Wonder Reborn

"Thomas Troeger gives beauty its "rightful place" in the pulpit. He combines rich evidence with keen insight to expose the aesthetic dimension of religious activity. He answers a previously unmet need for a homiletics based on art, producing an eclectic theory wherein preaching grows from works of art. He fortifies his theory with a wide and discerning selection of scriptural passages, music texts, hymns, and poems and with his own model sermons on the arts." -- William D. Dean, author of The American Spiritual Culture: And the Invention of Jazz, Football, and the Movies "Thomas Troeger, one of our finest hymn writers and homiletical scholars, has joined his gifts to produce this stirring doxology to beauty in preaching. This book elevates the art of preaching, but what is even more impressive, it lifts the soul." --Thomas G. Long, Candler School of Theology, Emory University "Through the centuries the church has had an approach-avoidance relationship with beauty. In this insightful volume Troeger defines and stretches our concepts of wonder, beauty and aesthetics. He helps us understand their power - especially in music - to inspire the worshipper as well as to shape the church and its mission. Casting the sermon as a 'theomusical homiletic,' he illuminates multiple layers of meaning that form the 'soundscape' of our faith. Those who lead worship know intuitively the spiritual vibrancy that results from these encounters - here, Troeger gives us the reasons behind that intuition." -- Eileen Guenther, Associate Professor of Church Music and Director of the Summer Program, Wesley Theological Seminary "Explores an important issue for all churches:how godly wonder can be reborn through renewed attention to the place of beauty in preaching and worship."--NewCatholicBooks "Like all good books, this one begs the reader to enter into the argument and go beyond it. All Troeger's examples are the result of artistic expressions of the Christian faith...For most of us, this sort of preaching will require hard work in discovering the meanings of poetry and music, but Troeger assures us that we will find God in those meanings and have our wonder reborn."--Interpretation