Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta: a weekly roundup of blogs, articles, books, and more

By Dustin Bruce

Blogs

  1. Over at First Things, check out Stephen Webb’s review of Heavenly Participation: The Weaving of a Sacramental Tapestry by Hans Boersma.

  2. Readthefathers.org has a series of Holy Week readings taken from the Church Fathers. Check out their first post, “Lectures for Holy Week: The Procatachesis of Cyril of Jerusalem.”

  3. At ChurchHistory.org, Thomas Kidd writes “Jefferson Versus the Historians, or Barton Versus the Historians? Thomas Kidd Responds to Arthur Sherr.”

  4. On The Christian Century blog, James Bratt reviews Daryl’s Hart Calvinism: A History.

  5. Over at The Anxious Bench, John Turner ties together recent events with early Christian history in “The Passions of Perpetua and Frans van der Lugt.”

  6. Also at The Anxious Bench, check out Thomas Albert Howard’s post, “That’s So Dys-Evangelical.”

  7. On NT Exegesis, Brian Renshaw posts a “Maundy Thursday – A Reflection from Augustine.”

  8. John Fea, on The Way of Improvement Leads Home, has a video from a recent OAH panel discussion addressing the question “Is Blogging Scholarship?

Recent Book Releases

  1. Bryan Loritts, ed., Letters to a Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Moody.

  2. Sarah Rolfe Prodan, Michelangelo’s Christian Mysticism: Sprituality, Poetry, and Art in Sixteenth-Century Italy. Cambridge.

  3. St. Epiphanius of Cyrpus, Ancoratus (Fathers of the Church). The Catholic University of America Press.

  4. Stephen Cox, American Christianity: The Continuing Revolution. University of Texas Press.

  5. Richard Allen, David Jones, and Trystan Hughes, The Religious History of Wales. Welsh Academic Press.

From the Fuller Center

  1. Contributor Evan Burns discusses a Fuller sermon in “The Children of the Resurrection.”

  2. Ryan Hoselton posts on “William Ames’ Holy Logic.”

  3. Michael Haykin highlights “An excellent comment by Andrew Atherstone on reading history.”

  4. Also on the blog, Michael Haykin posts a reflection on the recent passing of Dr. Rowan Greer.

What did I miss this week?  Share in the comments or on Twitter: @AFCBS or @dustinbruce.

Note: Inclusion of an article, book, or any other form of media on the Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta does not constitute a theological endorsement by the compiler, Michael Haykin, the Andrew Fuller Center or Southern Seminary.

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Dustin Bruce lives in Louisville, KY where he is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary. Dustin and his wife, Whitney, originally hail from Alabama.

An excellent comment by Andrew Atherstone on reading history

By Michael A.G. Haykin

In a book review that appeared in the most recent Banner of Truth, Andrew Atherstone, whose work I admire, has this comment regarding Natalie Mears and Alec Ryrie, eds., Worship and the Parish Church in Early Modern Britain (2013)—he is talking about the way the Reformation impacted the Christian in the pew: “The lives of ordinary Christians in the Reformation world were filled with nuance, variety, contradiction and complexity, just as they are today.” So true! Budding historians as well as seasoned authors need to take note.

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Michael A.G. Haykin is the director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. He also serves as Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Haykin and his wife Alison have two grown children, Victoria and Nigel.

Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta: a weekly roundup of blogs, articles, books, and more

By Dustin Bruce

Blogs

  1. Justin Taylor highlights “10 Key Events: Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism in 20th Century America” on Between Two Worlds.

  2. Nathan Finn posts on “Ten Reasons to Read Jonathan Edwards” on Between the Times.

  3. On The Gospel Coalition, Derek Rishmawy reviews Calvin on the Christian Life by Michael Horton.

  4. Miles Mullin tells how “History Surprises” at The Anxious Bench.

  5. Also on The Anxious Bench, Thomas Kidd discusses “The Quaker Contribution to Religious Liberty.

  6. If you missed this video, go on “A tour of the British Isles in accents.”

  7. Also, watch history in the making on the recent PBS special on “The New Calvinism.”

  8. John Fea, on The Way of Improvement Leads Home, highlights a recent interview by Adam Goodheart on his recent book, The Civil War Awakening.

  9. Fea also points to George Marsden’s recent review of a book he edited, Confessing History.

Recent Book Releases

  1. David Garrioch, The Hugenots of Paris and the Coming of Religious Freedom, 1685–1789. Cambridge.

  2. Jonathan Riley­–Smith, The Crusades: A History, 3rd ed.  Bloomsbury Academic.

  3. Alister Chapman, Godly Ambition: John Stott and the Evangelical Movement(paperback). Oxford.

From the Fuller Center

  1. Contributor, Evan Burns, highlights Francis Wayland’s comments on Adoniram Judson in “We Reap on Zion’s Hill.”

  2. Steve Weaver highlights a recent interview Michael Haykin did on the “Always Ready” radio program.

What did I miss this week?  Share in the comments or on Twitter: @AFCBS or @dustinbruce.

Note: Inclusion of an article, book, or any other form of media on the Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta does not constitute a theological endorsement by the compiler, Michael Haykin, the Andrew Fuller Center or Southern Seminary.

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Dustin Bruce lives in Louisville, KY where he is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary. Dustin and his wife, Whitney, originally hail from Alabama.

Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta: a weekly roundup of blogs, articles, books, and more

By Dustin Bruce

Blogs

  1. On the Bible Mesh blog, David Roach suggests “6 Ways to Start Learning Church History.”

  2. David Filson follows up on a previous post with “Five More Reasons Why You Should Read Jonathan Edwards,” on The Christward Collective.

  3. Consider getting involved with A Jonathan Edwards Encyclopedia, a project of the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University.

  4. Check out “History, Providence, and Good News” by Tom Nettles at the Founders blog.

  5. If you missed it, check out this interesting article from Fox News, “1,300-year-old Egyptian mummy had tattoo of Archangel Michael.”

  6. Thomas Kidd, writing at The Anxious Bench, offers sound advice in “The Art of the Book Review.”

  7. Andreas Kostenberger and Justin Taylor offer a convincing proposal in “April 3, AD 33: Why We Believe We Can Know the Exact Date Jesus Died.”

