A Manual for Preaching: The Journey from Text to Sermon
Book Summary • Abraham Kuruvilla, A Manual for Preaching: The Journey from Text to Sermon (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019). 317 pp. $21.
Read time: 6 min
Abraham Kuruvilla’s A Manual for Preaching presents a structured and theologically rich approach to sermon preparation, demonstating the journey from biblical exegesis to pulpit delivery. The book is designed as a sequential guide for preachers, ensuring that their sermons are faithful to the text, transformative for listeners, and methodologically sound. Kuruvilla’s central thesis is that every biblical pericope has a unique theological thrust that must be discerned and communicated through preaching. This concept, which he terms pericopal theology, challenges conventional homiletical models that reduce sermons to single, overarching themes or deductive propositions. Instead, he argues that preaching must curate the theological movement of a passage, allowing listeners to experience its full impact.
The Nature and Purpose of Preaching
Kuruvilla begins by defining the nature and purpose of preaching. He distinguishes between evangelistic proclamation, which focuses on presenting the gospel to nonbelievers, and edifying preaching, which seeks to shape believers through the faithful exposition of Scripture. He contends that while every sermon need not contain an explicit gospel presentation, all sermons must ultimately conform believers to the image of Christ (Rom 8:29). This formation occurs as preachers guide their congregations through the theological vision of each biblical passage.
Pericopal Theology: A New Approach to Interpretation
A major component of Kuruvilla’s methodology is pericopal theology, which he defines as the theological movement within a specific biblical passage. Unlike traditional homiletical models that distill a passage into a singular proposition or “big idea,” Kuruvilla argues that each passage presents a unique theological vision that must be preserved in preaching. His interpretive framework involves two key steps: (1) identifying what the author is saying (semantic analysis) and (2) determining what the author is doing with the text (pragmatic analysis). This approach ensures that preaching is not merely a transfer of biblical information but a transformative process that invites listeners to embody the passage’s theological vision.
The Role of Application in Sermons
In his discussion of sermon application, Kuruvilla argues that application is not an external step added after exegesis but rather the outworking of a passage’s theology. He outlines three classical rhetorical categories of application: cognition (changing how listeners think), volition (shaping actions and decisions), and emotion (influencing feelings and affections). Application must be specific, striking, and singular, providing clear and memorable guidance for how the passage should shape the congregation’s life. He warns against overly abstract applications and instead advocates for “scripting the critical moves” that lead to concrete life transformation.
Sermon Mapping: Structuring the Message
Kuruvilla’s homiletical method also includes a detailed approach to sermon “mapping,” which structures the sermon into distinct “moves.” He critiques traditional deductive and inductive sermon structures, reasoning that a sermon should be neither a rigid argument nor a mere storytelling exercise but rather a curated experience of the text’s theological thrust. His approach encourages preachers to organize their sermons in a way that mirrors the passage’s own theological development, leading listeners through the text’s inherent logic and impact.
Kuruvilla’s Sermon Map for Ephesians 1:1–14
Illustration Techniques
The book also provides practical guidance on illustration techniques, showing that illustrations serve to clarify, convince, concretize, and captivate. Kuruvilla categorizes illustrations into narration (storytelling), confession (personal anecdotes), enumeration (statistics), quotation (outside sources), and visualization (props or multimedia). Interestingly, he cautions against using the Bible as a source of illustrations, arguing that biblical narratives should be preached for their theological meaning rather than repurposed to support external sermon points.
Crafting Effective Introductions and Conclusions
Kuruvilla’s discussion on introductions and conclusions signifies their importance in framing and reinforcing the sermon’s theological message. He introduces the INTRO method—Image, Need, Topic, Reference, Organization—as a framework for crafting compelling sermon openings. The introduction must grab attention, establish relevance, and prepare the audience for the message. Similarly, conclusions must be structured to reinforce the sermon’s impact, employing a summary, a powerful image, and a call to action that invites transformation.
Sermon Manuscript Preparation
In sermon manuscript preparation, Kuruvilla advocates for writing sermons in full to refine clarity, timing, and hearability. He provides guidelines for writing sermons in an oral style: directness, repetition, rhetorical questions, and varied sentence structures. His goal is to ensure that sermons are engaging when spoken, not merely well-written on paper. He differentiates between various sermon delivery styles, including impromptu, memorized, extemporaneous, and manuscripted approaches. Preaching is a lived experience rather than a recitation of content.
Sermon Delivery Techniques
Finally, Kuruvilla addresses sermon delivery techniques, covering proxemics (use of space), kinesics (body language), ophthalmics (eye contact), vocalics (tone and modulation), and extrinsics (appearance and presence). As adept homileticians know, effective sermon delivery requires intentional movement, expressive engagement, and a keen awareness of the congregation’s responses. He also stresses that preachers must develop a habit of preparation, integrating long-term planning with weekly refinement to maintain consistency and depth in their preaching ministry.
Theological and Practical Contributions
Kuruvilla’s work is significant for bridging the gap between exegetical rigor and homiletical practicality. His insistence that sermons should preserve the theological movement of Scripture rather than reduce passages to static propositions offers a refreshing alternative to traditional homiletical models. Likewise, his focus on preaching as spiritual formation aligns with the broader theological vision of Scripture—biblical interpretation should lead to Christlike transformation. The book’s structured methodology helps ensure that preachers are equipped not only to handle Scripture faithfully but also to communicate it effectively in ways that resonate with contemporary audiences.
Conclusion
Overall, A Manual for Preaching presents a holistic and theologically grounded approach to sermon preparation. Kuruvilla’s focus on pericopal theology, sermon mapping, and practical application makes this book an worthy resource for preachers committed to exegetical integrity and homiletical effectiveness. His work contributes to the field of preaching by offering a text-driven method that is biblically faithful and rhetorically compelling. ❖
Quote this Review
Footnote: Timothy J. Harris, “A Manual for Preaching: The Journey from Text to Sermon,” Practical Theologian, March 12, 2025, https://www.practicaltheologian.com/blog/bookreview-3a4nj.
Bibliography: Harris, Timothy J. “A Manual for Preaching: The Journey from Text to Sermon.” Practical Theologian, March 12, 2025. https://www.practicaltheologian.com/blog/bookreview-3a4nj.
