The God who illustrates: using illustration in preaching

Adrian Lane

Abstract: God communicates through illustration, and this paper explores the implications for preaching. It argues that illustration is not just a means of supporting argument or concept, but also inherently communicates truth. Good illustrations amplify meaning through multivalence, as in typology. Principles and tools for developing illustrations in homiletical practice, consonant with the Scriptures, are then discussed, including the use of reversal and escalation.

This article was first published in Churchman, Vol. 128, No. 4 (Winter 2014), pp. 329-344.

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