The Sermons of C. K. and Fred Barrett (3 vols.)
Overview
Many pastors, seminary students, and scholars are familiar with the name C.K. Barrett. His contributions to New Testament studies throughout the 20th century are well-regarded in exegetical insight and scholarly thoughtfulness. Barrett's knowledge of the biblical text and his sharp language skills have produced some of the most enduring contributions to New Testament commentaries.
Perhaps less well-known, however is the fact that C.K. Barrett's father, Fred Barrett, was a longstanding pastor. While Fred Barrett was not the scholar his son was, but on close inspection, one can most definitely see the impact of the father on the son when it came to preaching. It seems right to include as many sermons from both of these men as we can in this series. One thing sorely lacking in much preaching these days is in-depth engagement with both the biblical text and one’s tradition and theology.
Key Features
- Sermons covering numerous passages across the Old and New Testaments
- Provides pastoral insights into the text of Scripture from a leading biblical scholar and his father
- Edited for this collection by Ben Witherington III
Praise for the Print Edition
C. K. Barrett's sermons are the gospel in miniature. Wearing his scholarship lightly, Barrett confronts us here first and foremost with the person of Jesus. In simple, pithy prose, he subverts comfortable piety and conventional religion by evoking the disturbing voice of Jesus, and then leads us beyond that bracing encounter into the limitless love of God. These down-to-earth reflections are both personal and profoundly theological, and they stand the test of time. Barrett was a brilliant communicator of the gospel in the Methodist chapels of County Durham, but these selected sermons have the capacity to speak powerfully to many contexts today
—John Barclay, Lightfoot Professor of Biblical Studies, Durham University
C. Kingsley Barrett is widely known as an outstanding and great scholar in New Testament studies. It may be less known, however, that he served as a preacher in nearby communities, in chapels, churches and, at times, in cathedrals, radio broadcasts, and even in the open air. It is therefore of great importance that his sermons now are published and made accessible to readers in general. Barrett drew closely on the biblical text. He selected central themes and concepts and made them to come alive, also citing hymns--in particular hymns written by Charles Wesley--and referring to literature and sports, as well as to historical persons and events. In his piety and theology he was rooted in the Methodist-Wesleyan tradition and managed at the same time to communicate to a wide range of auditors. Thus his sermons were both educational and led the listeners to a life-changing response characterized by dedication and service. With his sonorous voice and his systematic form of presentation he established excellent contact with the congregation. The reader will personally benefit greatly by reading the sermons, as well as in various ways drawing on them in groups and in worship services.
—Peder Borgen, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Religious Studies, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
At a time when a great gulf exists between serious biblical scholarship and most preaching, the sermons of C. K. Barrett--arguably the most significant New Testament scholar of the twentieth century--offer an instructive and rewarding corrective. Barrett had a gift for drawing out the theological significance of passages so as to stimulate the intellect of the most sophisticated thinkers and at the same time to make the biblical truths interesting, understandable, and relevant to ordinary Christians. These sermons are pure gold.
—David Bauer, Ralph Waldo Beeson Professor of Inductive Bible Studies, Dean of the School of Biblical Interpretation, Asbury Theological Seminary
Like many others, I first encountered C. K. Barrett as a great New Testament scholar. But the sermons published here reveal another Barrett—Barrett the preacher. He was a preacher who knew how to unravel a biblical text and put it back together again, a preacher whose sermons sounded like a summons from the God of eternity. It is wonderful to have this treasury of Barrett's pulpit work to inspire a new generation of Christ's heralds today.
—Timothy George, founding dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University; general editor of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture
Product Details
- Title: The Sermons of C. K. and Fred Barrett (3 vols.)
- Publisher: Wipf & Stock
- Volumes: 3
- Pages: 1,444
- Resource Type: Sermons
- Topic: Preaching Resources
Partially includedAbout the Editors
Fred Barrett (28 October 1880-25 December 1957) was a well-known United Methodist minister and evangelist, serving in many parts of England.
C. K. Barrett (1917–2011) was emeritus professor of divinity at the University of Durham in England, and a determined Methodist. His work is held in very high regard and is featured prominently in many contemporary publications. He first studied at Shebbear College but soon transferred to Pembroke College to study theology. Barrett then trained for the Methodist ministry at Wesley House in Cambridge. In 1945, he was appointed lecturer in divinity at the University of Durham where he was eventually elected professor in 1958.
Barrett was especially known for having authored numerous scholarly articles and books, including commentaries on The Epistle to the Romans, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, and The Second Epistle to the Corinthians in the Black’s New Testament Commentary (BNTC) series, as well as On Paul: Essays on His Life, Work, and Influence in the Early Church and the titles in Select Works of C. K. Barrett (7 vols.).