Reviewed Book: Tostengard, Sheldon A. The Spoken Word. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989. Resources for Preaching

Riegert, Eduard R.

English

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 16
Issue 2 Lutheran Pietism Article 23
11-1-1990
The Spoken Word
Eduard R. Riegert
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
Riegert, Eduard R. (1990) "The Spoken Word," Consensus: Vol. 16 : Iss. 2 , Article 23.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol16/iss2/23
154 Consensus
preaching of other denominations. So here is a chance for me, a Lutheran,
to discover the “saints” of the Salvation Army. William Booth and John
Wesley I recognize; but who are (were) R. Brimsmead, John Hyde, Harry
Ironside, Vance Havner, Sidlow Baxter?
Third, and this is definitely an editorial failing, the language of the
book is totally maLSCuline. Well, “humanhood” is used once (68). I believe
all responsible publishers have established inclusive language policies some
time ago, and after the “Montreal Massacre” the implementation of such a
policy is no longer a matter of choice. It is also a considerable disappoint-
ment to see a Commissioner of the Salvation Army seemingly oblivious to
this issue, when women, from Catherine Booth on, have played so major a
role in the Army’s work. Yet, except for a couple of instances which tell
of women being called to ministry, women appear here only as cooks and
housekeepers, and are totally excluded by the language.
In addition, there is one very distressing perpetuation of a hurtful and
unfair negative stereotype. “Consider,” Read writes, “the intensity of the
struggle David Brainerd faced in his efforts to evangelize the North Amer-
ican Indian—a people utterly benighted and bound by superstition” (92).
It is true that Brainerd and other early missionaries thought of the Native
people in this way, but there is enough literature around today describ-
ing the vibrant and sophisticated traditional spirituality of our aboriginal
peoples that anyone describing them so is simply ignorant and insulting.
And the quibble, which is also an editorial failing, namely, the irritating
lack of consistency in arrangement, style, and numbering of headings and
sub- headings. Not a fatal flaw; just irritating.
I hope that this volume, ais well as the other volumes, will have a large
and ecumenical readership; discovering the preaching of our neighbors can
have significant educational, devotional, and reconciling effects.
Eduard R. Riegert
Waterloo Lutheran Seminar
The Spoken Word
Sheldon Tostengard
Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989
Fortress Resources for Preaching, 109 pp.
Tostengard, Professor of Pastoral Theology, Ministry, and Homiletics
at Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, is con-
cerned about the severe devaluation of the spoken word in our society.
Words have become containers of truth, not truth itself. This crisis in lan-
guage poses a dilemma for the church’s preaching, worship, and witness
—
the oral tasks of an oral community. After describing the problem (ch. 1)
Of Book Reviews 155
and tracing the roots and progress of the depreciation of speech to the point
where “talk is cheap’' (ch. 2), Tostengard presents the theological, biblical,
and interpretive resources the church has (ch. 3). and therewith illumines
the acts of worship and preaching (ch. 4). Tostengard has the ability to
sum up large movements and periods concisely (e.g., a history of language
development and usage in ch. 2; the law and gospel dialectic in ch. 4) and
to say things simply but forcefully. Of special interest to the lay person is
the story of the depreciation of language and the theological valuation of
language (e.g., the prophetic utterance “was God acting in history”, i.e.,
speech is act). Worshippers and worship leaders will appreciate the dis-
cussions of prayer, silence, and sacraments. Preachers will be drawn to
the discussion of textual interpretation (the text is a living oral word and
a communication event, and therefore the old diad “what it meant” and
“what it means” is a deadly reduction of the text to an “it”) and sermon
structures and the dialectic dynamic of law and gospel.
Having moved from an oral culture through the print culture into an
electronic culture, it may be that the simultaneity and immediacy of media
communication are helping us recover something of the power of speech
again. However that may be, our God is the God who speaks, and whose
Word is an incarnate Word: the speech of God is authentic and true human
speech.
Eduard R. Riegert
Waterloo Lutheran Seminary
Stepping Stones of the Steward
Ronald E. Vallet
Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Com-
pany, 1989
185 pp.
In the midst of declining memberships and shrinking financial offerings,
there are many in the Christian Church who think of “stewardship” as the
program for raising money or the means to increased voluntarism through
the annual every member visit. Ronald Vallet, who is currently Executive
Director of the Commission on Stewardship of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.—a position he has held for a number
of years—was raised in a church tradition in which he Wcls taught that
“tithing was a requirement”. Needless to say, this legalistic perspective
and approach has had an impact on the author. “During my teen years, I
learned the word ‘stewardship’ and was taught that God wanted not only
10% of my income, but also the giving of my time and talent. This wcis
presented as a requirement as well” (l).


