Every period of Church history contains preachers who have been blessed with oratorical skills and spiritual depth. Masters of Preaching lays the foundations for a deeper understanding of Christian preaching. Through the lives and works of thirty-one men, the reader will experience fine sermons from the most eloquent homilists.

The Catholic Church has been blessed with fine preachers throughout her two thousand year history. Their words continue to inspire those who read them. I am pleased to recommend Masters of Preaching. This book provides the reader a history of preaching from the perspective of those who have [actually] preached. I hope that readers will learn much from the Church's best homilists. Most Reverend Jerome Hanus, O.S.B., Archbishop of Dubuque Here is a lucid, comprehensive book on preaching from a Catholic perspective. Father Atwood reaches deep into the Church's long tradition of great homilists and makes their wisdom and gifts readily available to today's seminarians, priests, and especially lay ministers eager for inspiration and guidance. The book describes preaching styles and themes from a wide variety of ancient and contemporary sources, always with an eye to helping homilists deepen their own spiritual awareness and hence increase the impact of thei words. The book includes a sample homily from each homilist discussed and invites readers to see for themselves these ... wonderful examples of preaching in practice. Allen J. Frantzen, professor and faculty scholar, Loyola University, Chicago

Preface Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction 1 The Essence of Good Preaching 2 Preaching in the Old Testament as a Prelude to Christian Preaching 3 Preaching in the New Testament 4 Preaching in the Post-Apostolic Church 5 Preaching in the Age of the Fathers 6 Preaching in the Middle Ages 7 Preaching in the Reformation Period and Beyond 8 Preaching in the Modern and Contemporary Era Conclusion