# Preacher, Keep Yourself From Idols

> Challenging, and sometimes — for us preachers — scary!

By Rev. Dr Rowland Croucher · 19 February 2012 · Reviews / Books

Canonical: https://insights1.uca.org.au/articles/preacher-keep-yourself-from-idols/

## **Derek Tidball,** **Inter-Varsity Press, $19.95**

For the last half-century every decade has witnessed the publication of a landmark book on the art of preaching.

From memory, roughly in chronological order: W. E. Sangster’s *The Craft of the Sermon;* James Stewart’s *Heralds of God* (he was selected by *Preaching Magazine* as the 20th century’s greatest English-language preacher), John Stott’s *I Believe in Preaching*,John Claypool’s *The Preaching Event* (he’s the best preaching writer or writing preacher in the English language, in my view), Fred Craddock’s Youtube talks (he’s better heard than read), Tom Long’s *The Witness of Preaching,* William Willimon’s *Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry*, Walter Brueggeman’s *Finally Comes the Poet,* anything by Eugene Peterson — I could go on.

In this decade Tidball’s latest book on the subject will be hard to beat. An evangelical British Baptist pastor-theologian, he’s “walked the walk”, pastoring churches and teaching ministerial students at the London School of Theology, Spurgeon’s College and elsewhere.

Challenging, and sometimes — for us preachers — scary!

**Rowland Croucher**