Sally A. Brown - Böcker

Lament, so prominent in the Christian canon, is neglected in the public worship and witness of most North American congregations. These essays by Princeton Theological Seminary faculty attest to the diverse ways in which lament is understood and practiced, and invite their recovery in all elements of the church's ministry.

Contending that preachers have become silent on a major doctrinal theme of the Christian faith--the meaning of the crucifixion and the cross as a theological symbol--Sally A. Brown describes the nature and causes of this phenomenon and provides a strategy for reclaiming "cross talk" in the pulpit. Brown proposes a metaphorical and pastoral model for preaching about the cross. Preachers can reclaim preaching on the cross, she urges, by joining New Testament metaphors to pastoral situations rather than adapting atonement theories for the pulpit. She offers specific examples in sermons designed for particular homiletical occasions.