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A Quest for Godliness
J. I. Packer has had a long-standing passion for the Puritans. Their understanding of God and His ways with man has largely formed his own spirituality and theological outlook. In A Quest for Godliness, the esteemed author of Knowing God and a dozen other books shares with his readers the rich world of Puritanism that has been so influential in his own life.
Dr. Packer masterfully uncovers the hidden treasures of Puritan life and thought. With crystalline clarity he reveals the depth and breadth of Puritan spiritual life, contrasting it with the superficiality and deadness of modern Western Christianity.
Drawing on a lifetime of study, Dr. Packer takes the reader on a survey of the lives and teachings of great Puritan leaders such as John Owen, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards. He offers a close look at such subjects as the Puritan view of the Bible, spiritual gifts, the Sabbath, worship, social action, and the family. He concludes that a main difference between the Puritans and ourselves is spiritual maturity--the Puritans had it; we don't.
In a time of failing vision and decaying values, this powerful portrait of Puritans is a beacon of hope that calls us to radical commitment and action when both are desperately needed.
A Quest for Godliness is a profoundly moving and challenging exploration of Puritan life and thought in a beautifully written book. Here is J. I. Packer at his very best.
Dr. Packer masterfully uncovers the hidden treasures of Puritan life and thought. With crystalline clarity he reveals the depth and breadth of Puritan spiritual life, contrasting it with the superficiality and deadness of modern Western Christianity.
Drawing on a lifetime of study, Dr. Packer takes the reader on a survey of the lives and teachings of great Puritan leaders such as John Owen, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards. He offers a close look at such subjects as the Puritan view of the Bible, spiritual gifts, the Sabbath, worship, social action, and the family. He concludes that a main difference between the Puritans and ourselves is spiritual maturity--the Puritans had it; we don't.
In a time of failing vision and decaying values, this powerful portrait of Puritans is a beacon of hope that calls us to radical commitment and action when both are desperately needed.
A Quest for Godliness is a profoundly moving and challenging exploration of Puritan life and thought in a beautifully written book. Here is J. I. Packer at his very best.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
J.I. Packer
413 books808 followersWhat do J. I. Packer, Billy Graham and Richard John Neuhaus have in common? Each was recently named by TIME magazine as among the 25 most influential evangelicals in America.
Dr. Packer, the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, was hailed by TIME as “a doctrinal Solomon” among Protestants. “Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, Packer helps unify a community [evangelicalism] that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.”
Knowing God, Dr. Packer’s seminal 1973 work, was lauded as a book which articulated shared beliefs for members of diverse denominations; the TIME profile quotes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington as saying, “conservative Methodists and Presbyterians and Baptists could all look to [Knowing God] and say, ‘This sums it all up for us.’”
In a similar tribute to Dr. Packer almost ten years ago, American theologian Mark Noll wrote in Christianity Today that, “Packer’s ability to address immensely important subjects in crisp, succinct sentences is one of the reasons why, both as an author and speaker, he has played such an important role among American evangelicals for four decades.”
For over 25 years Regent College students have been privileged to study under Dr. Packer’s clear and lucid teaching, and our faculty, staff and students celebrate the international recognition he rightly receives as a leading Christian thinker and teacher.
(https://www.regent-college.edu/facult...)
Dr. Packer, the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, was hailed by TIME as “a doctrinal Solomon” among Protestants. “Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, Packer helps unify a community [evangelicalism] that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.”
Knowing God, Dr. Packer’s seminal 1973 work, was lauded as a book which articulated shared beliefs for members of diverse denominations; the TIME profile quotes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington as saying, “conservative Methodists and Presbyterians and Baptists could all look to [Knowing God] and say, ‘This sums it all up for us.’”
In a similar tribute to Dr. Packer almost ten years ago, American theologian Mark Noll wrote in Christianity Today that, “Packer’s ability to address immensely important subjects in crisp, succinct sentences is one of the reasons why, both as an author and speaker, he has played such an important role among American evangelicals for four decades.”
For over 25 years Regent College students have been privileged to study under Dr. Packer’s clear and lucid teaching, and our faculty, staff and students celebrate the international recognition he rightly receives as a leading Christian thinker and teacher.
(https://www.regent-college.edu/facult...)
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June 3, 2011
This is part of a book review I wrote for both Knowing God and Quest for Godliness. I have tried to save the 5 stars for truly outstanding books. I encourage you to read this.
...In Dr. Packer’s A Quest for Godliness, he first goes through the rich history of the Puritans. He then writes about the Puritans and their views on Christian foundations (the Bible, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit, etc) and how the depth of their works and life should be used today. Our readings for this book focused a lot on Richard Baxter, John Owens, and Jonathan Edwards, men to whom we are greatly indebted to for their great spiritual impact in both their day and today.
