, are the author's attempts at humor. Many are quite lame, and the cumulative effect is a difficulty to take him seriously. But one ought to do so, because he has clearly thought long and hard on the art of preaching, and has much to offer.
A major issue is that most of his ideas will work only for those preachers who write out their sermons, a practice I cannot recommend. It does not seem to me that the author even considered how much of this would work for a more extemporaneous or notes-based preacher. That is a shame.
The earlier chapters are more cohesive than the latter ones, which basically turn into lists of suggestions. And I have some theologically quibbles here and there. Worst, though, are the author's attempts at humor. Many are quite lame, and the cumulative effect is a difficulty to take him seriously. But one ought to do so, because he has clearly thought long and hard on the art of preaching, and has much to offer.
A major issue is that most of his ideas will work only for those preachers who write out their sermons, a practice I cannot recommend. It does not seem to me that the author even considered how much of this would work for a more extemporaneous or notes-based preacher. That is a shame.
January 17, 2024
An exceptionally helpful handbook for preaching the whole counsel of God.
I have listened to this book while writing a sermon on Romans 3:21-26, and the wisdom offered by Douglas Sean O’Donnell and Leland Ryken has been, simply put, priceless. This book offers excellent advice on preaching from the different Biblical literature, from parables to apocalyptic writing. I see this as more of a handbook, as I’m sure I’ll be returning back to this book again and again as I preach from different genres of writing. While some may disagree with the authors’ seemingly idealist-symbolic interpretation of Revelation (though I would encourage everyone to heed their advice in this chapter), and perhaps some other smaller interpretations, I see every pastor gaining something from this book. The wisdom here is Christ-glorifying, honouring to the text, and thoughtful of the Sunday-church congregant.
I have listened to this book while writing a sermon on Romans 3:21-26, and the wisdom offered by Douglas Sean O’Donnell and Leland Ryken has been, simply put, priceless. This book offers excellent advice on preaching from the different Biblical literature, from parables to apocalyptic writing. I see this as more of a handbook, as I’m sure I’ll be returning back to this book again and again as I preach from different genres of writing. While some may disagree with the authors’ seemingly idealist-symbolic interpretation of Revelation (though I would encourage everyone to heed their advice in this chapter), and perhaps some other smaller interpretations, I see every pastor gaining something from this book. The wisdom here is Christ-glorifying, honouring to the text, and thoughtful of the Sunday-church congregant.
January 29, 2025
This book is a very good resource for preachers and teachers. The author takes the 6 biblical genres (narrative, epistles, parables, poetry, proverbs and visionary writings), explains clearly how to read and understand them and how to preach them. I find the author is very knowledgeable and gifted in written communication.
At times I found the book a bit overwhelming, an overload of information backed up by a host of quotes of other works, especially those by Leland Ryken.
I felt, as I often do with this type of book, that sadly teaching and preaching are too easily reduced to an academic exercise (I’m sure that this is not the author’s intention). A short conclusion at the end of the book on the vital role of the Holy Spirit would have been welcome.
I will however use this book in future before preaching on, what is for me personally, are the more challenging genres.
At times I found the book a bit overwhelming, an overload of information backed up by a host of quotes of other works, especially those by Leland Ryken.
I felt, as I often do with this type of book, that sadly teaching and preaching are too easily reduced to an academic exercise (I’m sure that this is not the author’s intention). A short conclusion at the end of the book on the vital role of the Holy Spirit would have been welcome.
I will however use this book in future before preaching on, what is for me personally, are the more challenging genres.
January 24, 2023
This book give lots of wisdom on how to study, approach, and preach different forms of literature in Scripture. It has been written in a way where it doesn’t feel at all like a textbook, but exactly like a wise pastor giving you advise from his years of experience. I highly recommend this book for a good overview of the literary genres in the Word.
May 30, 2023
A good but not great introduction to how to preach different genres of the Bible. The book is meant to be accessible and seems geared primarily toward new preachers. If you are a more experienced preacher then I would recommend one of his other books instead.
July 5, 2023
A very helpful book for expositors. The format is well ordered and very clear. Each chapter covers one genre. Even seasoned preachers will find helpful hints or at least important reminders. The author’s humor is a delightful bonus.
August 25, 2023
Good introduction to preaching the different genres of the Bible.
January 13, 2025
I like how the authors provide examples for each genre. I also appreciate the "build your library" section at the end of each chapter, inviting readers to expand their knowledge.
May 28, 2025
great resource for understanding and exegeting genre
December 5, 2025
I love reading books about how to read books. Very thoughtful and practical read.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews