Old Books Worth Reading: Fenelon's Dialogues

Now this will only interest preachers and those who care about preaching. I realize that. But there are two French books now in English translation that are worth any preacher's reading.

1. Alexandre Vinet

Alexandre Vinet's Homiletics, or A Theory of Preaching is one of the best theologies of preaching in the French tradition of situating preaching underneath the umbrella of art. Unfortunately, it is only easily found in good libraries. It has been easily one of my favorite readings in the history of homiletics.

2. Francois Fenelon

Fenelon lived in the times of excessive waste under King Louis the XIV. He never breathed a day when that particular king was not alive. The ridiculous pomp of the court infected the pulpit and caused great overemphasis on style, ornamentation of words, and eloquence-so-called. Fenelon wrote a book that seems to be aimed at all the young preachers who were swept up in amazement at well-wrought words that were really lacking wisdom. It's called simply Dialogues

If you read them let me know what you think.