Critique
These books were both excellent, however, I would highly admonish all to read A Quest for Godliness. While Dr. Packer writes about major parts of the Christian faith in Knowing God, his narrative of the Puritans as well as his summaries and practical insights on their lives was incredible. His expertise and knowledge on the Puritans is astounding. The book is well written, and thick with insights. It is a book that needs to be carefully read and thought through. At times I do think he paints an idealistic view of the Puritans, especially early on, but in the end, you realize that his idealism comes from the wealth of blessings that Dr. Packer and many have received from them. I greatly appreciate both Dr. Packer’s and the Puritans love for God and desire to point the reader to love our Creator, and to do so in way that is honoring to God, out of love, thankfulness, and reverence.
Application
The Puritans were in a unique stage of history where they were blessed with a wealth of understanding into the Scriptures. They were able to extract the gold from God’s word, so to speak. As I read this book, it seemed that Dr. Packer was the tour guide, showing the Biblical gold that the Puritans labored at vigorously to unearth. There isn’t a secret to their work, they loved Christ and God greatly blessed them. We can have what they had through Christ and we can learn much through the Puritans. I want this, and this book pushed me towards wanting Christ more and to share Him and His work with many. This is a book I hope to read multiple times in my life. I think that there is lots of application, from prayer, reading the Bible, worship, to understanding the necessity of revival and praying that God would bring revival.
Best Quote
“The healthy Christian is not necessarily the extrovert, ebullient Christian, but the Christian who has a sense of God’s presence stamped deep on his soul, who trembles at God’s word, who lets it dwell in him richly by constant meditation upon it, and who test and reforms his life daily in response to it..” (Pg. 116)
...In Dr. Packer’s A Quest for Godliness, he first goes through the rich history of the Puritans. He then writes about the Puritans and their views on Christian foundations (the Bible, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit, etc) and how the depth of their works and life should be used today. Our readings for this book focused a lot on Richard Baxter, John Owens, and Jonathan Edwards, men to whom we are greatly indebted to for their great spiritual impact in both their day and today.
Critique
These books were both excellent, however, I would highly admonish all to read A Quest for Godliness. While Dr. Packer writes about major parts of the Christian faith in Knowing God, his narrative of the Puritans as well as his summaries and practical insights on their lives was incredible. His expertise and knowledge on the Puritans is astounding. The book is well written, and thick with insights. It is a book that needs to be carefully read and thought through. At times I do think he paints an idealistic view of the Puritans, especially early on, but in the end, you realize that his idealism comes from the wealth of blessings that Dr. Packer and many have received from them. I greatly appreciate both Dr. Packer’s and the Puritans love for God and desire to point the reader to love our Creator, and to do so in way that is honoring to God, out of love, thankfulness, and reverence.
Application
The Puritans were in a unique stage of history where they were blessed with a wealth of understanding into the Scriptures. They were able to extract the gold from God’s word, so to speak. As I read this book, it seemed that Dr. Packer was the tour guide, showing the Biblical gold that the Puritans labored at vigorously to unearth. There isn’t a secret to their work, they loved Christ and God greatly blessed them. We can have what they had through Christ and we can learn much through the Puritans. I want this, and this book pushed me towards wanting Christ more and to share Him and His work with many. This is a book I hope to read multiple times in my life. I think that there is lots of application, from prayer, reading the Bible, worship, to understanding the necessity of revival and praying that God would bring revival.
Best Quote
“The healthy Christian is not necessarily the extrovert, ebullient Christian, but the Christian who has a sense of God’s presence stamped deep on his soul, who trembles at God’s word, who lets it dwell in him richly by constant meditation upon it, and who test and reforms his life daily in response to it..” (Pg. 116)
February 21, 2020
Outstanding. I already had a great appreciation for the Puritans, but this book by J.I. Packer only launches that appreciation into the stratosphere.
August 15, 2019
It has been 19 years since I first read this book all the way through. In the years since, I have reread several of these chapters, and more importantly, have dived deeply into the vast ocean of Puritan literature for myself. Whatever love I have for the Puritans today, I owe largely to Packer’s wonderful introduction, and (further back) to my Dad’s love for the Puritans in my growing up years.
My second time all the way through this book was the really enjoyable. The chapters, of course, began as papers presented by Packer at the annual Puritan conference, jointly lead by Packer with D. Martyn Lloyd Jones. As such, the one unifying theme between chapters is the Puritan subject matter, the chapters themselves addressing a wide variety of Puritan themes and persons.