  8. The Fuller Center’s own Steve Weaver offers helpful tips in “Research Tips for Unfamiliar Topics.”

  9. Check out “David Brainerd Went to the Indians” by Fred Sanders on The Scriptorium Daily.

  10. Listen to Albert Mohler interview Myron Magnet on a fascinating new work, At Home With the Founders.

Recent Book Releases

  1. J.I. Packer, Evangelical Influences: Profiles of Figures and Movements Rooted in the Reformation. Hendrickson.

  2. Christopher Barina Kaiser, Seeing the Lord’s Glory: Kyriocentric Visions and the Dilemma of Early Christology. Fortress.

  3. Richard A. Bailey, Race and Redemption in Puritan New England (paperback). Oxford.

  4. Clemens Leonhard and Hermut Lohr, eds, Literature or Liturgy?: Early Christian Hymns and Prayers in Their Literary and Liturgical Context in Antiquity. Mohr Sieback.

  5. Carol Harrison and Caroline Humfress, eds., Being Christian in Late Antiquity. Oxford.

From the Fuller Center

  1. AFC contributor Evan Burns posts on “Uneducated Ministers?”

  2. The audio from Jason Duesing’s lecture series on Adoniram Judson is now available.

  3. Ian Clary introduces blog readers to “Books At A Glance.”

What did I miss this week?  Share in the comments or on Twitter: @AFCBS or @dustinbruce.

Note: Inclusion of an article, book, or any other form of media on the Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta does not constitute a theological endorsement by the compiler, Michael Haykin, the Andrew Fuller Center or Southern Seminary.

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Dustin Bruce lives in Louisville, KY where he is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary. Dustin and his wife, Whitney, originally hail from Alabama.

Uneducated Ministers?

By Evan D. Burns

Sometimes theological education can be downplayed as though it were an unnecessary hobby for left-brained seminarians.  Unfortunately, rigorous biblical/theological training can be disparaged and treated as peripheral for “real” ministry to “real” people with “real” problems.  Doctrine divides, Jesus unites; deeds, not creeds; practical application, not propositional truth… so goes the post-modern, anti-authoritarian mantra.  One of the most oft-cited examples supposedly in support of this anti-intellectualism is that Jesus chose uneducated simpletons to be his disciples, not the highfalutin scribes and Pharisees, as though pure spirituality corresponds to untrained simple faith.  However, this is not the case.  Eckhard Schnabel explains in Early Christian Missionvol.1, 277-278:

The calling of the twelve disciples in Galilee must not be burdened with the view that Jesus called uneducated Galileans to the task of preaching and teaching.  It is rather probable that Jesus’ disciples, including the fishermen Simon and Andrew, were educated.

According to John 1:44, Peter, Andrew and Philip came from Bethsaida, an up-and-coming town that was granted the status of a polis in A.D. 30 and was located in the vicinity of the Greek city Caesarea Philippi.  Rainer Riesner argues that people “who grew up in such close proximity to a Hellenistic city must have spoken more than a few scraps of Greek.  Thus John 12:21 presupposes that Philip could speak Greek.”  Andrew, Philip and Simon had Greek names, which may not be coincidental.  Riesner observes, “The Galilean fishermen in Jesus’ group of disciples belonged not to the rural lower class but to the vocational middle class.  As the latter had religious interests, we may assume a certain degree of education in the case of the disciples such as Peter and John….  We may assume that several disciples came from that segment of the Jewish people who displayed religious interests and that they received, like Jesus, a good elementary education in the parental home, in the synagogue and in elementary school.”  A Jew who came from a pious background “had a solid, albeit one-sided, education.  He could read and write and he could retain large quantities of material in his memory by applying simple mnemonic devices….  Whether a boy of the lower classes received an elementary education depended on two preconditions:  the piety of the father and the existence of a synagogue in the village.”

The view that Jesus had untutored disciples is a romantic and entirely unwarranted one.  Note, for example, the calling of Matthew-Levi, a tax collector….  A tax collector belonged to the higher levels of society.  His position presupposed not only that he was wealthy but also that he had…education.

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Evan D. Burns (Ph.D. Candidate, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is on faculty at Asia Biblical Theological Seminary, and he lives in Southeast Asia with his wife and twin sons.  They are missionaries with Training Leaders International.

Announcing "Books At A Glance"

By Ian Hugh Clary

logo

The Andrew Fuller Center is happy to announce the launch of a new website called Books At A Glance. The purpose of the site is to relieve the frustration that all of us bibliophiles feel: there’s not enough time to read all of the books we want! Books At A Glance is designed to help streamline some of our reading habits by providing summaries, reviews, and author interviews of the latest books in the various theological disciplines.

If you are in the business world you are likely familiar with the concept of “executive reviews.” These are more than a book review, but a proper summary—roughly 7-10 pages—of a book to help readers get a sense of its content, flow, and argument. Books At A Glance capitalizes on this kind of summary. As the promo material says, these summaries enable you to “keep informed and up to date and widen your learning in minutes, without infringing on your schedule.” It also helps you figure out what books you want to purchase in order to dig deeper.

Books At A Glance is run by pastor-theologian Fred Zaspel, author of a number of important works on B. B. Warfield. Its Board of Reference includes Thabiti Anyabwile, Matthew Barrett, D. A. Carson, James Hamilton, Steve Nichols, Tom Schreiner, Carl Trueman, and others.

This is not a totally free website but requires membership for access to some key aspects of what is offered. We really do think that this is a worthwhile resource that will continue to grow and develop as the months go by. It is ideal for busy pastors who don’t have time to read all of the latest from good publishers, it is also useful for scholars who want to keep abreast of the most recent work.

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Ian Hugh Clary is finishing doctoral studies at the University of the Free State (Bloemfontein) where he is writing on Arnold Dallimore and the search for a usable past. He is a co-editor (with Steve Weaver) of "The Pure Flame of Devotion: A History of Christian Spirituality (Joshua Press, 2013), a Festschrift in honour of Michael Haykin. He is also a contributor to Gordon L. Heath's Canadian Churches and the First World War (Pickwick, 2014). Ian has written articles in journals like Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical TheologyMid-America Journal of Theology, and Puritan Reformed Journal. Ian and his wife Vicky have three children, Jack, Molly, and Kate, and live in Toronto where they are members of West Toronto Baptist Church.

Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta: a weekly roundup of blogs, articles, books, and more

By Dustin Bruce

Blogs

  1. On the Religion in American History blog, Steven P. Miller is interviewed about his upcoming book,The Age of Evangelicalism: America’s Born-Again Years.

  2. In “The Absolute Best Way to Introduce Your Kids (and Yourself) to Church History”, Justin Taylor highlights a current WTS book special. The title says it all!

  3. On The Scriptorium Daily, Fred Sanders posts on “Our Whole Salvation & All Its Parts: Calvin on Union with Christ.”

  4. On his personal blog, Lee Gattiss reviews Crawford Gribben’s Evangelical Millenialism in the Trans-Atlantic World, 1500–2000.

  5. Miles Mullins discusses “Unintended Consequences in American Religious History” on The Anxious Bench blog.

  6. Also at The Anxious Bench, Philip Jenkins puts forth an interesting treatment of an early Christian term in “Counting the Ways.”

  7. A free article from the Journal of Discipleship and Family Ministry, Matt Haste treats “So many voices”: The Piety of Monica, Mother of Augustine.

  8. Tim Challies continues a helpful series with “The False Teachers: Harry Emerson Fosdick.”

  9. On the Ligonier blog, Steve Lawson is interviewed on his new bookThe Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield.

  10. Also, while not restricted to Church History, check out the many helpful resources at Historians Teaching.

  11. While not necessarily a blog, it is worth noting that Southern Seminary’s James P. Boyce Centennial Library recently released a LibGuide on Andrew Fuller. This is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about Fuller.

Recent Book Releases

  1. Kenneth D. Wald and Allison Calhoun-Brown, Religion and Politics in the United States, seventh edition. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

  2. Sean Martin, The Cathars: The Most Successful Heresy in the Middle Ages. Oldcastle Books.

  3. John Drury, Music at Midnight: The Life and Poetry of George Herbert. The University of Chicago Press.

From the Fuller Center

  1. AFC Fellow,Nathan Finn, posted on the controversial question, “Are Baptists Reformers, Radicals, or Restorationists?

  2. Evan Burns highlighted John Owen in “Preaching from the ‘Spiritual Sense’.”

  3. Joe Harrod continued a series of posts on Samuel Davies with “Samuel Davies on Meditation.”

What did I miss this week?  Share in the comments or on Twitter: @AFCBS or @dustinbruce.

Note: Inclusion of an article, book, or any other form of media on the Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta does not constitute a theological endorsement by the compiler, Michael Haykin, the Andrew Fuller Center or Southern Seminary.

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Dustin Bruce lives in Louisville, KY where he is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary. Dustin and his wife, Whitney, originally hail from Alabama.

Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta: a weekly roundup of blogs, articles, books, and more

By Dustin Bruce

Blogs

  1. Thomas Kidd expounds on “George Marsden and the Gift of Clear Writing” over at the Anxious Bench. Speaking of Kidd, don’t miss the Gheens Lectures at Southern Seminary where he will be lecturing on “Faith and Politics: From the Great Awakening to the American Revolution.”

  2. The American Historical Association has recently expanded their Online Directory of History Dissertations, a collection that now includes over 49,000 works.

  3. At The Confessing Baptist, Graham Benyon writes on “The Rise and Development of the English Baptists.”

  4. Also at The Confessing Baptist, check out the first volume in the Journal of the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies.

  5. Justin Taylor highlighted “God’s Lion in London: Charles Spurgeon and the Challenge of the Modern Age,” Albert Mohler’s recent lecture given at the Nicole Institute for Baptist Studies at RTS.

  6. Over at Comment, the Cardus blog, Joan Lockwood O’Donovan reviews Alan Jacobs new work, The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography.

  7. Ryan Nelson discusses “Simple Language for Simple Truth: The Legacy of J.A. Broadus” on logostalk, where you can find a special on Broadus’ writings for Logos.

  8. On Christianity Today’s Hermeneutics blog, Karen Swallow Prior posts on Hannah More in “The Most Influential Reformer You’ve Never Heard Of.”

Recent Book Releases

  1. Basil of Caesarea (Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality) by Stephen M. Hildebrand. Baker. $26.99.

  2. The Evangelical Origins of the Living Constitution by John W. Compton. Harvard University Press. $45.00.

  3. A Companion to Global Historical Thought by Prasenjit Duara, Viren Mirthy, and Andrew Satori. Wiley Blackwell. $195.00.

  4. God, Locke, and Liberty: The Struggle for Religious Freedom in the West by Joseph Loconte. Lexington Books. $95.00.

  5. Christian Theology: The Classics edited by Stephen R. Holmes and Shawn Bawulski. Routledge. $26.95

From the Fuller Center

  1. Joe Harrod pointed to Samuel Davies' thoughts on reading Scripture.

  2. Steve Weaver posted on "Reclaiming St. Patrick's Day."

  3. Steve Weaver introduces readers to the ministry of Evan Burns.

  4. Speaking of Evan, he draws from Martin Lloyd-Jones in “Reading from the Long 18th Century.”

What did I miss this week?  Share in the comments or on Twitter: @AFCBS or @dustinbruce.

Note: Inclusion of an article, book, or any other form of media on the Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta does not constitute a theological endorsement by the compiler, Michael Haykin, the Andrew Fuller Center or Southern Seminary.

_______________

Dustin Bruce lives in Louisville, KY where he is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary. Dustin and his wife, Whitney, originally hail from Alabama.

Reclaiming St. Patrick's Day

By Steve Weaver

Patrick Cover

We are blessed in our society today to have holidays such as Easter, Christmas, St. Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day which are filled with Christian significance. Unfortunately, almost all of the Christian meaning for these important markers on the Christian calendar has been forgotten. As much as we Christians like to blame the nebulous society around us, I don't think it is the "world's" fault that these holidays have not retained their Christian meaning. Instead, I fault Christians who are either unaware of their heritage or just plain derelict in their duty to educate their children. We shouldn't expect unbelievers to celebrate Christianity, but we should expect Christians to seek to pass their heritage on to the next generation.

Hopefully you do use the holidays of Christmas and Easter as opportunities to talk to your children about the birth and resurrection of Christ respectively. However, days like St. Valentine's Day and especially St. Patrick's Day are often missed opportunities in evangelical homes. Perhaps we're frightened away by the fact that these individuals are often associated with the Roman Catholic Church. But there is no need to fear Patrick for in him evangelicals have not a foe but a friend.

Patrick was a courageous Christian missionary to Ireland in the 5th century. His story of being kidnapped as a boy in Britain to become a slave in Ireland, his escape back to Britain, and his call as a missionary to return is a fascinating tale of God's providence and grace. His dedication to the doctrine of the Trinity is both admirable and worthy of emulation. Talking to your children about how Patrick taught the Trinity to the pagans of his day provides a tremendous opportunity to explain this difficult biblical teaching to them. This is an opportunity that should not be missed. Likewise, Patrick's commitment to take the gospel to unreached peoples (Ireland at the time would have been considered the "end of the world.") is another important teachable aspect of this remarkable life for our children. Read, in Patrick's own words, his commitment to take the gospel to Ireland:

I came to the people of Ireland to preach the Gospel, and to suffer insult from the unbelievers, bearing the reproach of my going abroad and many persecutions even unto bonds, and to give my free birth for the benefit of others; and, should I be worthy, I am prepared to give even my life without hesitation and most gladly for his name, and it is there that I wish to spend it until I die, if the Lord would grant it to me. (Confession 37)

In short, St. Patrick should be introduced to our children as a courageous missionary hero who believed and taught the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity.

Many legends are attached to the story of Patrick and though I believe most are grounded in some true events, the discerning reader must be aware of the mixture of legend and history on this early Christian figure. However, we are not dependent merely on legends to know about the life of Patrick. His autobiographical Confession has survived the centuries and is a fascinating recounting of his life.

For those interested in learning more, there is a helpful modern biography of Patrick by Philip Freeman. For parents wanting a good introduction that can be ready by or to their children, I highly recommend Patrick: Saint of Ireland by Joyce Denham. In addition, a new biography of Patrick has been penned by Michael Haykin, which is already available in the UK and is available for pre-order in the US. We are going to give away a free copy of this book today. Enter the contest below!

A few short, but very helpful articles about Patrick's modern-day relevance are available online.

This post originally appeared on March 17, 2012 on pastorhistorian.com. It has been lightly edited and reposted today on that blog in honor of St. Patrick's Day 2014.

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Steve Weaver serves as a research assistant to the director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies and a fellow of the Center. He also serves as senior pastor of Farmdale Baptist Church in Frankfort, KY. Steve and his wife Gretta have six children.

Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta: a weekly roundup of blogs, articles, books, and more

By Dustin Bruce

Blogs

  1. John Fea continues a helpful series on “How to be a Public Scholar” with a session on blogging at his blog, The Way of Improvement Leads Home.

  2. Over at The Scriptorium Daily, Fred Sanders has linked to a talk he gave in Biola’s chapel on The Fundamentals (1910–1915).

  3. Over at Reformatiom 21, Carl Trueman highlights the recent release of some Reformed base packages by Logos Bible Software. These packages were created with students and scholars of the Reformation in mind.

  4. Tim Challies has released his recent post in a series highlighting “The History of Christianity in 25 Objects.” This time he is looking at Billy Graham’s Prayer Wheel.

  5. Thomas Kidd presents a helpful history of “the Sinner’s Prayer” over at The Anxious Bench.

  6. R. Scott Clark has compiled a section of “Calvin Studies” on the Heidelblog. His newest edition features audio of Scott Manetsch teaching “On Calvin In His Context and Ours.

  7. The Fuller Center’s own Steve Weaver has suggested “Seven Podcasts for a Pastor-Historian” on his blog, Thoughts of a Pastor-Historian.

  8. Speaking of podcasts, on the Beeson Podcast, Timothy George has posted an excellent lecture on “The Legacy of Jonathan Edwards,” given at Beeson by George Marsden. Last week, on another excellent edition, George interviewed John L. Thompson on the subject of the history of exegesis and Calvin’s hermeneutic.

  9. In light of the coming holiday, Timothy Paul Jones asks, “What Happened to the Real St. Patrick?”

  10. Over at The Junto: a Group Blog on Early American History, Jonathan Wilson reminds us that Jonathan Edwards began pastoring, not in Connecticut or Massachusetts, but in New York in "Looking for "a World of Love": Jonathan Edwards in the Big City."

  11. Philip Jenkins points to the use of art in telling the history of missions.

  12. Last, but not least, the Confessing Baptist features an interview with Ian Clary and Steve Weaver on the Festschrift they edited in honor of Michael Haykin, The Pure Flame of Devotion.

Recent Book Releases

  1. A Cultural History of Childhood and Family in the Middle Ages (The Cultural Histories Series) by Louise J. Wilkinson.Bloomsbury Academic. 9781472554758. $34.00.

  2. An Able and Faithful Ministry: Samuel Miller and the Pastoral Office by James M. Garreston. Reformation Heritage Books. 9781601782984. $35.00.

  3. Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation: Volume 4, 1600–1693 edited by James T. Dennison Jr. Reformation Heritage Books. 9781601782809. $50.00.

  4. A Will to Believe: Shakespeare and Religion (Oxford Wells Shakespeare Lectures) by David Scott Kastan. Oxford University Press. 9780199572892. $40.00.

  5. Holy Warriors: The Religious Ideology of Chivalry (The Middle Ages Series) by Richard W. Kaeuper. University of Pennsylvania Press. 9780812222975. $29.95.

  6. Kierkegaard on the Philosophy of Historyby Georgios Patios. Palgrave Macmillan. 9781137383273. $95.00.

From the Fuller Center

  1. Contributor Evan Burns highlights the Prince of Preachers in “Spurgeon’s Missiology: Go and Teach Them.

  2. Contributor Steve Weaver points to a new series edited by Michael Haykin on the early church fathers.

What did I miss this week?  Share in the comments or on Twitter: @AFCBS or @dustinbruce.

Note: Inclusion of an article, book, or any other form of media on the Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta does not constitute a theological endorsement by the compiler, Michael Haykin, the Andrew Fuller Center or Southern Seminary.

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Dustin Bruce lives in Louisville, KY where he is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary. Dustin and his wife, Whitney, originally hail from Alabama.

New Series on Early Church Fathers Edited by Michael Haykin

By Steve Weaver

A new series of books featuring biographies of the early church fathers is being published by Christian Focus Publications of the United Kingdom. Noted Patristic scholar Michael A.G. Haykin is serving as the series editor. According to the publisher's website:  "this series relates the magnificent impact that these fathers of the early church made for our world today. They encountered challenges similar to ones that we face in our postmodern world, and they met them with extraordinary values that will encourage and inspire us today."

Basil Cover

The first volume, authored by Marvin Jones, focuses on Basil of Caesarea. The publisher's website provides the following description:

Basil of Caesarea (329-379 AD) was a Greek Bishop in what is now Turkey. A thoughtful theologian, he was instrumental in the formation of the Nicene Creed. He fought a growing heresy, Arianism, that had found converts, including those in high positions of state. In the face of such a threat he showed courage, wisdom and complete confidence in God that we would do well to emulate today.

Patrick Cover

The second volume in the series was authored by Haykin and is an exploration of the life and impact of Patrick of Ireland. The publisher's website provides this description:

Patrick ministered to kings and slaves alike in the culture that had enslaved him. Patrick's faith and his commitment to the Word of God through hard times is a true example of the way that God calls us to grow and to bless those around us through our suffering. Michael Haykin's masterful biography of Patrick's life and faith will show you how you can follow God's call in your life.

Both these books are available in the UK. They will not be available in the US until May, but are available for pre-order now on Amazon:

Other books scheduled in the series include:

  • Athanasius by Carl Trueman

  • Cyril of Alexandria by Steve McKinion

  • Augustine by Brad Green

  • Irenaeus of Lyons by Ligon Duncan

  • Tertullian by David Robinson

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Steve Weaver serves as a research assistant to the director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies and a fellow of the Center. He also serves as senior pastor of Farmdale Baptist Church in Frankfort, KY. Steve and his wife Gretta have six children.

Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta: a weekly roundup of blogs, articles, books, and more

By Dustin Bruce

Blogs

  1. In a helpful post for PhD students on The Anxious Bench, Thomas Kidd offers advice on “What to Publish, and When?”.

  2. Kidd also reviews Marsden’s The Twilight of the American Enlightenment  on The Gospel Coalition. John Fea has done the work of compiling the reviews of Marsden’s latest work.

  3. Brian Renshaw of NT Exegesis pontificates on two surprisingly connected loves in “Baseball and Church History.”

  4. Jason Duesing reflects on “W.O. Carver, Southern Seminary, and the Significance of Adoniram Judson” on his personal blog.

  5. Over at the Founder’s Blog, Jeff Robinson asks, “Is Calvin Guilty of the Popular Charges Against Him?

  6. Also at Founders, Jon English Lee continues in a series on the Sabbath with, “Where is the Sabbath in the Early Church? (Part 2)

  7. R. Albert Mohler rolls out his 2014 list of “Ten Books Every Preacher Should Read” in Preaching Magazine. Included in this is Tom Nettles, Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Mentor, 2013), Michael J. Kruger, The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the New Testament Debate (InterVarsity Press, 2013), and John Elliot Gardiner, Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven (Knopf, 2013). The SBTS Campus Lifeway has the books from Dr. Mohler’s list on sale at a 40% discount.

  8. On The Anxious Bench, Phillip Jenkins explores “Welsh Roots” in an insightful post for St. David’s Day and then follows up with “Welsh America, American Wales.”

  9. Jenkins also discusses “The 160-Year Christian History Behind What’s Happening in Ukraine” on Christianity Today.

  10. At Between the Times, Nathan Finn looks at historic Baptist roots in “On the Baptist Confession of 1689.”

  11. The Confessing Baptist interviewed the Fuller Center’s own Steve Weaver on his and Michael Haykin's recent release of An Orthodox Catechism by Hercules Collins.

  12. Joel Beeke discusses “The Puritan Art of Godly Meditation” in a brief video on his blog, Doctrine for Life.

Major Discussion: Should Evangelicals Practice Lent?

Debate stirred this week around the practice of Lent and specifically Ash Wednesday, with low-church Evangelicals falling on both sides. Some helpful interlocutors were:

  1. Nathan Finn on Christian Thought and Tradition with “Why One Baptist Chooses to Observe Lent.”

  2. R. Scott Clark with “Lent: Of Good Intentions, Spiritual Disciplines, and Christian Freedom” on the Heidelblog.

  3. Keith Miller calls upon the historical heroes of the Reformed in “Reformed Homeboys on Lenten Fasting” on Mere Orthodoxy.

Recent Book Releases

  1. The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield by Steven Lawson. Reformation Trust Publishing. 9781567693638. Hardback. $16.00.

  2. Gratitude: An Intellectual History byPeter Leithart. Baylor University Press. 9781602584495. $49.95.

  3. John Knox (Christian Biographies for Young Readers) by Simonetta Carr. Reformation Heritage Books. 9781601782892. $18.00.

  4. Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity (3 vols.) edited by Angelo Di Beradino. IVP Academic. 9780830829439. $450.00.

  5. The Oxford Movement: Europe and the Wider World 1830–1930 edited by Stewart Brown and Peter Nockles. Cambridge University Press. 9781107680272. $26.46.

  6. The Urban Pulpit: New York City and the Fate of Liberal Evangelicalism by Matthew Bowman. Oxford University Press. 9780199977604. $62.15.

  7. A People’s History of Christianity, Vol 1: From the Early Church to the Reformation (Student Edition) edited by Dennis R. Janz. Fortress Press. 9781451470246. $39.00.  Volume 2: From the Reformation to the 21st Century.

  8. Abraham in the Works of John Chrysostom (Emerging Scholars) by Demetrios E. Tonias. Fortress Press. 9781451473056. $49.96.

