This thesis claims that the biblical theme of the reign of God, which was central to Jesus' ministry, has been neglected in modern preaching. The author proposes that it can be recovered by examining scriptural and historical resources. Inspiration is drawn from two prophetic Baptist figures, Walter Rauschenbusch and Tommy Douglas, both of whom were proponents of the Social Gospel. Eight sermons were presented in a Canadian Baptist congregation. The sermons tested strategies for preaching three aspects of the reign of God: kingdom present, kingdom challenge and kingdom hope. The author builds upon the work of David Buttrick and John Dally. Preachers are encouraged to present Jesus' message of the kingdom as a metanarrative for listeners. This holds potential for bringing together false divisions that have developed in the church. Such missional preaching will be effective in forming counter-cultural communities of resistance which participate in the work of God in the world.