The material on John Owen (chapters 5, 8, 12, and 13) is exceptionally good. Though Packer had a special affinity for Richard Baxter, and speaks of him often (including helpful critique on Baxter’s views on justification, in chapter 9), I am much less of a fan. More helpful are the expository chapters on the conscience (ch. 7), The witness of the Spirit (ch. 11), preaching (ch. 17), and evangelism (ch. 18). I also think the first four chapters and the afterword — all of which actually serve as introductions to the Puritans from several different angles — are worth their weight in gold. Chapter 19, on Jonathan Edwards and Revival, is also excellent.
My least favorite is chapter 14, on The Puritans and the Lord’s Day — probably because I am not a Sabbatarian in the way the Puritans were, and think the continental reformers were much more on point on this issue.
As with all of Packer’s books, I am amazed at just how much he packs in (truly living up to his name!) and find his capacity for succinct synthesis and summary to be at once both illuminating and suggestive of further thought.
My second time all the way through this book was the really enjoyable. The chapters, of course, began as papers presented by Packer at the annual Puritan conference, jointly lead by Packer with D. Martyn Lloyd Jones. As such, the one unifying theme between chapters is the Puritan subject matter, the chapters themselves addressing a wide variety of Puritan themes and persons.
The material on John Owen (chapters 5, 8, 12, and 13) is exceptionally good. Though Packer had a special affinity for Richard Baxter, and speaks of him often (including helpful critique on Baxter’s views on justification, in chapter 9), I am much less of a fan. More helpful are the expository chapters on the conscience (ch. 7), The witness of the Spirit (ch. 11), preaching (ch. 17), and evangelism (ch. 18). I also think the first four chapters and the afterword — all of which actually serve as introductions to the Puritans from several different angles — are worth their weight in gold. Chapter 19, on Jonathan Edwards and Revival, is also excellent.
My least favorite is chapter 14, on The Puritans and the Lord’s Day — probably because I am not a Sabbatarian in the way the Puritans were, and think the continental reformers were much more on point on this issue.
As with all of Packer’s books, I am amazed at just how much he packs in (truly living up to his name!) and find his capacity for succinct synthesis and summary to be at once both illuminating and suggestive of further thought.
April 28, 2020
This is JI Packer on steroids. Favorite chapters were ‘John Owen on Communication from God’ and ‘Puritan Evangelism’
June 9, 2020
My first encounter with the term "Puritan" was in A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials, in seventh grade - it was not a flattering rendering. The group is often caricatured in popular culture for reasons that Packer gets into (this caricaturization was already common in their own period), but this is not where the meat of the book lies. The book is both highly technical in its dissection of Puritan doctrine and inspirational in its characterization of the Puritan lifestyle and its norms. I recommend it reading it.
December 29, 2020
Packer is a witty writer that forces readers to think intentionally about the Puritan way of living. This book is a call for Christians to put down the cool ways of culture and to turn to the Puritan ways of living. Packer does this by walking through six areas of life that the Puritans often wrote about. This book is incredibly profound and would be a great primer to actually reading Puritan writings. The goal of this book is to reintroduce Christians of the 21st century that are “zany piggies” to the “wise giants” of the Puritan age. The goal is accomplished exceedingly well.
January 24, 2018
“But in seeking to honor and please God by the methodical holiness of mortifying sin, vivifying habits of grace, keeping the Sabbath, governing one’s family, mastering the Bible, working hard in one’s calling, practicing purity, justice, and philanthropy in all relationships, and keeping up communion with God by regular, constant prayer, Puritans were all at one, and all the more so because these were the things that their preachers most stressed.”
This sentence embodies the life of the English Puritans. Packer compares them often to the huge Redwood trees of California, the “trees that are not handsome in any conventional sense, but have very straight, strong, solid trunks.” Such were the Puritans. And oh how important they are for us today.
Packer covers well, as the title suggest, the basics of the Puritan view of the Christian life. How they worshipped, how they preached, how they read the Scriptures. The day-to-day practices of husbands and wives and the catechizing of children. The observance and feasting on the Lord’s Day (or Christian Sabbath). All of which we, the modern church, have much to learn from. He also takes some time to dive into the lives and thoughts of some of the history’s giants: John Owen, Richard Baxter, etc..
To say this work by Packer was a help to me is an understatement. It was more like a companion. Maybe because hardly any book has ever taken me so long to read? It came to a point where I didn't care how long it took to read it, I wanted to wade through this one slow and surely. And it was more than worth it. I told my wife as I finished it that I might just start it over. And truly, I might.
This sentence embodies the life of the English Puritans. Packer compares them often to the huge Redwood trees of California, the “trees that are not handsome in any conventional sense, but have very straight, strong, solid trunks.” Such were the Puritans. And oh how important they are for us today.
