Ingenuity : Preaching As An Outsider

Ingenuity introduces a theology and practice of preaching within the simultaneous existence of being Black and woman. This approach opens up new avenues to understand sermon development and design for every student and practitioner of the proclaimed word. Preaching is a creative expression forged at the intersections of tradition, life experience, and theological conviction. Every preacher negotiates these converging entities in an attempt to make way for sacred speech. Likewise, every pursuit of this process is textured by the particulars of culture and personhood. Ingenuity equips readers to navigate this complex task. This approach is helpful for black women who are learning to preach or are serving as preachers, because there is a vast gap in the literature available for them. Preaching is resourced and taught from a primarily white/male perspective. Black women are left to pioneer their own way, to ‘figure it out’ with very little help from the established academic sources. This book – finally – fills that gap. Ingenuity is also helpful for students and preachers who are not black women, because it enlarges their understanding, their language, their sense of shared experience. The best preachers are not just good at mimicking their (predominately white/male) teachers; they understand their own voices, and the voices of others. They stretch and grow, and this enables them to preach more effectively.