The Homiletical Plot, by Eugene L. Lowry, Knox, $4.95; Between Two Worlds, by John R. W. Stott, Eerdmans, $12.95; Building the Word, by J. Randall Nichols, Harper & Row, $9.95.

Reviewed by Ralph L. Lewis, chairman of preaching and worship, Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky.

Preaching good sermons today is tougher than ever. Listeners, once passive, now feel free to question, challenge, disagree, or boycott. Their great expectations pressure the preacher to improve yesterday's best efforts. But how?

Answers come from many directions. No single expert can hope to provide all the creativity required for effective communication in today's ministry. But three recent books make helpful contributions, each confronting preaching from a different angle.

Of the three, The Homiletical Plot covers the most new territory. Eugene Lowry's innovative book is also the shortest and least expensive. Lowry, associate professor of preaching and communication at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas ...