Fraternal Book Reviews 2007
Teesside Fraternal Book Reviews Session 2007-06-06
Philip Tait:
I was talking about books on nineteenth-century church history. The one that started me looking at this period is:
Ian J Shaw High Calvinists in Action (OUP)
Some aspects of this history are very surprising:
Many of the churches were independent without being congregational, ruled by the pastor and not the deacons or the church meeting.
There were some very fine doctrinal distinctions: High Calvinists, Evangelical Calvinists, Fullerites etc. And there were two quite distinct groupings calling themselves “Strict Baptist” – separated churches (the ancestors of the Grace Baptists) and strict-communion churches remaining within wider Baptist circles, even in the Baptist Union.
However the doctrinal questions did not stop the churches working in the community in quite surprising ways. Gadsby and his son, for example, were leading lights in Manchester radical politics.
I draw two lessons from this:
We have a duty to be faithful to the word of God, and to strive to get our doctrine practice right. But maybe the Twenty-Second Century will find our differences of opinion as recondite as those the Nineteenth Century seem to us. It helps to give us a sense of proportion.
Whatever our differences, and whatever conclusions we come to on doctrine and practice, there is no excuse for inaction.
Other books on the period that I have read include:
Kenneth Dix Strict and Particular (Strict Baptist Historical Society)
Geoffrey R Breed Particular Baptists in Victorian England (Baptist Historical Society) – this is the book that uncovers the hitherto unsuspected group of non-separated Strict Baptists.
J H Philpott The Seceders (Banner of Truth)
B A Ramsbottom William Gadsby (Gospel Standard) – amazingly, this is the only biography of Gadsby apart from the memoir by his son.
J Edwin Orr The Second Evangelical Awakening in Britain (Marshall Morgan & Scott)
And two that await my attention:
William Gibson The Year of Grace (Ambassador)
Robert W Oliver History of the English Calvinistic Baptists 1771-1892 (Banner of Truth)
Mark Rowcroft
A History of the Work of Redemption (Jonathan Edwards)
Intended to write a Biblical theology – unable to do so.
Sermons preached in Northampton in 1739 published after his death.
Begins with Isaiah 51:8.
All history is subservient to the work of redemption.
Three Parts:
1) The fall to the incarnation.
Everything is being prepared for Christ’s coming.
In different ways the world was being pointed to Christ.
Abounds with helpful insights (Illustration of sun & moon).
2) The incarnation to the resurrection.
Humiliation & exaltation of Christ.
Son of God could not obey or suffer without becoming a man.
All his life he was purchasing redemption – bearing the curse.
Powerful evangelistic arguments. e.g. Self righteousness is ridiculous as creation is easier than redemption.
3) The resurrection to the end of the world (success of purchase).
Four parts: Resurrection to fall of Jerusalem; Fall of Jerusalem to time of Constantine; Time of Constantine to fall of Satan’s visible kingdom; The church’s prosperous state.
Then moves to the final judgment.
Robust Postmillennialism.
Applies specific texts (e.g. in Revelation) to specific events.
Sees Pope as Antichrist.
Sees time of Constantine as a great time for the church.
While we may not go along with his general approach or all the details in third section, there is much that is very helpful.
Antidote to an overly pessimistic Amillennialism.
Pauses at different points to make application.
Closing applications speak helpfully of the nature of God.
Providence – like a river and all the branches flow into the river which flows to the ocean which is God & redemption. Sometimes we can only see the branches.
Very encouraging and stimulating book.
David Magowan:
The Word became fresh
Dale Ralph Davis
Christian Focus (Mentor)
154 pages, £9.99
ISBN 1-84550-1926
This is vintage Dale Ralph Davis – accessible and practical scholarship in a readable and stimulating style.
The subtitle of the book is How to preach from Old Testament narrative texts and that’s exactly what Davis describes. With many examples, and interesting illustrations, he teaches us how to grapple honestly with what can sometimes be intimidating and difficult and uncomfortable portions of Scripture.
He says that he has no special tricks or hidden secrets to offer to unlock the riches of Old Testament narratives — rather he urges us to ask questions of the text and to scrutinise it, looking not only for what is said, but also what is not said.
We are encouraged to develop and cultivate a ‘first-time reader’ frame of mind so that we can feel the tension and sense the surprise — so that the Word might become fresh.
Davis is keen that we are both macroscopic as well as microscopic – that we see both the big picture of the chapter or the book as a whole, and notice the detail of individual verses and words.
This is a book, suitable not only to preachers and teachers, but which can be read with great profit by all Christians who want to get more of a handle on Old Testament narrative.
David Magowan
Whitby
Paul Lintott:
Title: Jonathan Edwards – The Holy Spirit in Revival
Author: Michael A.G. Haykin
Publisher: EP
No. of pages: 227
ISBN: 0-85234-599-3
Price: £8.95
Michael Haykin who is the principle of Toronto Baptist Seminary has done us a great service by drawing together the material of Jonathan Edwards on the true work of the Holy Spirit when He comes in power. His book looks at five main works of Edwards but contains other references including his journals and letters.
We begin with a brief biography and reflection on Edwards then launch into various chapters dealing with how the genuine work of the Spirit should be discerned. The book has a mixture of chapters on events and people and then analysis of Edward’s own writings.
There is some helpful material on distinguishing the difference between extraordinary experience of the Holy Spirit and mere human enthusiasm, which as others have said before is good, sensible and mature advice as we meet people who have very different ideas to Edwards on what the Holy Spirit does in our hearts and lives. Some may be interested on the chapter that deals with Edwards view on the continuation of the spectacular gifts which touches on his views of the end times.
The sections that deal with the effect of the Holy Spirit on the heart; in essence two summaries of Edwards on “Distinguishing Marks” and “Religious Affections” are superb and a tremendous challenge.
The book concludes with three appendices that deal with some of Edwards’ unpublished material, a paper on the theology of beauty and then an examination of Edward’s daughter Esther’s spirituality.
I found the book an extremely stimulating read and one can’t help but be moved by the obvious seriousness and passion with which Edwards loved God and also greatly encouraged to look for the same signs of true godliness and spiritually in one’s own life. Haykin’s summaries are superbly clear and make the material very accessible and easy to comprehend.
Well worth the cover price!
