Steve Thomason, associate professor of spiritual formation, is the author of “The Visual Preacher: Proclaiming an Embodied Word,” published by Fortress Press in July 2022.
An artist and a rostered minister in the ELCA, Thomason aims to help preachers create and use images that make them better storytellers. Believing that pictures speak differently than words, he offers readers practical ways to combine visual communication with Scripture and the words of their sermon—no special art or technological prowess required. His illustrated text shows preachers visual techniques to study the Bible, construct a sermon, use the physical space where they preach, create two-dimensional images, and develop and use videos.
“As I teach my preaching courses, I see the need for my students to be equipped to engage congregations so they don’t merely hear but also see the Scriptures unfold before them,” writes Stephanie Williams O’Brien, pastor of Mill City Church in Minneapolis. “In ‘The Visual Preacher,’ Thomason gives any preacher in any context the tools to unlock that ability. It’s a must-have resource.”