Religion Book review

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Book Review
Prophetic Preaching: A Pastoral Approach by Leonora Tisdale
The book by Leonora Tisdale is not only a good read, but it is bound to make an impact on the church as a whole through its targeted advocacy for prophetic preaching. Tisdale addresses the need to combine pastoral needs with prophetic teaching to achieve balanced spiritual nourishment. Tisdale relies heavily on the work of Marvin McMickle who originally wrote “Where Have All the Prophets Gone?” replicating this title in her first chapter. Her book, which is mainly guided by personal experiences, challenges preachers to stop avoiding prophetic witness and instead take the bold step to voice the truth to power (Tisdale 2010, 41-42).
Tisdale’s book is of great relevance in a world where pastors tailor their sermons according to what their congregation wants to hear or what fellow preachers are doing. According to McMickle (2006, 10), prophetic preaching has slowly lost its place in the modern church as pastors deliver more of prosperity gospel and comforting sermons. In her book, Tisdale makes a note of the same and alludes that prophetic preaching, besides comforting recipients, challenges them to change their worldview. This proposition resonates with what Williams (2018, 221) quotes in her book, that prophetic ministry has a role of nourishing, nurturing and evoking consciousness that transpires beyond the dominant culture we see in our daily lives.
Tisdale’s definition of prophetic preaching is thoroughly exhaustive and which has been widely referred to by other authors including Williams (2018, 226-227).

She defines prophetic teaching as one that has deep rooting in the Bible, countercultural and interrogative of the status quo, concerned with evils social order shortcomings of the present day, provides what God expects from human beings, gives hope, provides courage and ensures that preachers continuously fight things that do not please God (Tisdale 2010, 86-87).
An intriguing aspect about Tisdale’s book is that she takes time to exhaustively address prophetic preaching by not only explaining it in simple language but also it takes the reader through a series of steps to ensure proper understanding. The book is quite logical, and it is easy to understand prophetic preaching from its meaning to its theology and how to execute it to deliver a powerful impact. The use of examples also helps the reader differentiate prophetic teaching and regular pastoral preaching. Her use of reflective writing and reference to her experiences and observations make the book enjoyable to read. In this regard, the book does not only target pastors who already know the Gospel, but even a layperson can easily understand its contents and learn what to expect from prophetic preaching.
Tisdale’s book is impactful for any preacher who would like to incorporate more of prophetic preaching. Tisdale seeks to challenge the current world order by awakening a new passion among preachers. Furthermore, it is an eye-opener in the modern era of the commercialized gospel, where preachers have neglected the prophetic ministry.
Bibliography
McMickle, Marvin. (2005). Where Have All The Prophets Gone? Ashland Theological Journal.
37:0 (NA 2005), 7-18
Tisdale, Leonora. 2010. Prophetic Preaching: A Pastoral Approach. Louisville, Kentucky:
Westminster John Knox Press
Williams, Hyveth. (2018). Nothing but the Best: A Guide to Preaching Powerful
Sermons. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.