Alyce M. McKenzie

Le Van Professor of Preaching and Worship
Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor
Director, Center for Preaching Excellence

Email
214.768.2111

Education

Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, 1994; M.Div., The Divinity School, Duke University, 1980; B.A., Bryn Mawr College, 1977

Teaching Specialties

Preaching biblical wisdom literature; imagination and preaching; spiritual formation and preaching; preaching as teaching: creative sermon design; preaching the sayings and parables of Jesus; preaching on controversial public issues

Research Interests

Preaching biblical wisdom from Old and New Testaments; preaching the aphorisms and parables of the synoptic Jesus; preaching in response to crises, controversies and chronic social concerns; preaching and imagination; creative sermon design

Selected Publications

:: Wise Up! Four Biblical Virtues for Navigating Life (Cascade Books, 2018).

:: Making a Scene in the Pulpit: Vivid Preaching for Visual Listeners (Westminster John Knox Press, 2018).

:: The Parables for Today (Westminster John Knox Press, 2007).

:: Hear and Be Wise: Becoming a Teacher and Preacher of Wisdom (Abingdon Press, 2004).

:: Preaching Biblical Wisdom in a Self-Help Society (Abingdon Press, 2002).

:: “Matthew.” Interpretation Bible Study Series (Westminster John Knox Press, 1998).

:: Preaching Proverbs: Wisdom for the Pulpit (Westminster John Knox Press, 1996).

:: What Not to Say: Avoiding the Common Mistakes that can Sink Your Sermon (Westminster John Knox Press, 2012) (with John Holbert)

:: Novel Preaching: Tips from Top Writers on Crafting Creative Sermon Sermons (Westminster John Knox Press, 2010)

:: Parental Discretion Advised: Preaching to Adults from the Old Testament co edited, with Charles Aaron (Chalice Press, 2013)

Professional Distinctions

Ordained elder, The United Methodist Church, North Texas Annual Conference; Lilly Faculty Fellow, academic year 2001-2002; co-editor of Homiletic; Perkins Scholarly Outreach Award, 2005; Recipient of Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Award, 2011; Perkins Scholarly Outreach Award, 2011; Preacher in Residence, President, Academy of Homiletics, 2012; Christ UMC, Plano, Texas, 2013-; Ford Research Fellow, 2014;  2015 Lyman Beecher Lecturer, the longest running preaching lectureship in the United States, begun in 1872.

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