Packer covers well, as the title suggest, the basics of the Puritan view of the Christian life. How they worshipped, how they preached, how they read the Scriptures. The day-to-day practices of husbands and wives and the catechizing of children. The observance and feasting on the Lord’s Day (or Christian Sabbath). All of which we, the modern church, have much to learn from. He also takes some time to dive into the lives and thoughts of some of the history’s giants: John Owen, Richard Baxter, etc..
To say this work by Packer was a help to me is an understatement. It was more like a companion. Maybe because hardly any book has ever taken me so long to read? It came to a point where I didn't care how long it took to read it, I wanted to wade through this one slow and surely. And it was more than worth it. I told my wife as I finished it that I might just start it over. And truly, I might.
December 17, 2019
Um livro muito agradável. Esta é uma ótima exposição da visão puritana em diversos aspectos, desde doutrinários a práticos. Alguns capítulos chegaram a me emocionar, sem contar a excelência de citações e fontes que abrilhantam a maravilhosa escrita de Packer — julgo não ter uma só página sem grifos meus. O interessante é que o autor, em cada capítulo, buscou contrastar a grandeza dos puritanos com o evangelicalismo atual. De fato, somos pigmeus quando adentramos às terras dos escritos puritanos, os gigantes esquecidos. Eles eram diferentes no que buscavam ser cada vez mais parecidos com os princípios bíblicos de vida cristã e com o primitivismo. Citando Chesterton, Packer finaliza: "Não é que o cristianismo tenha sido sondado e achado em falta, mas é que tem sido achado difícil e não tem sido colocado em prática". O cristianismo puro — e purificado, por quê não? — pregado pelos puritanos caracteriza-os como um exemplo a ser seguido pelos cristãos de hoje. Chamar-nos de puritanos seria, sim, um elogio.
August 21, 2020
Although it took a few chapters for me to get into, I found this book to be richly practical and satisfactorily honest. He does not paint the Puritans in any colors far from honest ones, and because of that, he is able to give good application to accurate facts.
January 7, 2022
A very helpful and devotionally stirring introduction to the thought and practice of the Puritans by, perhaps, their greatest modern heir.
September 5, 2020
Best book I’ve read all year.
I was inspired to (finally) pick up this book after reading many of the moving tributes to JI Packer after his death earlier this year. It certainly takes on an extra dimension being read in the light of that.
In this book, Packer introduces us to the Puritans, their theology, their spirituality and their ministries, with lots of helpful insight, lessons and challenges for us.
Being in ministry ourselves, in a slow and isolated location, this book has been thoroughly encouraging. The Puritans knew how - and why - to keep on when things were tough and/or discouraging!
I already had an appreciation of the Puritans, having read a bunch of Puritan Paperbacks as a student, and this book has both rekindled and deepened that affection - I’ve ordered a bunch of Puritan Paperbacks in the course of reading this book, and I’m saving my pennies to buy some larger Complete Works!
Very, very good. Thoroughly recommended.
I was inspired to (finally) pick up this book after reading many of the moving tributes to JI Packer after his death earlier this year. It certainly takes on an extra dimension being read in the light of that.
In this book, Packer introduces us to the Puritans, their theology, their spirituality and their ministries, with lots of helpful insight, lessons and challenges for us.
Being in ministry ourselves, in a slow and isolated location, this book has been thoroughly encouraging. The Puritans knew how - and why - to keep on when things were tough and/or discouraging!
I already had an appreciation of the Puritans, having read a bunch of Puritan Paperbacks as a student, and this book has both rekindled and deepened that affection - I’ve ordered a bunch of Puritan Paperbacks in the course of reading this book, and I’m saving my pennies to buy some larger Complete Works!
Very, very good. Thoroughly recommended.
April 16, 2010
A solid treatment of the Puritan life. Before I read this book I thought that Puritans were backwards and strange, but I have come to fully appreciate their zeal for gospel ministry. They have actually become my personal heroes, and I owe it mostly to this book. Great book for anyone interested in theology. It applies as much today as it did 300-400 years ago. This is just an introduction to Puritan theology, and it should spur deeper interest in their writings.
August 23, 2012
Often times the subject of spirituality has Protestants turning to Catholic and Anabaptist mystics. What a shame. Protestants have a rich heritage of heart-felt spirituality that avoids the errors and excess of the mystics. We have the Puritans. This volume is far more than an introduction to the spirituality of the Puritans. It is a passionate call to what they called "experimental religion" - a faith that is thoroughly biblical, doctrinally rich, and passionate.
October 8, 2017
"The hotter sort of Protestants are called Puritans." (from a 16th century tract)
The Puritans were great "thinkers, worshippers, hopers, and warriors."
