Expository Preaching in a World of Spiritual Nominalism

Book excerpt: The spiritual decay of nominalism threatens the established church worldwide. While spiritual lethargy is often addressed from the perspective of theology and discipleship, little attention has been given to the role of homiletics in revitalizing a congregation’s spiritual health. In this study, Dr. Johnson Raih explores the impact of preaching on members of Baptist churches in Imphal, Manipur, India, from 2000 to 2015. He utilizes interviews and questionnaires from pastors, church leaders, and lay members to assess the presence of nominalism within church congregations, along with the effects of various preaching methods on increasing or decreasing spiritual vitality. Combining this qualitative research with scriptural and theological insight, Raih suggests that expository preaching has the power to confront, and even eradicate, nominalism within the church. He draws on biblical examples, along with the methodology of John Stott and Timothy Keller, to offer ten practical recommendations for countering nominalism homiletically – whether in Imphal, India, or around the world.