Acts of the Apostles
Ronald J. Allen
Fortress Press
Acts of the Apostles helps the preacher identify possibilities for sermons based on texts and themes in the book of Acts. While offering a basic exegetical framework for interpreting passages in Acts in their historical, literary, rhetorical, and theological contexts, this volume also suggests ways in which the preacher can relate passages and motifs from Acts to the congregation and world today. It also is useful in classes that seek to link text and sermon, and for congregational Bible study.
Throughout his commentary, Ron Allen examines the relationship of Acts to the Gospel of Luke, discussing parallel passages between the two volumes and observing how themes in the Gospel carry forward into Acts. He notes how particular passages contribute to developing themes and to how the awareness of such a theme can contribute to the preacher's work with a particular passage.

Review
"Ron Allen's new commentary on Acts is a gem for preachers. Allen honors the otherness of Biblical texts and helps interpreters engage critically the theological issues that emerge out of struggling faithfully with them. In the process, Allen invites all of us through his commentary to bear our own witness to the realm of God in today's church." --David Schnasa Jacobsen, Boston University School of Theology

"For the preacher who feels as if Luke's Gospel is just getting started, Allen's commentary tells the rest of the story with theological and hermeneutical accessibility and depth. The literary and thematic integration of Luke and its second volume as homiletical principle and potential for interpreting Acts has never been more promising." --Karoline M. Lewis, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota

About the Author
Ronald J. Allen is professor of Preaching, Gospels, and Letters at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis. One of the most widely published authors in homiletics, he has written or coauthored over 30 books, including Thinking Theologically (2007) in the Elements of Preaching series, and contributed to over 100 other books, including New Proclamation, Year B, Pentecost, 2006.