Excellent read!
The Puritans were great "thinkers, worshippers, hopers, and warriors."
Excellent read!
August 19, 2022
My attempt at a review would be too long, and my words inadequate. This collection of articles by Jim Packer about the Puritans is truly weighty and must be read by every church leader, and ought to be read by every Christian. His analogy between the Puritans and the giant Redwood trees in the U. S. is totally appropriate.
If I could only point out one essential chapter, it would be Packer's introduction to John Owen's "Death Of Death" - it is masterful, intensely satisfying, and soul-enriching. This is Theology on fire. Take up and read.
If I could only point out one essential chapter, it would be Packer's introduction to John Owen's "Death Of Death" - it is masterful, intensely satisfying, and soul-enriching. This is Theology on fire. Take up and read.
September 28, 2023
Fascinating exploration of the life and thought of the Puritans by J.I. Packer. He makes the case that the Puritans were spiritual "redwood trees," and guides the reader into deep dives on their approach to Scripture, conscience, Calvinism, the doctrine of justification, evangelism, worship, marriage & family, spiritual gifts, and revival, interacting with the best of the Puritans on each topic as he goes. Very very very very very very good.
November 23, 2020
Very dry and academic in style. It was difficult to cut through some of the extra fluff but it was worth it to get a glimpse into the thoughts, beliefs, practices, and lives of godliness of these puritans. There were many snippets and sections that I found immensely valuable and practical for my own spiritual growth and understanding.
November 23, 2022
Really good. A worthy introduction to the Puritans. Packer covers a lot of ground! Favourite chapters included: Historical introduction (Ch 3); Conscience (Ch 7); Introduction to Owen's Death of Death (essentially a defence of Calvinism - Ch 8); Spirituality (Ch 12); Marriage & Family (unexpectedly my favourite chapter - Ch 16). A slow, dense read, however.
February 9, 2022
This book demonstrates and explains the helpfulness of the Puritan thought in the Church. Dr. Packer emphatically encourages readers to not only read the book, but explore the references used throughout to explore in-depth the gold mine of Puritan life, thought and theology.
November 29, 2016
Packer does a great job in explaining how the Puritans viewed life, and how they lived it. This is a must read for those who love the Puritans and want to imitate (and we all should!).
"Scripture teaches us our duty. Its instruction is for practice. It must be studied, therefore, for the purpose of setting our lives in order. And God will only prosper our study if we continually exercise ourselves to live by what we learn. Then our knowledge will deepen and expand; but otherwise it will run out into sterile verbiage and mental error."
"The realism of their affirmations of matrimonial affection stemmed from the fact that they went to the Bible for their understanding of the relationship -to Genesis for its institution, to Ephesians for its full meaning, to Leviticus for its hygiene, to Proverbs for its management, to several New Testament books for its ethic, and to Esther, Ruth, and the Song of Solomon for illustrations and exhibitions of the ideal."
"Scripture teaches us our duty. Its instruction is for practice. It must be studied, therefore, for the purpose of setting our lives in order. And God will only prosper our study if we continually exercise ourselves to live by what we learn. Then our knowledge will deepen and expand; but otherwise it will run out into sterile verbiage and mental error."
"The realism of their affirmations of matrimonial affection stemmed from the fact that they went to the Bible for their understanding of the relationship -to Genesis for its institution, to Ephesians for its full meaning, to Leviticus for its hygiene, to Proverbs for its management, to several New Testament books for its ethic, and to Esther, Ruth, and the Song of Solomon for illustrations and exhibitions of the ideal."
June 10, 2010
This is a book that I would encourage anyone who is even remotely interested in theology to read. It is basically a history of the Puritans, told in a more devotional and encouraging style than a simple history book. Packer’s chapter on John Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ is worth the price of the book alone. This is an excellent book on these true giants in the faith.
May 10, 2012
Loved this book. Love the Puritans. For all those who think they were stuffy Christians who just told people what not to do, should read this book. They were the cool, young christians of their day - except they held theology and the discipline in the Christian life as something exciting and not 'life sucking'
August 3, 2017
One of the first reformed books I read. I am not the neo-Puritan I used to be, but this book is important to me if for no other reason than nostalgic ones.
It's probably best known for Packer's famous essay on Owen's Death of Death. I do not hold to Limited Atonement, but this essay (and Owen's book) is probably one of the finest *logical* defenses of it.
It's probably best known for Packer's famous essay on Owen's Death of Death. I do not hold to Limited Atonement, but this essay (and Owen's book) is probably one of the finest *logical* defenses of it.
