So That You May Believe
Creatively Preaching the Fourth Gospel
Brand Eaton

The sermons of So that You May Believe: Creatively Preaching the Fourth Gospel employ a variety of homiletic strategies and form, including sermon-in-verse, first-person narrative, parabolic storytelling, and an example of Puritan "plain sermon." The sermons are theologically sound, engaging, and instructive for exploring various sermon constructions and preaching approaches. Teachers of homiletics and biblical interpretation can employ the book as a secondary resource offering examples of unique strategies for interpreting and teaching the gospel.

So that You May Believe seeks to communicate the theological themes of the gospel according to John while broadening the reader's approach to interpreting the gospel. The sermons offer a fresh way of hearing the gospel proclamation and can help to rejuvenate the creativity of those charged with the weekly presentation of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Are you looking for a resource to enliven your preaching and teaching of the gospel of John? Creatively Preaching the Fourth Gospel is the book for you.  Covering the entire gospel and using a variety of homiletical styles, Eaton plumbs the depths of John in a way that speaks clearly and powerfully to today's church.  I know of no finer book on preaching the Fourth Gospel.

Robert E. Van Voorst
Professor of New Testament
Western Theological Seminary
Holland, Michigan

"In the beginning was the Word . . ." How does the preacher approach the overwhelming word of God? How does the preacher wrestle with the poetry and theological depth of John's gospel? How do preachers find their voice; their way of proclaiming that Word. Brand Eaton invites the preacher on a homiletical journey through the fourth gospel which is oft times ignored by preachers and the Lectionary alike. As his introduction reminds preachers, he often gets his "creative juices flowing" when listening to or reading the sermons of others. Eaton's creative touch will be felt throughout this preaching journey and may it get your preaching juices flowing.

Lucy Lind Hogan, Ph.D
Hugh Latimer Elderdice Professor of Preaching and Worship
Wesley Theological Seminary
Washington, D. C.

Brand Eaton asks us to locate ourselves in the deep stories and dialogues of John's Gospel where words carry layers of meaning and striking images arrest our attention. Like a well-stocked guide, Eaton provides the contemporary analogies, user-friendly translations, and paths to meaning making to assure success in the journey.

Lewis Parks
Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program
Wesley Theological Seminary
Washington, DC

Sermon Titles Included:
The Darkness Shall not Overcome (a sermon in the wake of 9/11)
John the Baptist (a sermon in first-person monologue)
The Living Bread (a sermon for Holy Communion)
Departure (a sermon dealing with grief)
Egg Whites, Yolks, and Shells (a sermon for Trinity Sunday)

Brand Eaton is Director of Spiritual Wellness at Bethany Village Retirement Community in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Prior to his current ministry location, Brand served as pastor to various United Methodist congregations in central Pennsylvania for twenty years. He is a graduate of Lycoming College (B.A.), Wesley Theological Seminary (M.Div., D.Min), and a Board Certified Chaplain. Brand and his wife, Susan Eaton, live in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.