I have been greatly encouraged by the warm initial reception that my new book, Leaps of Faith: Sermons from the Edge, has received. Here are some of the endorsements that have come in:

“In one of these sermons, Dean remarks that the Gospel is simple but not simplistic.  That insight also describes these well-wrought sermons. Dean has a gift for helping us see our lives storied by the story of the Bible.  It is by no means clear in our time what a sermon should be but Dean’s sermons are clearly examples of what sermons should be–that is, serious but avoiding all forms of sentimentality. May these sermons find a wide readership.”

• Stanley Hauerwas (Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Divinity and Law, Duke Divinity School)

“If Christ had not been raised from the dead, most sermons being delivered in North America today would not need any substantial alterations.  The folksy wisdom, sentimental stories, and commonsensical advice which comprise their core could all carry on just the same.  To read Leaps of Faith, however, is to experience the breathtaking sensation of encountering preaching that only makes sense if the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true.  Robert Dean dares to proclaim Good News that is not based on human truisms but divine revelation.  These are words to live by.”

• Timothy Larsen (McManis Professor of Christian Thought, Wheaton College)

“Drawn from the grist of real ministry, Robert Dean does what so many books of sermons fail to do. He locates them in a place, a context, time and situation. After all, if effective preaching is simply “God’s Story in our story,” it is context and place that allows preaching to come alive. Dean does this by modeling a profound ability to weave theology into lived stories and experienced places. This is the work of one who is emerging as a new breed of Pastor-Theologian so desperately needed in our times. If you want to preach more effectively and prophetically, Leaps of Faith will change the way that you approach the task of ministering the Word.”

• Gary V. Nelson (President, Tyndale University College & Seminary)