Preaching Fools: The Gospel as a Rhetoric of Folly

The court jesters, clowns, foolish ones: all images of the comic, sometimes tragic, fool. Across national and cultural borders, the archetype of the fool has played a significant role in how communities interpret and ascribe identity. As Charles Campbell and Johan Cilliers remind us, the Christian preacher, tasked with delivering a paradoxical gospel, is also a fool. In a delicate exploration with enlightening results, Preaching Fools uses a diverse representation of fools and foolish actions to show how modern preaching is inseparable from the folly of the cross. Campbell and Cilliars walk the fine line between the ugliness and beauty of the gospel and challenge readers toward a deeper engagement with its unsettling message.

Table of Contents:
Preface1. Don Quixote and the Cross 2. Folly at the Heart of Preaching 3. Theology between Fragment and Form 4. Melting the Solidarity of the World 5. Fooling the World: The Folly of Jesus 6. Laughter and Lament 7. Preaching Fools8. The Rhetoric of FollyNotesBibliography

About the Author :
Charles L. Campbell is Professor of Humanities at Duke Divinity School. He lives in Durham, North Carolina. Johan H. Cilliers is Professor in Homiletics and Liturgy at the University of Stellenbosch, Faculty of Theology. He lives in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Review :
"Whoever wants to thoroughly rethink his or her theology of preaching must read this book." --Alexander Deeg, Chair of Practical Theology and Director of the Lutheran Liturgical Institute, Leipzig University, Germany "A deeply theological, multi-dimensional, and challenging portrayal of what it means to be fools in the pulpit! This book is a treasure." --Leonora Tubbs Tisdale, Clement-Muehl Professor of Homiletics, Yale Divinity School "An incisive and discerning work--laced with examples of humor, liminality, and incongruity--that deeply unsettles perceptions of the role of the preacher." --Denise M. Ackermann, Extraordinary Professor, University of Stellenbosch, Cape South Africa "Campbell and Cilliars have written a book that is at once startling in its simplicity and disturbing in its depth. Preaching Fools is both unsettling and encouraging, compelling and liberating, a marvelous tool for preachers willing to risk the rhetoric of folly to speak truth." --Allan Boesak, Theologian in Residence, The International Institute for the Study of Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice, Free State University, South Africa "Campbell and Cilliars lure us into that liminal space where foolishness is itself transformed into sacred wisdom. Preaching Fools is anything buy a foolish gift!" --Dale P. Andrews, Distinguished Professor of Homiletics, Social Justice, and Practical Theology, Vanderbilt University " Preaching Fools invites to an exciting journey in pictures and words through the homiletic landscape. If you participate, you will be instructed in a fundamental way by a very original approach to homiletics." --Albrecht Grazinger, Professor of Practical Theology and Dean of Students, University of Basel, Switzerland Preaching Fools is a helpful contribution to the ongoing discussion of the nature of preaching. The 'preacher as fool' is largely unexplored territory, and Campbell and Cilliers draw deeply on rich cultural and theological resources to get the conversation started. -- Angela Dienhart Hancock, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary -- Theology Today There are... examples, images, and stories that preachers will find quite compelling and helpful. -- Mike Graves, Saint Paul School of Theology -- Review and Expositor ... a remarkable collaboration between two teachers of preaching. -- Preacher Rhetorica ... a rich engagement with embodied practices, particular linguistic performances, and a diverse array of cultural artifacts. Anyone interested in the ways religious language shapes identity and constructs the imaginative worlds we inhabit will find this book a helpful conversation partner. -- Lance B. Pape, Brite Divintiy School -- Homeiletic