In proposing a nonhierarchical, communal relationship between the pastor and his or her congregation, Lucy Atkinson Rose suggests that a well-crafted, persuasive message may not be the ultimate goal in preaching. She questions traditional assumptions and understandings of preaching and invites preachers to practice conversational preaching that is rooted in a relationship of connectedness and mutuality between the preacher and the congregation.
Lucy Atkinson Rose is a former Professor of Preaching and Worship at Columbia Theological Seminary and a former president of the Academy of Homiletics.