The reformers and puritans as spiritual mentors

Historian Michael Haykin examines the lives of such Reformers as William Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer and John Calvin to see how their display of the light of the gospel in their day provides us with a “usable past”-models of Christian conviction and living who can speak into our lives today. Born in a time of spiritual darkness, they model what reformation involves for church and culture: a deep commitment to God’s Word as the vehicle of renewal, a willingness to die for the gospel and a rock-solid commitment to the triune God. As a reminder that at the heart of the Reformation was a confessional Christianity, an essay on two Reformation confessions is also included. The Puritan figures who are studied are Richard Greenham, Oliver Cromwell, John Owen, Richard Baxter and his wife Margaret, and John Bunyan. In addition, a study of the translation of the King James Bible (KJB) reminds us that the Puritans, like the Reformers, were Word-saturated men and women-may we be as well.

Publisher: Joshua Press
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781894400398

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Michael A. G. Haykin is professor of church history and biblical spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Steve Weaver is the pastor of West Broadway Baptist Church in Lenoir City, Tennessee

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Michael Haykin provides an overview of the Reformers and Puritans. Yet so much has been exhausted on both groups. What Haykin actually does , aside from being up some lesser discussed topics ( like marriage ) and some of the names sometimes overlooked. It provides a great surgery and starting point for anyone wanting to study either group, but especially the Puritans. Rather than portray them as a golden generation, he shows how they dealt with the trials of their time. They are an example to follow as we deal with the struggles of our time. Matthew A. Crawford