David Schnasa Jacobsen, Preaching in the New Creation: The Promise of New Testament Apocalyptic Texts (Philadelphia: Westminster John Knox, 1999). $16.47.

Reviewed by Mr. Shane Lems

First of all, I give this book three cheers or five stars, whatever the rating system may be. It is an excellent resource to study before preaching apocalyptic literature. Although Jacobsen’s focus is on the New Testament, it easily applies to the Old Testament as well. The main thrust of the book is that we should take care to notice what an apocalyptic text is doing instead of stopping short and noticing only what it says. That is, an apocalyptic text—just by the very genre—comforts Christians who are exiles waiting for the great day of homecoming. Similar to speech-act, we might call this “genre act,” that genres do something to God’s people, more than just instruct. Jacbosen continually uses this lens as he explains how to preach apocalyptic texts.

Jacobsen has helped me be very sensitive to the genre out of which I am preaching. Thus, when I preach an apocalyptic text, the main point is comfort, and doctrines of eschatology are sub points—perhaps even sub-sub points in some cases. Be sure to grab this book if you are interested in preaching from apocalyptic texts! There are even large parts of the book where Jacobsen walks through a rather detailed “how to” do what he is advocating. I also thought his section that explained apocalyptic rhetoric was enlightening.

In closing, the strengths of this book far outnumber the weaknesses. Jacobsen is not in the Reformed tradition, so obviously the book is not specifically Reformed. However, I can honestly say this book on a distinct area of homiletics/hermeneutics has helped me just as much as some Reformed books on the same.