March 1, 2011
This should challenge perceptions of the Puritans as dour fanatics. My quote on marriage is from this book. After reading this, I wish I had been raised with this worldview from the outset. A really good overview of how we should all view the Christian life.
September 24, 2012
Excellent! Good introduction to Puritans, as well as containing many insights by Dr. Packer himself.
February 17, 2016
Um clássico! Feliz por saber que a editora Fiel irá publicá-lo novamente em algum momento deste semestre!
August 13, 2023
This book belongs on every bookshelf. Packer’s magnum opus on the Puritans, those “Avenue of Giants” whose “help we need if ever we are to grow.”
Below are a few highlights from each chapter:
Ch 1 - Introduction:
“Puritans made me aware that all theology is also spirituality … if our theology does not quicken the conscience and soften the heart, it actually hardens both.” - Packer
Ch 2 - Why we need the Puritans:
“There was for them no disjunction between sacred and secular; all creation, so far as they were concerned, was sacred, and all activities, of whatever kind, must be sanctified, that is done to the glory of God.” - Packer
Ch 3 - Puritanism as a Movement of Revival:
“All churches either rise or fall as the ministry doth rise or fall (not in riches or worldly grandeur) but in knowledge, zeal and ability for their work.” - Richard Baxter
Ch 4 - The Practical Writings of the English Puritans:
Perkins defined theology as “the science of living blessedly forever.”
Ch 5 - John Owen on Communication from God:
“There is a more glorious power and efficacy in one epistle, one psalm, one chapter, than in all the writings of men… He that hath not experience hereof is a stranger unto the power of God in scripture.” - John Owen
Ch 6 - The Puritans as Interpreters of Scripture:
“Think in every line you read that God is speaking to you.” - Thomas Watson
Ch 7 - The Puritan Conscience:
“The conscience is God’s echo of peace to the soul: in life, in death, in judgment it is unspeakable comfort.” - Fenner
Ch 8 - Saved by His Precious Blood:
“Calvinism is the theology of the Bible viewed from the perspective of the Bible- the God-centered outlook which sees the Creator as the source, and means, and end, of everything that is, both in nature and in grace.” - Packer
Ch 9 - The Doctrine of Justification:
“All the great fundamentals of Christian truth, center in this of justification.” - Traill
Ch 10 - The Puritan View of Preaching the Gospel:
“Repentance is not the work of an hour, or a day: but a constant frame, course, and bent of the soul.” - Zachary Crofton
Ch 11 - The Witness of the Spirit in Puritan Thought:
“Faith is the master wheel; it sets all the other graces running.” - Baxter
Ch 12 - The Spirituality of John Owen:
“Affections are in the soul, as the helm is in the ship; if it be laid hold on by a skillful hand, it turneth the whole vessel which way he pleaseth.” - Owen
Ch 13 - John Owen on Spiritual Gifts:
“A ministry devoid of spiritual gifts is sufficient evidence of a church under a degenerating apostasy.” - Owen
Ch 14 - The Puritans and the Lord’s Day:
“Lord’s Day is preeminently ‘a day for heart-work.’ From this point of view, the battle for our Sundays is usually won or lost on the foregoing Saturday night.” - Packer
Ch 15 - The Puritan Approach to Worship:
“Puritans in the approach to worship”… was “itself an approach to God.” - Packer
Ch 16 - Marriage and Family in Puritan Thought:
“Holy families must be the chief preservers of the interest of religion in the world.” - John Geree
Ch 17 - Puritan Preaching:
“Puritans knew that the traveler through the Bible landscape misses his way as soon as he loses sight of the hill called Calvary.” - Packer
Ch 18 - Puritan Evangelism:
“Ministers knock at the door of men’s hearts, the Spirit comes with a key and opens the door.” - Owen
Ch 19 - Jonathan Edwards and Revival:
“The thought of man’s complete dependence on a free omnipotent God controlled Edward’s whole religious outlook, and acted as the guiding principle of his entire theology.”
Ch 20 - Afterword
“Sanctified imagination gives concreteness and color to theological perception.” - Packer
Below are a few highlights from each chapter:
Ch 1 - Introduction:
“Puritans made me aware that all theology is also spirituality … if our theology does not quicken the conscience and soften the heart, it actually hardens both.” - Packer
Ch 2 - Why we need the Puritans:
“There was for them no disjunction between sacred and secular; all creation, so far as they were concerned, was sacred, and all activities, of whatever kind, must be sanctified, that is done to the glory of God.” - Packer
Ch 3 - Puritanism as a Movement of Revival:
“All churches either rise or fall as the ministry doth rise or fall (not in riches or worldly grandeur) but in knowledge, zeal and ability for their work.” - Richard Baxter
Ch 4 - The Practical Writings of the English Puritans:
Perkins defined theology as “the science of living blessedly forever.”