  9. The Life of  Saint Helia: Critical Edition, Translation, Introduction, and Commentary (Oxford Early Christian Texts) edited by Virginia Burrus and Marco Conti. Oxford University Press. 9780199672639. $150.00.

  10. The Search for Authority in Reformation Europe (St Andrews Studies in Reformation History) edited by Helen Parish, Elaine Fulton, and Peter Webster. Ashgate. 9781409408543. $119.95.

From the Fuller Center

  1. Evan Burns posts on “Fuller Reading the Scriptures.”

  2. Joe Harrod discusses “Samuel Davies on the Nature of the Spiritual Life.”

  3. Burns follows up the AFC mini-conference on Adoniram Judson with “Judson’s Farewell Hymn.”

What did I miss this week?  Share in the comments or on Twitter: @AFCBS or @dustinbruce.

Note: Inclusion of an article, book, or any other form of media on the Historiae ecclesiasticae collecta does not constitute a theological endorsement by the compiler, Michael Haykin, the Andrew Fuller Center or Southern Seminary.

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Dustin Bruce lives in Louisville, KY where he is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary. Dustin and his wife, Whitney, originally hail from Alabama.

Answering My Great Question about “The Great Question Answered”

By Nathan A. Finn

You may or may not know that Andrew Fuller wrote a wildly popular gospel tract titled The Great Question Answered. It was republished numerous times by multiple publishers and remained enormously popular in both Britain and the USA into the mid-nineteenth century. It is available in volume three of the “Sprinkle Edition” of The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller (pp. 540–549). The tract is also available on several websites on the internet, but be careful not to confuse it with the pro-slavery treatise by James Sloan, which was published in 1857 and is also widely available online.

I am editing the volume on Strictures on Sandemanianism for the forthcoming critical edition of The Works of Andrew Fuller. Several months ago, I began trying to locate the first publication of The Great Question Answered because it briefly references the Sandemanian view of faith. I knew it was published during the decade between 1801, when Fuller included an appendix on Sandemanianism in the revised edition of The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation, and before the publication of Strictures on Sandemanianism in 1810. But the tract “went viral” so quickly and was republished so often it was difficult to find the original publication. I talked to Michael Haykin about my quest, and though he did not know the answer to my query, he helped me think through ways to track down the first publication. Last week, my quest came to an end. I have found the Holy Grail. Let me tell you how it happened.

In his memoir of his father, found in volume one of the Sprinkle Edition, Andrew Gunton Fuller suggested the tract was first published in 1806 (p. 91). But I knew that could not be the case because an extensive library holdings search last fall revealed that several libraries in both England and North America owned copies of the tract from multiple publishers dating to 1805. In his book The Forgotten Heritage: The Great Lineage of Baptist Preaching (Mercer University Press, 1986), Thomas McKibben cited an edition of The Great Question Answered published in London by William Button and Sons in 1803 (p. 49). That was the earliest date I could find.

In 1818, John Ryland Jr. published a biography of his close friend Fuller titled The Work of Faith, the Labour of Love, and the Patience of Hope, illustrated; In the Life and Death of the Rev. Andrew Fuller. In the biography, Ryland provided a list of Fuller’s published works, including magazine articles. Ryland dated the initial publication of The Great Question Answered to 1803 in TheMissionary Magazine (p. 133). I had previously seen one reference to the tract appearing in the “Edinburgh Missionary Magazine,” but could not find anything. Ryland was a great help because the periodical, though published in Edinburgh, was simply titled The Missionary Magazine—I had been sniffing down the wrong trail. In God’s providence, some volumes of The Missionary Magazine are available via Google Books—including the 1803 volume.

As it turns out, The Great Question Answered was indeed published first in The Missionary Magazine in two parts. Part One appeared in the February 21, 1803 issue, on pages 59–65. Part Two was published the following month in the March 21, 1803 issue, on pages 110–16. The two parts were then combined into a single tract that was likely first published in one part by William Button and Sons in London later in 1803. From there, it was first published in America in both Boston and Maine as early as 1805.

I do know a bit about the reception history after 1805, though there are many stones left to un-turn. As early as 1811, a Gaelic edition was published in Edinburgh. The Great Question Answered was included in the different collected editions of Fuller’s published works that began appearing as early as 1820. Also by 1820, The Great Question Answered was being published by the Baptist General Tract Society in England. In 1821, a certain Dr. Henderson translated the tract into Swedish and Russian and began distributing it through tract societies formed for those nations. In 1838, the tract was included in The Baptist Manual published by the American Baptist Publication Society. The American Tract Society was publishing the tract by 1850. Throughout the American Civil War, The Great Question Answered was distributed to Confederate soldiers by a publisher in Raleigh, North Carolina.

As this brief survey makes clear, The Great Question Answered was a popular gospel tract during the first two-thirds of the nineteenth century. During the years between 1803 and 1865, it was published on at least two different continents in at least four different languages—probably more. But the initial publication was in two parts in The Missionary Magazine in February and March of 1803. While there is still much I do not know about the reception history of this tract, my great question has been answered about The Great Question Answered. All is now right with the world.

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Nathan A. Finn is associate professor of historical theology and Baptist Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also an elder at First Baptist Church of Durham, NC and a fellow of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies.

Why Read Andrew Fuller?

By Evan D. Burns

A number of years ago I started reading Andrew Fuller’s writings.  I have come to admire and respect this great man of God who has not shared the same spotlight as other famous theologians.  But, thanks to the upcoming critical edition of Fuller’s published and unpublished works, Fuller’s theology and spirituality will hopefully continue to gain more influence.  I have discussed my appreciation of Fuller here, and in honor of Fuller’s 260th birthday last week, below are a few reasons (and suggested reading) that I commend his evangelical piety:

  • His cross-centered instinct (e.g., God’s Approbation of Labours Necessary for the Hope of Success;  The Common Salvation)

  • His Scripture-saturation (e.g., The Nature and Importance of an Intimate Knowledge of Divine Truth;  On an Intimate and Practical Acquaintance with the Word of God)

  • His missionary spirituality (e.g., The Gospel Worthy of All Acceptation;  The Promise of the Spirit)

  • His prayerfulness and hunger for revival (e.g., Causes and Declension of Religion and Means of Revival)

  • His heavenly-mindedness (e.g., “The Blessedness of the Dead Who Die in the Lord”)

  • His Trinitarianism (e.g., “On the Trinity,” Letters of Systematic Divinity)

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Evan D. Burns (Ph.D. Candidate, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is on faculty at Asia Biblical Theological Seminary, and he lives in Southeast Asia with his wife and twin sons.  They are missionaries with Training Leaders International.

