Jeremy Thomson

Is dialogue preaching useful—or possible?

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My previous post, questioning whether monologue preaching was really effective and sustainable, provoked and interesting range of responses and discussion—which both highlights the wide range of views, and demonstrates that dialogue on important issues can be rather helpful! Some agreed enthusiastically: monologues are used by ministers as an exercise in power and control. Monologue sermons … Continue Reading

Can preaching remain a monologue?

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Some time ago, early on a Sunday morning, I had a phone call. The person preaching at the service in two hours’ time was unwell, and would not be able to preach. I was leading the service; what should I do about the sermon? My first thought was: what a great opportunity to do some … Continue Reading

Adding dialogue to monologue preaching

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There has been some fascinating discussion in response to my two previous posts on why monologue preaching doesn’t work and why dialogue preaching isn’t practical. Before looking at how we might take the best of both together, two observations about monologue. First, those (usually clergy) who have theological training do have something valuable to bring to … Continue Reading

Should preaching be in dialogue format?

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My previous post, on whether preaching should be monologue, provoked a fascinating debate (somewhat ironically!) both on Facebook and on the blog post itself in the comments. The first wave of comments was mostly happy agreement—how can you possibly continue with monologue in this day and age? As I mentioned at the end of the … Continue Reading

Should preaching be a monologue?

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A couple of weeks ago, early on a Sunday morning, I had a phone call. The person preaching at the service in two hours’ time was unwell, and would not be able to preach. I was leading the service; what should I do about the sermon? My first thought was: what a great opportunity to … Continue Reading