Brad Ronnell Braxton

Braxton’s book, Preaching Paul, is an exercise in pragmatism. In the Introduction of his book, he begins his discussion of how to preach from Pauline literature by providing no-nonsense answers to several practical questions: Will the reader get anything from reading this book? What is the nature of preaching? How is Paul relevant to the enterprise of preaching? What do Paul’s letters have to do with the gospel? As is true for all writers, Braxton shapes his answers to these questions in a form consistent with his personal history. As a critically educated African-American scholar, he circumscribes his canon and specifically the scope of Pauline canon within the limits of liberation theology. For Braxton, that content of even those authentic Pauline epistles which is in contradiction to his theology is not scripture, nor does it have binding authority on the church or individuals (18-23). Nonetheless, Braxton finds much value in the seven books regarded by “scholarly consensus” to be authentically Pauline: “Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and Philemon” (19).
The first chapter engages the reader in a pragmatic dialogue about the nature of preaching. It is interesting that, since Braxton serves on the same Vanderbilt faculty as Buttrick, that Braxton does not explicitly use Buttrick’s homiletic or allow it to affect his operating assumptions. In the examples of sermons provided in this book, Braxton’s illustrations (several of which are personal), and his structure (not apparently based on moves) actually stand in opposition to Buttrick’s theories. Braxton does not pursue the theoretical underpinnings of homiletics; instead, he describes what preaching looks like describing its goals and by prescribing a particular approach to produce it. For Braxton, preaching is useful news, cross-shaped, passionate, and portable. By portable he means something that can readily understood and put to use in life. Braxton particularly emphasizes the passionate nature of preaching, perhaps as a corrective to the scholarly approach taken by many in preaching, or because of his experience within African-American churches.
The second chapter explores Paul in terms of his “convictions and communities.” Here Braxton describes his view of Paul’s theological and social location, and attempts to rehabilitate Paul for the feminist and liberation theologian. In his view, Paul core values include: 1) the coming of Christ is the core of God’s saving purposes, 2) Christians live in a time of unrealized eschatology, 3) the Holy Spirit is the power in the Christian life, and 4) maintenance of Torah is not necessary for Gentiles. He locates Paul in a Roman context, but places him in the ekklesia, which tends to oppose the Roman worldview. Braxton’s Paul opposes or resists oppressive structures. Even within the limited scope of Paul’s authentic letters as Braxton has defined them, he still finds passages that are problematic for issues of oppression, gender sensitivity, and outright patriarchy. In a response to Wire and others, Braxton constructs an apologetic for chapters 11 and 14 of 1 Corinthians in an attempt to make Paul politically correct.
Braxton assesses Paul’s view of preaching from a contemporary perspective in chapter three. Although he does discuss Paul, this chapter is more about lectio divina as a resource for biblical interpretation, and the importance of the Holy Spirit in preaching. This chapter is not misspent, merely misnamed. Braxton prescribes the use of lectio divina as a means for the “devotional interpretation” of Paul’s letters. Since devotional interpretation later becomes one of the recommended tools for sermon preparation (120), his use of it here serves interpretive and pedagogical purposes. Aside from a prudent and practical emphasis of the importance of the Spirit in preaching, Braxton detours for other matters pragmatic: time management, and the political protection of that time, for sermon preparation.
Braxton’s instructions for “interpreting Paul’s Letters for proclamation” found in chapter four are concrete, simple, and replicable. These instructions identify biblical interpretation with sermon preparation. He first gives useful guidance for selecting a text. Braxton then builds a framework for the sermon preparation process, and calculates time estimates for the completion of each step in it. That framework is: first impressions (15 minutes) and then a close reading of the text (6 hours). The close reading consists of several segments: “literary analysis” (2 hours), “historical and rhetorical analysis” (2 hours), and “theological and conceptual analysis” (2 hours). He demonstrates this method by discussing his preparatory notes for a sermon on Romans 8:26-30. Having done the groundwork, the preacher then begins to write his sermon, beginning with a definition of purpose. Although Braxton is aware of Long’s sermon focus and function approach, he uses instead his own variants: gospel claim: “what is the good news in this sermon,” and the gospel conduct: “what does this good news call me to do” (120). Essentially, these two items appear to largely operate as do Long’s focus and function statements. The overall process described in this chapter allows for the operation of the Holy Spirit in the preaching event without excusing poor preparation.
Chapter Five relates and reviews three of Braxton’s sample sermons, one of which he analyzes, and two of which other writers evaluate. His self-analysis was more revealing than the critiques of his guests. Braxton strongly believes that preachers ought to script sermons that they then powerfully enact. These manuscripts have that potency. The repetitive rhetorical structure and strong rhythmic cadences of his sermons show the influence of African-American preaching (his father is an ordained Baptist minister also), and of the congregational dialogue inherent to the preaching event in an African-American church.
Essentially the first 68 pages of the book validate the endeavor of preaching, define it, and address and Paul’s credibility to speak about it. This portion of the book may or may not be of any value to the reader. The really useful portion of the book follows, giving less experienced preachers a nuts and bolts perspective of how a practicing minister has gone about this creative enterprise. Fortunately, the last half of the book is worth the cost of the volume.… (altro)