Saturday, August 23, 2008

Redemptive-Historical Sermons by Charles G. Dennison

Posted by James Grant

Sometime about twelve years ago I came across the biblical theology of Geerhardus Vos and his influence on Westminster Theological Seminary. From that point, I discovered the importance of preaching Christ, something that often goes under the term "redemptive-historical" or "biblical-theological" preaching. For me, the central issue here is working the Christ-centered perspective out in the many areas of preaching. It is an understanding of the contours of redemptive history and its significance for preaching. One of the preachers that influenced me through that period of time was the late Charles G. Dennison, previously the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Dennison's sermons are similar to Vos's sermons in his little volume Grace and Glory (a must own book). By that I mean that I am not sure how much someone was able to grasp by sitting there under him, but I am sure glad I have had the opportunity to listen and re-listen to his sermons. So to my point: Northwest Theological Seminary continues to put Dennison's online. They recently added a new series on Calvinism, but I have provided each series below:
In my opinion, Charlie's sermons on Habakkuk open the book up in a way I had never considered. He influenced my interpretation of Habakkuk more than any book or article that I read while preaching through that prophet. If you are interested, you can hear the sermon that I preached on the whole book here.