The Fathers—my mentors

By Michael A.G. Haykin

Do the Fathers lead logically to the full-blown theology of the Roman Catholic Church or Eastern Orthodoxy? Not at all: Epiphanius of Salamis condemned the use of icons and pictures; Cyprian described Stephen, the bishop of Rome, as the Antichrist; Augustine’s view of the presence of Christ is much closer to Luther than Trent; and on and on. Read Calvin’s Institutes and see how often he cites the Fathers, esp. Augustine. And why? Because he believed they supported him, not the Roman Church. And he was right. Thomas Cranmer, the theological and liturgical architect of Anglicanism, was one of the leading patristic scholars of his day. No, the Fathers are not necessarily the root of the Roman Catholic Church or Eastern Orthodoxy. They are just as much my Fathers as they are theirs—and I, a full-blown unrepentant Evangelical—am not ashamed to own them as my theological mentors and forebears. This does not mean I believe everything they believed, even as I do not believe everything my great hero Andrew Fuller believed (his view that John Wesley was a crypto-Jesuit is plain ridiculous, e.g.).

If you wish to see how contemporary Evangelicals read the Fathers, check out the series of books beginning to be published this year by Christian Focus and of which I am the series editor: “Early Church Fathers.”

____________________ Michael A.G. Haykin is the director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. He also serves as Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Haykin and his wife Alison have two grown children, Victoria and Nigel.

Missionary Biographies

By Evan D. Burns

“Only eternity will reveal how many fires of evangelistic zeal have been lit by the perusal of the account of [David Brainerd’s] short but powerful ministry.”[1]  The role of spiritual biography in arousing Christ-pursuing passion is incalculable.  Consider all the great missionaries, such as William Carey (1761-1834), Adoniram Judson (1788-1850), Henry Martyn (1781-1812), and Jim Elliot (1927-1956), who claimed they were fortified and encouraged with hopeful perspective by reading of God’s mysterious providence and Christ’s abiding presence in the life, labors, and suffering of David Brainerd (1718-1747).  Imagine how many unknown missionaries there have been who likewise found strength from Jonathan Edwards’ biography of Brainerd.  For young men and women, reading evangelical biography is enduringly formational.  In addition to pointing the rising generation to timeless spiritual biographies, ministers and scholars should also consider writing new biographies of nameless, faceless servants whose lives and labors testify to the grace of the gospel of God.

Here is a great list of free ebooks of missionary biographies.  It includes biographies of missionaries such as: Brainerd, Carey, Chalmers, Geddie, Gilmour, Ginsburg, Grenfell, Judson, Livingstone, Mackay, Marsden, Moffat, Paton, Slessor, Taylor, and other collections.  Here also is another more extensive list of shorter biographies of many other great evangelical missionaries.

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Evan D. Burns (Ph.D. Candidate, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is on faculty at Asia Biblical Theological Seminary, and he lives in Southeast Asia with his wife and twin sons.  They are missionaries with Training Leaders International.

[1]John Thornbury, David Brainerd: Pioneer Missionary to the American Indians. (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 1996) 298.

Best Church History books in 2013: a Baptist historian’s “eight”

By Various Contributors

John Fea,Why Study History? Reflecting on the Importance of the Past(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2013)

Why Study History

As one who came to love the study of history during a Master’s program, I regrettably missed the opportunity for a foundational study of the discipline of history that an undergraduate emphasis in the field would have provided. This small tragedy (in my own mind at least) has often left me wondering what basic elements I may be overlooking in my own approach to the study of the past. Enter John Fea and Why Study History? Fea’s work is my favorite historical read of 2013 simply because it helped me glean more from all the other historical books I read. With an engaging style, Fea lays out a foundation for a responsible, useful, and distinctly Christian study of history. While the book’s aim is undergraduate students of history, the book is a worthy read for anyone looking for an introduction (or refresher) to the formal study of history. If you missed it on your 2013 reading list, I encourage you to make room for it during 2014.

Dustin Bruce

Annette G. Aubert, The German Roots of Nineteenth-Century American Theology(New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2013)

the german roots

In this new study, Annette G. Aubert sheds fresh light on a neglected area of American religious history. As she notes, philosophers have paid due attention to the impact of German thinkers like Hegel and Kant on American philosophy, but the parallel is thin when it comes to theology and church history before the twentieth century. Aubert focuses on the relationship between the German theology of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768–1854), Ernst Hengstenburg (1802–1869), and Vermittlungstheologie (mediating theology) and the American theology of the nineteenth-century Princetonians, like Charles Hodge (1797–1878). She claims that most American religious historical treatments have limited the transatlantic dimension to the relationship between British and American theology—especially emphasizing the role of Scottish Common Sense philosophy—while the continent, and Germany in particular, have been overlooked. Perhaps the lesson is that more American religious historians need to learn some other languages. This book is an excellent historiographical survey in intellectual and transatlantic history, and it will contribute to establishing a fruitful foundation for further studies like it.

Ryan P. Hoselton

Alister McGrath, C.S. Lewis, A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet(Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2013)

lewis-mcgrath

Perhaps the greatest strength of McGrath’s intellectual biography of Lewis is its frank assessment of its subject’s weaknesses. Here you see Lewis’ towering intellect and imagination set alongside his personal idiosyncrasies and frequent relational difficulties. McGrath details Lewis’ often uneasy friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien and others, along with his reluctant rise to prominence as a popular apologist for the Christian faith and shows why many evangelicals adore Lewis while a minority regards him with grave suspicion. McGrath’s work is a bit slow going in the early pages but grows more compelling as he begins to deal with Lewis’ relationships about a third of the way in. All in all, this well-written work will become the standard scholarly work on the life and work of Clive Staples Lewis.

