Ebook Homiletic

The man who, in our day, brings a new text-book on homiletic to the theological book-market, must first of all convince himself as to his justification for this step. This is not a difficult matter for the editor of the lectures of the late Professor Christlieb. After the Lord had taken away the departed theologian from the midst of his busy energy of thought and action, his sons soon felt not merely the justification, but also the obligation, of making accessible to still wider circles the fruit of his labours in the field of practical theology, in which he had exercised the greatest influence on the young generation of theological students. As, however, they themselves had not time to prepare the manuscript for publication, they turned to their friend, who, as principal of the "Johanneum" (the school for evangelists, founded by their father), had already in other ways entered into the heritage of the departed, and who felt that he could the less easily decline this work, inasmuch as he hoped to obtain from it a stimulus for his own teaching, and consequently a benefit for his school.

Christlieb died at the moment when he had just begun to gather round him a larger circle of decidedly believing students of theology, who were trained by him to a more scriptural and practical conception and exercise of the preacher's office, and whose devoted activity in the Church has since given proof of the justice and usefulness of their master's teaching.

Christlieb was a man of the Bible and of practical life.