Fred B. Craddock

 

Fred Craddock 1928 - 2015

It was on this date in 2015 that the world lost one of its great gospel preachers and teachers of gospel preachers.  Fred B(renning) Craddock was born April 30, 1928 in Humboldt, Tennessee.  He was a minister in the Disciples of Christ Church and a professor at the college and seminary level.  He received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Johnson Bible College, Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1950.  He graduated from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1953 and earned a doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 1964.  At that time, he returned to Phillips to teach.  He moved on to Candler in 1974 and taught there until his retirement in 1994.  Following his retirement from his position as Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University he moved to Georgia and became founding pastor of Cherry Log Disciples of Christ Church.  He also founded and directed the Craddock Center, a non-profit service organization located in Cherry Log, Georgia.

Craddock also wrote many influential books, including The Pre-Existence of Christ, As One Without Authority, Overhearing the Gospel, The Gospels, commentaries on John (1982) and Philippians (1984), Preaching, a commentary on Luke (1990) and a collection of sermon-related anecdotes titled Craddock Stories.   He regularly contributed to journals and larger volumes concerned with Bible study and preaching.

He was in demand as a lecturer and delivered his addresses in some prestigious lectureships.  He delivered the Lyman Beecher Lectures at Yale, the Scott Lectures at Claremont School of Theology, the Adams Lectures at Southeastern Baptist Seminary, the Schaff Lectures at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, the Cole Lectures at Vanderbilt, the Westervelt Lectures at Austin Presbyterian Seminary, the Mullins Lectures at Southern Seminary, the Earl Lectures at Pacific School of Religion, and the Mullins Lectures at Southern Baptist Seminary.

His great contribution, however, was as a teacher.  His classes filled up early at registration time.  Some – but sadly, only some – of his teaching is available on CD.

He would address conventions and continuing education events for preachers, and that is how I first became familiar with him.  In the eighties and nineties, I would drive half a day in any direction to hear him speak or preach.  I never came away empty.  If I know anything about the craft of preaching, it is due to the influence of Fred Craddock.

So, I lament his passing.  We could certainly use a voice like his today.

A different Temptation of Christ

 

In preaching a sermon on the Temptation narrative, Fred Craddock makes an interesting observation.  He points out that the common perception of the devil is that of a being with horns and a red suit, pointy tail and sharp goatee.  If you look up the temptation of Jesus on Google, many of the images have the bat-winged, almost cartoonish figure that goes with the stereotype.  Even allowing for the symbolic representation of some of these pictures, the overall effect is a bit much.  Craddock says that, given this appearance, most of us would be on our guard and would be prepared to resist the Tempter.

My image comes from the Bible story books that used to be in the doctor’s office when I was a child.  The devil was a bit sinister in appearance, to be sure.  But he wasn’t a caricature.  He was gesturing in a welcoming fashion while Jesus was turning away and holding up his hand in a resisting posture.  That might prove a bit more daunting.  Or at least convincing.

Craddock, though, says that when he pictures Jesus in this setting, he pictures him alone.  He is after all in the desert. He has been there some time.  He has not eaten for over a month.  What more powerful ordeal might there be than to face the wilderness alone? 

That gives me something to conjure with.  It is the kind of perception that used to make radio so powerful.  If you listen to “War of the Worlds” or “Dracula” from the Mercury Radio Theater, these works can be much scarier than storytellers depict on any movie screen.  The imagination is the greatest narrator in the world.  In that light, a temptation without physical presence, a temptation guided by the psyche, might be the most persuasive of all.

Lead us not into temptation…

Fred B. Craddock

Fred Craddock 1928 - 2015

It was on this date in 2015 that the world lost one of its great gospel preachers and teachers of gospel preachers.  Fred B(renning) Craddock was born April 30, 1928 in Humboldt, Tennessee.  He was a minister in the Disciples of Christ Church and a professor at the college and seminary level.  He received the Bachelor of Arts degree from Johnson Bible College, Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1950.  He graduated from Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1953 and earned a doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 1964.  At that time, he returned to Phillips to teach.  He moved on to Candler in 1974 and taught there until his retirement in 1994.  Following his retirement from his position as Bandy Distinguished Professor of Preaching and New Testament in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University he moved to Georgia and became founding pastor of Cherry Log Disciples of Christ Church.  He also founded and directed the Craddock Center, a non-profit service organization located in Cherry Log, Georgia.

Craddock also wrote many influential books, including The Pre-Existence of Christ, As One Without Authority, Overhearing the Gospel, The Gospels, commentaries on John (1982) and Philippians (1984), Preaching, a commentary on Luke (1990) and a collection of sermon-related anecdotes titled Craddock Stories.   He regularly contributed to journals and larger volumes concerned with Bible study and preaching.

He was in demand as a lecturer and delivered his addresses in some prestigious lectureships.  He delivered the Lyman Beecher Lectures at Yale, the Scott Lectures at Claremont School of Theology, the Adams Lectures at Southeastern Baptist Seminary, the Schaff Lectures at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, the Cole Lectures at Vanderbilt, the Westervelt Lectures at Austin Presbyterian Seminary, the Mullins Lectures at Southern Seminary, the Earl Lectures at Pacific School of Religion, and the Mullins Lectures at Southern Baptist Seminary.

His great contribution, however, was as a teacher.  His classes filled up early at registration time.  Some – but sadly, only some – of his teaching is available on CD. 

He would address conventions and continuing education events for preachers, and that is how I first became familiar with him.  In the eighties and nineties, I would drive half a day in any direction to hear him speak or preach.  I never came away empty.  If I know anything about the craft of preaching, it is due to the influence of Fred Craddock.

So, I lament his passing.  We could certainly use a voice like his today.

The Different Temptation of Christ

In preaching a sermon on the Temptation narrative, Fred Craddock makes an interesting observation.  He points out that the common perception of the devil is that of a being with horns and a red suit, pointy tail and sharp goatee.  If you look up the temptation of Jesus on Google, many of the images have the bat-winged, almost cartoonish figure that goes with the stereotype.  Even allowing for the symbolic representation of some of these pictures, the overall effect is a bit much.  Craddock says that, given this appearance, most of us would be on our guard and would be prepared to resist the Tempter.

My image comes from the Bible story books that used to be in the doctor’s office when I was a child.  The devil was a bit sinister in appearance, to be sure.  But he wasn’t a caricature.  He was gesturing in a welcoming fashion while Jesus was turning away and holding up his hand in a resisting posture.  That might prove a bit more daunting.  Or at least convincing.

Craddock, though, says that when he pictures Jesus in this setting, he pictures him alone.  He is after all in the desert. He has been there some time.  He has not eaten for over a month.  What more powerful ordeal might there be than to face the wilderness alone? 

That gives me something to conjure with.  It is the kind of perception that used to make radio so powerful.  If you listen to “War of the Worlds” or “Dracula” from the Mercury Radio Theater, these works can be much scarier than storytellers depict on any movie screen.  The imagination is the greatest narrator in the world.  In that light, a temptation without physical presence, a temptation guided by the psyche, might be the most persuasive of all.

Lead us not into temptation…