Sep 17, 2010

Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop and Hebrews: An Interview With David Allen


David Allen, Professor of Preaching, Director of the Southwestern Center for Expository Preaching, George W. Truett Chair of Ministry, and Dean of the School of Theology at Southwestern Bapt
ist Theological Seminary recently agreed to answer five question about the upcoming Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop featuring the book of Hebrews and his recent commentary on Hebrews.

What is an Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop?

The Center for Expository Preaching at Southwestern Baptist theological Seminary offers two expository preaching workshops every year. The first workshop (Expository Preaching Workshop) is held in the spring. This workshop consists of two days of instruction on the philosophy, theory, and methodology of expository preaching. The presenters are well-known expositors drawn from all over the United States. The second workshop (Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop) is held in the fall. This workshop will take a book of the Bible (in this case Hebrews) and seek to apply the philosophy, theory, and methodology of exposition to that book. The advanced workshop will have presentations on the book (e.g., its structure, theology) and how to preach the book (e.g., preaching plan
s, example sermon). The advanced workshop is presented by expositors selected from Southwestern’s faculty.

Who should attend the Advanced Expository Preaching workshop?

The Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop is designed for pastors and preachers who want to review, retool, or refresh their expository preaching skills. While the workshop is designed for pastors and preachers, Bible college or seminary students interested in expository preaching and/or the book of Hebrews will also benefit. In fact, Sunday school teachers and other laypersons have attended previous workshops to become better equipped to serve in their churches.

What can pastors and preachers hope to take away from this workshop?

They can expect to receive very practical insights into the book of Hebrews and how to preach the book expositionally. Each attendee will receive notes from the sessions and even lunch is included with registration. Book tables containing some of the better resources on Hebrews will also be available for purchase as well.

Why the book of Hebrews?

The Advanced Expository Preaching Workshop is committed to teaching the whole counsel of Scripture. So we alternate our book selections between the Old
and New Testaments. Last year the workshop tackled Psalms (see here for free audio) and so this year we were looking at a book from the New Testament. Since I had recently published two books on Hebrews (a monograph on the authorship of Hebrews and a commentary on Hebrews), the preaching faculty felt that Hebrews would be a logical choice for this year’s workshop.

I know that you recently published a commentary on Hebrews. Can you tell us a little about that commentary?

My commentary on Hebrews is in New American Commentary series, an exe
getical and theological exposition of Scripture published by Broadman & Holman. The commentary itself is 671 pages. While it is not the first commentary on Hebrews to utilize linguistic principles and discourse analysis, it does seek to apply these exegetical approaches, especially as it relates to the structure of the book. This commentary contains the most extensive treatment, in a published commentary, of the crux interpretum 6:1–8 (54 pp.) that I am aware of. Another distinctive feature of the commentary is my belief that Luke is the author of Hebrews. Finally, as a preacher and teacher myself, I have tried to produce a commentary that will truly help preachers and teachers to preach and teach this book.

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