Ch 5 - John Owen on Communication from God:
“There is a more glorious power and efficacy in one epistle, one psalm, one chapter, than in all the writings of men… He that hath not experience hereof is a stranger unto the power of God in scripture.” - John Owen
Ch 6 - The Puritans as Interpreters of Scripture:
“Think in every line you read that God is speaking to you.” - Thomas Watson
Ch 7 - The Puritan Conscience:
“The conscience is God’s echo of peace to the soul: in life, in death, in judgment it is unspeakable comfort.” - Fenner
Ch 8 - Saved by His Precious Blood:
“Calvinism is the theology of the Bible viewed from the perspective of the Bible- the God-centered outlook which sees the Creator as the source, and means, and end, of everything that is, both in nature and in grace.” - Packer
Ch 9 - The Doctrine of Justification:
“All the great fundamentals of Christian truth, center in this of justification.” - Traill
Ch 10 - The Puritan View of Preaching the Gospel:
“Repentance is not the work of an hour, or a day: but a constant frame, course, and bent of the soul.” - Zachary Crofton
Ch 11 - The Witness of the Spirit in Puritan Thought:
“Faith is the master wheel; it sets all the other graces running.” - Baxter
Ch 12 - The Spirituality of John Owen:
“Affections are in the soul, as the helm is in the ship; if it be laid hold on by a skillful hand, it turneth the whole vessel which way he pleaseth.” - Owen
Ch 13 - John Owen on Spiritual Gifts:
“A ministry devoid of spiritual gifts is sufficient evidence of a church under a degenerating apostasy.” - Owen
Ch 14 - The Puritans and the Lord’s Day:
“Lord’s Day is preeminently ‘a day for heart-work.’ From this point of view, the battle for our Sundays is usually won or lost on the foregoing Saturday night.” - Packer
Ch 15 - The Puritan Approach to Worship:
“Puritans in the approach to worship”… was “itself an approach to God.” - Packer
Ch 16 - Marriage and Family in Puritan Thought:
“Holy families must be the chief preservers of the interest of religion in the world.” - John Geree
Ch 17 - Puritan Preaching:
“Puritans knew that the traveler through the Bible landscape misses his way as soon as he loses sight of the hill called Calvary.” - Packer
Ch 18 - Puritan Evangelism:
“Ministers knock at the door of men’s hearts, the Spirit comes with a key and opens the door.” - Owen
Ch 19 - Jonathan Edwards and Revival:
“The thought of man’s complete dependence on a free omnipotent God controlled Edward’s whole religious outlook, and acted as the guiding principle of his entire theology.”
Ch 20 - Afterword
“Sanctified imagination gives concreteness and color to theological perception.” - Packer
October 14, 2023
Disclaimer: if this book was written by any other author I would have stopped reading at the end of section 2.
This work was presented in 4 distinct sections with their own arguments that could have easily sold as 4 distinct volumes. Sections 1 and 2 were thematically and rhetorically related. While sections 3 and 4 were progressively less relevant to the overall argument of the work.
I wish I could rate these as distinct pieces. Because sections 1 and 2 were incredibly sobering. Packer begins with the humbling and almost morbid truth that the Puritans lost almost every spiritual battle they ever fought. And what little ground they may have gained in life has been completely disregarded by modern evangelicals. Packer goes on to show how the Puritans were caricaturized by both evangelicals and secularists in the 20th century. Packer then explains several key tenets of Puritan theology, ecclesiology, and practice. As he explains Puritan theology Packer skillfully shows how the Puritans have been made to be something they were not by forces that were inevitably against them from the start.
In the first two sections I thought the brief history of Puritans was incredibly insightful. I was also incredibly challenged by the fact that my denomination is an inheritance of the Puritans and how “un-Puritan” we truly have become. The defense of Puritan theology was incredibly insightful and may have been the single best part of this book. If I had stopped reading here then the book would have gotten a solid five stars. Packer expertly aggregated a wide variety of Puritan thought and distilled it into easy to understand bite sized introductions.
Section 3 was a brief biography of a few individual Puritans. It felt rushed and out of place when there are better biographies available for every person in view in this section. It felt like this could have been omitted with little to no consequence and the book may have been stronger as a result.
Section four was an examination of Puritan theology in practice. It felt like much of what was covered was already covered in sections 1 and 2. It was also incredibly dry in comparison to the first two chapters that were gut wrenchingly relevant to the the modern church and me in particular. If the Puritans are viewed as dry then it was only fitting that section four of this text would be just as dry.