The Spoken Word

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 16Issue 2 Lutheran Pietism Article 2311-1-1990The Spoken WordEduard R. RiegertFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationRiegert, Eduard R. (1990) "The Spoken Word," Consensus: Vol. 16 : Iss. 2 , Article 23.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol16/iss2/23154 Consensuspreaching of other denominations. So here is a chance for me, a Lutheran,to discover the “saints” of the Salvation Army. William Booth and JohnWesley I recognize; but who are (were) R. Brimsmead, John Hyde, HarryIronside, Vance Havner, Sidlow Baxter?Third, and this is definitely an editorial failing, the language of thebook is totally maLSCuline. Well, “humanhood” is used once (68). I believeall responsible publishers have established inclusive language policies sometime ago, and after the “Montreal Massacre” the implementation of such apolicy is no longer a matter of choice. It is also a considerable disappoint-ment to see a Commissioner of the Salvation Army seemingly oblivious tothis issue, when women, from Catherine Booth on, have played so major arole in the Army’s work. Yet, except for a couple of instances which tellof women being called to ministry, women appear here only as cooks andhousekeepers, and are totally excluded by the language.In addition, there is one very distressing perpetuation of a hurtful andunfair negative stereotype. “Consider,” Read writes, “the intensity of thestruggle David Brainerd faced in his efforts to evangelize the North Amer-ican Indian—a people utterly benighted and bound by superstition” (92).It is true that Brainerd and other early missionaries thought of the Nativepeople in this way, but there is enough literature around today describ-ing the vibrant and sophisticated traditional spirituality of our aboriginalpeoples that anyone describing them so is simply ignorant and insulting.And the quibble, which is also an editorial failing, namely, the irritatinglack of consistency in arrangement, style, and numbering of headings andsub- headings. Not a fatal flaw; just irritating.I hope that this volume, ais well as the other volumes, will have a largeand ecumenical readership; discovering the preaching of our neighbors canhave significant educational, devotional, and reconciling effects.Eduard R. RiegertWaterloo Lutheran SeminarThe Spoken WordSheldon TostengardMinneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989Fortress Resources for Preaching, 109 pp.Tostengard, Professor of Pastoral Theology, Ministry, and Homileticsat Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota, is con-cerned about the severe devaluation of the spoken word in our society.Words have become containers of truth, not truth itself. This crisis in lan-guage poses a dilemma for the church’s preaching, worship, and witness—the oral tasks of an oral community. After describing the problem (ch. 1)Of Book Reviews 155and tracing the roots and progress of the depreciation of speech to the pointwhere “talk is cheap’' (ch. 2), Tostengard presents the theological, biblical,and interpretive resources the church has (ch. 3). and therewith illuminesthe acts of worship and preaching (ch. 4). Tostengard has the ability tosum up large movements and periods concisely (e.g., a history of languagedevelopment and usage in ch. 2; the law and gospel dialectic in ch. 4) andto say things simply but forcefully. Of special interest to the lay person isthe story of the depreciation of language and the theological valuation oflanguage (e.g., the prophetic utterance “was God acting in history”, i.e.,speech is act). Worshippers and worship leaders will appreciate the dis-cussions of prayer, silence, and sacraments. Preachers will be drawn tothe discussion of textual interpretation (the text is a living oral word anda communication event, and therefore the old diad “what it meant” and“what it means” is a deadly reduction of the text to an “it”) and sermonstructures and the dialectic dynamic of law and gospel.Having moved from an oral culture through the print culture into anelectronic culture, it may be that the simultaneity and immediacy of mediacommunication are helping us recover something of the power of speechagain. However that may be, our God is the God who speaks, and whoseWord is an incarnate Word: the speech of God is authentic and true humanspeech.Eduard R. RiegertWaterloo Lutheran SeminaryStepping Stones of the StewardRonald E. ValletGrand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Com-pany, 1989185 pp.In the midst of declining memberships and shrinking financial offerings,there are many in the Christian Church who think of “stewardship” as theprogram for raising money or the means to increased voluntarism throughthe annual every member visit. Ronald Vallet, who is currently ExecutiveDirector of the Commission on Stewardship of the National Council of theChurches of Christ in the U.S.A.—a position he has held for a numberof years—was raised in a church tradition in which he Wcls taught that“tithing was a requirement”. Needless to say, this legalistic perspectiveand approach has had an impact on the author. “During my teen years, Ilearned the word ‘stewardship’ and was taught that God wanted not only10% of my income, but also the giving of my time and talent. This wcispresented as a requirement as well” (l).

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