The Decay Of Modern Preaching

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

... Mr. Mahaffy's interesting essay on the Decay of Modern Preaching: a work which we strongly advise all clergy to read, although we do not mean to say that we agree with all the remarks in it, and we are inclined to think that the title is a misnomer. It is true that a great deal is talked about the decay of preaching and the decline of the power of the pulpit, but it may fairly be questioned whether the average of good preachers was ever higher than at present. Mr. Mahaffy speaks rather as if the present day had a monopoly of bad preaching, and refers to the age of Queen Anne as a time when the Christian pulpit was 'raised to a position of power and authority' (p. 83). But this is just the very time when Swift uttered the piteous complaint that churches were 'public dormitories;' and the various notices of preaching scattered about in the pages of the Spectator do not look as if the preaching of that day was uniformly excellent. It must be remembered that we judge of a past age mainly by the few great preachers whose names and works have lived on and been handed down to us, and not by the many who are forgotten, and who were probably quite as dull as the average preachers among us. Indeed, at many periods in the history of the Church they were probably far duller; and we believe that, taken all round, the preaching of the present day would compare favourably with that of almost any age. In this matter we have certainly learnt much in the last few years. Still there is great room for improvement, and we cannot help feeling that we have a great deal more yet to learn. To begin with, the clergy have learnt the lesson of making their sermons short; and it is worth considering whether this has not been learnt only too well, and whether the laity have not been taught to claim a short sermon as a right, and to feel injured if it happens to be a little longer than usual. People certainly have become terribly impatient of long sermons, and seem to consider that anything is long which exceeds a modest half hour: an estimate that would have caused considerable astonishment to our forefathers. As Mr. Mahaffy says:- 'A preacher of any but the highest powers who ventures to detain his hearers beyond half an hour is regarded as a sort of social criminal, and the prospect of an hour's sermon would keep most people away. How far are we removed from the days when Bishop Burnet, who preached with an hour-glass running beside him, was requested by the whole congregation when it ran out to reverse it and continue his discourse for a second hour.' -The Church Quarterly Review [1882]

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

In The Decay of Modern Preaching, John Pentland Mahaffy offers a critical analysis of the state of preaching in late 19th century England, arguing that it had lost its relevance and effectiveness. Mahaffy identifies a number of reasons for this decline, including the changing tastes and expectations of audiences, the homogenization of religious ideas, and the rise of scientific and rationalistic thinking. This essay is a valuable historical document for understanding the evolving role of religion in modern society and the challenges faced by religious leaders. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.