"Should we preach like a TED talk?" by Chris Green

Janna Levin, Physicist, in Session 1: Monumental, on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at TED2011, in Long Beach, California. Credit: James Duncan Davidson / TED

The TED talk phenomenon has snowballed since the very first talk in 1984. With its slogan “ideas worth sharing”, TED has arguably even created its own genre, that of entertainment-through-inspiration. Short, punchy, often emotionally moving presentations, they’re meant to leave you with a fire in your belly and scales fallen from your eyes.

And so understandably they’ve got the attention of those who are regularly involved in preaching. On the one hand some seem very critical, dismissing the suggestion that the Christian preacher could learn anything from a phenomenon outside the church. On the other hand some appear intent to overhaul the seminary textbook and treat TED as the best thing since sliced bread, or at least since the Powerpoint pulpit frenzy of the 90’s.

So, here’s an engaging piece from Chris Green, ‘Should we preach like a TED talk?’: