02049nam a22002535i 4500001001400000003000400014005001700018008004100035010001700076020003100093020001800124020003600142020002600178035001300204040002300217042000800240050002300248100003800271245008100309260003300390300000900423490003500432520132800467in00024273552OSt20251104122329.0250618s2025    ctu           000 0 eng    a  2025941543  a9781624281006q(paperback)  a9781624281013  z9781624281020q(kindle edition)  z9781624281075q(epub)  a24253994  aDLCbengerdacDLC  apcc  aBV 4222b.B56 20251 aBlowers, Paul M.,d1955-eauthor.10aTheatrics in patristic preaching and biblical exposition /cPaul M. Blowers.  aNew Haven bICCS Pressc2025  a76 p0 aThe chadwick-oden lectures;v3  a"In this stimulating volume, Paul M. Blowers explores how the early Christian preachers transformed biblical interpretation into theatrical performance, captivating congregations with dramatic retellings of sacred stories. Theatrics in Patristic Preaching and Biblical Exposition, drawn from the 2025 Chadwick-Oden Lectures, reveals how Church Fathers such as Chrysostom, Basil, and Romanos the Melodist employed vivid rhetorical strategies-like impersonation, characterization, and ekphrasis-to bring Scripture to life. Blowers uncovers a rich tradition of preaching that was not merely doctrinal instruction but dynamic theater designed to provoke, console, and transform. With scholarly precision and pastoral insight, Blowers demonstrates how patristic homilists viewed Scripture as inherently dramatic and understood preaching as a sacred performance meant to engage both mind and heart. From tragic portrayals of Cain and Abel to poetic reinventions of the Prodigal Son, these early sermons did more than interpret texts-they invited listeners into the living drama of salvation history. A compelling resource for theologians, pastors, and anyone interested in the art of homiletics, this book argues that the early Church's theatrical preaching holds profound lessons for revitalizing Christian proclamation today"--