Pulpit Giants: What Made Them Great; 25 Great Preachers by Donald E. Demaray

What made the great preachers of Christian history powerful and influential communicators?

In Pulpit Giants: What Made Them Great, Donald E. Demaray studies 25 outstanding preachers, examining the qualities and characteristics that distinguished their preaching and ministry.

A contemporary Christianity Today's review described the book as a study of preachers rather than simply a manual about preaching, covering notable pulpit figures from Augustine to John Stott.

Demaray identifies characteristics shared by these influential preachers, including seriousness about the call to preach, passion for communication, individuality, commitment to study and learning, concern for people, and the ability to concentrate meaningfully and faithfully on their task. These conclusions from Pulpit Giants are also cited in later Moody material on biblical preaching.

The book therefore combines Christian biography, church history, and the study of preaching, making it particularly useful for pastors, preachers, ministry students, and readers interested in the history of the Christian pulpit.

Why Read This Book?

Rather than presenting preaching principles only in theory, Demaray examines them through the lives and ministries of 25 gifted preachers, past and present. The book has continued to be cited in later scholarship and writing on preaching, including discussions of figures such as George Whitefield and Peter Marshall.

Condition Note – Old Stock / Unused Copy:

This is an old stock but unused copy. The book shows visible signs of aging and long-term storage, so the exterior may look old. However, it has not been used, and there are no markings, underlining, highlighting, handwritten notes, stamps, or library marks. The inside pages are clean and fully readable. Overall, a well-preserved unused copy considering its age.