278. Preaching in Today’s Post-Christian World, with Mark Glanville, author of Preaching in a New Key

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More and more, we find ourselves living in what we might call a post-Christian society.  And more and more, preachers and ministry leaders are finding that the methods they were trained in don’t always resonate in a post-Christian context. 

In this episode, Mark Glanville, the author of Preaching in a New Key, brings together his experience as a jazz musician, pastor, and a scholar of the Old Testament to invite us into a new vision for preaching—one that helps us navigate the transition from Christian to post-Christian culture. 

THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Mark Glanville explains that both jazz and Christian faith involve learning and internalizing tradition, then improvising freshly within it.
• Jazz musicians practice and absorb the rhythms and melodies of their tradition, but always play something new in performance.
• Mark Glanville illustrates how biblical preachers should immerse themselves in scripture, becoming shaped by its themes and stories, much like jazz musicians learn their craft.
• The biblical tradition requires creative and contextual re-interpretation, as seen in how ancient scribes reimagined the metaphor of covenant.
• Preaching in a post-Christian society means recognizing that faith no longer enjoys cultural support and must grapple with mixed experiences of doubt and trust.
• Mark Glanville describes post-Christian contexts as places where church and societal values diverge, making the preaching task more complex.
• Congregants bring complex emotional and spiritual questions to church, rather than the simple expectation of receiving trusted doctrine.
• Markus Watson notes that contemporary preaching requires greater sensitivity, awareness of listeners’ stories, and often more lyrical, dialogical communication.
• Mark Glanville emphasizes gaining relational intelligence through ongoing pastoral conversations and deep listening with parishioners.
• Preaching today involves “reversing the flow”—rather than proclaiming “thus says the Lord,” preachers reveal the beauty of Jesus within the text and invite fresh connection.
• Mark Glanville highlights that healthy preaching depends on the preacher’s own healthy inner and emotional life.
• Preachers must recognize when they are operating from their “defended self”—speaking from wounds or fear, rather than from a secure, loving place in Christ.
• Scripture addresses communities, not individuals, so preaching should prioritize communal formation and invite congregations to embody Christ together.
• Mark Glanville encourages pastors to preach, model, and pray for the transformation they seek, stirring the congregation’s collective imagination and trusting the Spirit to work through everyone, not just the leadership.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Mark Glanville:
  • Website – www.markglanville.org
  • Blue Note Theology podcast
• Books mentioned:
  • Preaching in a New Key, by Mark Glanville
  • Refuge Reimagined, by Mark Glanville and Luke Glanville
• Related episodes:
  • 250. The Prophetic Challenge of Deconstruction, with Scot McKnight
  • 256. Digital Disruption and the Future of the Church

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