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One Neyv Book for the Preacher
Jennifer Watley Maxell The Ministry Collaborative and The Breakthrough Fellowship, Smyrna, Georgia
Tyshawn Gardner, Sacred Anthropology: Prophetic Radicalism for Pulpit and Peyv (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2022)
”And immediately all the doors were opened and everyone s bonds were unfastened. ” Acts 16:26
Tyshawn Gardner is a pastor, preacher, and prophet who now works in the Acad emy as a restorer of the hopefulness of the Gospel in a time when cynicism and disorientation appear to rule the day. In this book. Sacred Anthropology: Prophetic Radicalism for Pulpit and Peyv, Tyshawn moves gracefully across the disciplines of sociology, theology, and homiletics in a way that is accessible for, as the title suggests, clergy and laity. It is a necessary addition to the library of anyone who is seriously curious about discerning what God is up to in this season. Our country is more polarized than ever, and while this statement may be un comfortable for some, or too pointed for others, very few can deny its validity. While some blame social media and its influences on culture, and others point to conspiracy theories, foreign Page 29 Prophetic radicalism happens when Christians engage in Christian proclama tion and living that exposes the root cause of injustice while advocating for God’s redemptive justice and simultaneously acting as agents of disruption in accord with the life and ministry of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, prophetic radicalism demands both faithful declaration and fervent demonstration of the Gospel in ways that expose and dismantle oppressive systems. But it does not stop there. The goal is transformation for the oppressed as well as the oppressor and the seeding of a new community where justice and equity are not simply ideals, but reality. This liberative proclamation identified by Gardner as social crisis preaching is biblically rooted. Spirit-enabled proclamation that develops and drives congrega tions to compassionately care for and radically confront social crises in the commu nities where their neighbors live, work, worship, and play. The term was coined by Kelly Miller Smith, Sr., in the 1984 Lyman Beecher Lectures entitled Easter 2023 Page 30 the power of the Holy Spirit. Speaking truth to power transforms the powerful and liberates the powerless. Hard truths must be shared to expose injustice, to inspire personal responsibility, and to address self-harm within the community. Pastoral preaching courage is what we encounter in the prophets but see embodied by Jesus to dismantle systemic evil and injustice. Gardner compels his readers to engage this work from a deep spiritual well, recognizing the weariness and self-destructive practices that often accompany jus tice work and advocacy. Gardner also draws deeply on the embrace and exercise of time-tested spiritual disciplines of spiritual detachment, togetherness, and worship that replenish the soul and have sustained those given to such daunting work. Gardner’s work is a deep well that inspires faithful risks, that can alter the pres ent reality and present a hopeful view of the future!
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