Preaching, Postmodernism, & Jonathan Edwards

Here's an interesting analysis of the "Emergent Church" in light of Jonathan Edwards. I don't know that the author of the paper consistently and correctly differentiates "emerging" vs. "emergent" but in regard to this quote, the recognition that postmodern youth and adults have a learning preference that favors oral communication still holds true. Jonathan Edwards was quite "relevant" to similar needs in his own day...

Another area important to the Emerging church comes from one’s encounter with the spoken word. Len Sweet emphasizes how emergents are drawn to the preaching of Jesus because his communication style conveyed more than just words. It sculpted mental pictures which allowed the listeners to see the deeper meanings of life.

One need only to read a few of Jonathan Edwards’s sermons to discover that he oftentimes used picturesque language in order to communicate his message. While Emergent pastors are more often inclined to preach narrative expository sermons, Edwards followed the Plain Style preaching of his Puritan forefathers. This style was very innovative, in that, it allowed the preacher to speak in a language the people could understand. It also involved the use of analogy....

Edwards would also encourage Emergent leaders in their attempt to “use different forms of communication.” Edwards accomplished this task as he moved from preaching from a written manuscript to a more extemporaneous style. This change was quite an innovation for his day.

If you're wondering how to get started, Simply The Story is a good start. I personally had the privilege of being trained by H. Jackson Day. That experience was invaluable.