Jeff Robinson

D.G. Hart, Calvinism: A History(New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2013)

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Darryl Hart has produced an expansive treatment of the history of the Reformed/Presbyterian confessional tradition. Although the title is a misnomer since Calvinism outside of confessional Presbyterianism is largely left untreated, it is nevertheless a magisterial treatment of those Protestant churches that trace their history and beliefs back to Calvin. The scope and cogency of this book made it one of my favorite church history books of 2013.

Steve Weaver

Timothy George, Theology of the Reformers(Revised edition; Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2013)

theology-reformers-202x300

Without a doubt, the Reformation is among the two or three most important turning-points in the past thousand years of church history. But given the major changes that have taken place theologically and ecclesiologically in the last century or so, it is easy for us to forget the importance of that momentous event. This new edition of Timothy George’s reliable study of the theology of five key Protestants (he has rightfully added William Tyndale to the original four of Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, and Simons) is a tremendous reminder of the significance of the Reformation and the nature of its doctrinal emphases. While these men did not always agree among themselves, their thought changed their world—and for us, their heirs, we would have to say, it was a change for the better.

Michael Haykin

Norman Etherington, ed.,  Missions and Empire(New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005)

missionsandempire

The tremendous growth of Christianity on the continents of Africa and Asia during the past two hundred years constitutes one of the most remarkable cultural transformations in the history of humanity. In this insightful volume Etherington traces the religious, political, colonial, and economic interaction between the British Empire and Western missionaries. While some historians criticize Western missions for employing cultural imperialism, widespread historical evidence does not actually support this critique, though there were certainly imperialistic exceptions involving coercion.  This volume argues that:

“The most important late twentieth-century scholarly insight into the growth of Christianity in the British Empire was that European missionaries accomplished very little in the way of conversion.  The greatest difficulty faced by those who have tried to argue that Christian missions were a form of cultural imperialism has been the overwhelming evidence that the agents of conversion were local people, not foreign missionaries.”

Evan Burns

Jamin Goggin and Kyle Strobel, eds., Reading the Christian Spiritual Classics: A Guide for Evangelicals (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013)

Reading-Christian-Spiritual-Classics

This multi-author work provides a great historical overview of why and how evangelicals ought to read classics of Christian literature from all of the major spiritual traditions and each period in Church history. Each chapter also contains helpful summaries of the key works. Highly recommended.

Joe Harrod

Tom Nettles, Living by Revealed Truth: The Life and Pastoral Theology of Charles Haddon Spurgeon (Fearn, Ross-shire: Mentor, 2013)

spurgeon

It had long been my conviction that, despite the goodly number of Spurgeon biographies that have been written since the Baptist preacher’s death in 1892, there really was lacking a definitive study that not only took into account his remarkable ministry and the inspiring details of his life, but also adequately dealt with the theology of the man. Well, that slot has now been filled by Tom Nettles’ magnum opus. Here is an all-round study of Spurgeon that provides us with a fully reliable, substantial examination of an extremely important figure in the life of not only Victorian Evangelicalism, but also 20th century Christianity.

Michael Haykin

Announcing The pure flame of devotion: The history of Christian spirituality–Essays in honor of Michael A.G. Haykin

By Dustin Bruce

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Last night (November 18, 2013), friends, colleagues, and family of Dr. Michael Haykin gathered to honor his life and ministry on account of his 60th birthday  (11/24/13). The surprise party, planned to coincide with the annual conference of the Evangelical Theological Society, was held at the Baltimore Hilton and featured a presentation of both a portrait of Samuel Pearce and a book written in his honor.

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Dr. Tom Nettles presented Haykin with a portrait of Samuel Pearce, an eighteenth-century English Baptist pastor and one of Haykin’s favorite historical figures. The portrait was an original painting by Dr. Nettles’ son, Robert Nettles.

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Then, much to his surprise, a Festschrift entitled The pure flame of devotion was presented to Haykin by Steve Weaver, who edited the volume along with Ian Clary. Over two years in the making, The pure flame of devotion features a foreword by Dr. Russell Moore and 23 essays on the history of Christian spirituality by such leading scholars as David Hogg, Carl Trueman, Joel Beeke, Tom Nettles, and Don Whitney.

Dr. Albert R. Mohler, Jr. offered a word of appreciation for Haykin on behalf of Southern Seminary. According to Mohler, the Festschrift, with its range of contributors and subjects,testifies to the broad impact Haykin’s scholarship has made across the Christian community. Mohler noted, however, that it is in churches ranging from Canada to Kentucky that Haykin will ultimately have the most impact.

Front Cover

Finally, Haykin expressed his heartfelt thanks to everyone involved with the event and especially to Steve Weaver and Ian Clary for compiling and editing the volume in his honor. Recounting the Lord’s blessings, Haykin spoke of feeling unworthy, but grateful, for the Festschrift and the friendships it represents.

Copies of The pure flame of devotion may be purchased from Amazon and Joshua Press.

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Dustin Bruce lives in Louisville, KY where he is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Southwestern Seminary. Dustin and his wife, Whitney, originally hail from Alabama.

Dr. Haykin contributes to New Book on the Atonement

By Steve Weaver

Final cover

Releasing this month from Crossway is a massive new book on the doctrine of definite atonement titled From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective. As the title suggests, this volume will approach the doctrine historically, biblically, theologically, and pastorally.

Edited by David and Jonathan Gibson, the volume assembles a world-class group of scholars to address their "particular" topics. Dr. Haykin drew from his patristic training to write his chapter: “We Trust in the Saving Blood”: Definite Atonement in the Ancient Church.

There is a website dedicated to promoting the book. On the website, you will find a list of the contributors, the table of contents, endorsements, and a free preview (PDF) of the book.

The book is slated to release on November 30, 2013, but is already available for pre-order from Amazon.com.

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Steve Weaver serves as a research assistant to the director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies and a fellow of the Center. He also serves as senior pastor of Farmdale Baptist Church in Frankfort, KY. Steve and his wife Gretta have six children between the ages of 2 and 14.