This work was presented in 4 distinct sections with their own arguments that could have easily sold as 4 distinct volumes. Sections 1 and 2 were thematically and rhetorically related. While sections 3 and 4 were progressively less relevant to the overall argument of the work.
I wish I could rate these as distinct pieces. Because sections 1 and 2 were incredibly sobering. Packer begins with the humbling and almost morbid truth that the Puritans lost almost every spiritual battle they ever fought. And what little ground they may have gained in life has been completely disregarded by modern evangelicals. Packer goes on to show how the Puritans were caricaturized by both evangelicals and secularists in the 20th century. Packer then explains several key tenets of Puritan theology, ecclesiology, and practice. As he explains Puritan theology Packer skillfully shows how the Puritans have been made to be something they were not by forces that were inevitably against them from the start.
In the first two sections I thought the brief history of Puritans was incredibly insightful. I was also incredibly challenged by the fact that my denomination is an inheritance of the Puritans and how “un-Puritan” we truly have become. The defense of Puritan theology was incredibly insightful and may have been the single best part of this book. If I had stopped reading here then the book would have gotten a solid five stars. Packer expertly aggregated a wide variety of Puritan thought and distilled it into easy to understand bite sized introductions.
Section 3 was a brief biography of a few individual Puritans. It felt rushed and out of place when there are better biographies available for every person in view in this section. It felt like this could have been omitted with little to no consequence and the book may have been stronger as a result.
Section four was an examination of Puritan theology in practice. It felt like much of what was covered was already covered in sections 1 and 2. It was also incredibly dry in comparison to the first two chapters that were gut wrenchingly relevant to the the modern church and me in particular. If the Puritans are viewed as dry then it was only fitting that section four of this text would be just as dry.
May 13, 2019
Packer's aim for his collection of essays is that they would merely be history or historical theology, but spirituality. Their focus is on ways in which the Puritans are giants compared to us, and giants whose help we need to grow.
Who were the Puritans?
Puritanism was a movement in 16th and 17th century England, which sought further reformation, and renewal in the Church of England than the Elizabethan settlement allowed. At its heart, this was a spiritual movement, passionately concerned with God and godliness, and a movement for church reform, pastoral renewal and evangelism, and spiritual revival. In addition, it was a world-view and a total Christian philosophy. The Puritans "were not wild men, fierce and freaky, religious fanatics and social extremists, but sober, conscientious, and cultured citizens, persons of principle, devoted, determined, and disciplined, excelling in the domestic virtues, and with no obvious shortcomings save a tendency to run to words when saying anything important."
The common features of the Puritans were:
1. A set of shared convictions, Biblicist and Calvinist in character about Christian faith and practice, an about congregational life and the pastoral office.
2. A shared sense of calling to work for God's glory in the Church of England by eliminating popery from its worship, prelacy from its government and pagan irreligion from its membership.
3. A shared literature that is catechetical, evangelistic and devotional, and that has a distinctive homiletical style and experiential emphasis.
Why We Need the Puritans
What the Puritans can give us is, in a word, maturity. Packer comments: "Maturity is a compound of wisdom, goodwill, resilience, and creativity." Compared to the Puritans we are spiritual dwarfs, and they can teach us a number of lessons that will help us toward the maturity that they experienced.
1. The integration of their daily lives. The modern term for their lifestyle would be holistic, as every aspect of their lives was integrated in the single purpose of honouring God.
2. The quality of their spiritual experience. In the Puritans communion with God, Jesus Christ was central and scripture was supreme, and they were consciously methodical in their approach to biblical truth.
3. Their passion for effective action, completely shunning self-reliance and depending utterly on God to work in and through them.
4. Their program for family stability, with their high view of marriage and child rearing. The Puritan ethic of nurture was to train up their children in the way they should go, teaching them to care for their bodies and souls together and educating them for sober, godly, socially useful adult living. The Puritan ethic of home life was based on maintaining order, courtesy and family worship, with goodwill, patience, consistency and an encouraging attitude seen as the essential domestic virtues.
5. Their sense of human worth, with a vivid awareness of the greatness of moral issues, of eternity and of the human soul.
6. Their ideal of church renewal, or revival, centred on the reformed doctrine of justification by faith and requiring the thorough renewal of the pastorate as well as each individual Christian.
In summary, the Puritans were "men of outstanding intellectual power, as well as spiritual insight. In them, mental habits fostered by sober scholarship were linked with a flaming zeal for God and a minute acquaintance with the human heart...In thought and outlook they were radically God-centred. Their appreciation of God's sovereign majesty was profound, and their reverence in handling his written word was deep and constant...They applied their understanding of the mind of God to every branch of life, seeing the church, the family, the state, the arts and sciences, the world of commerce and industry, no less that the devotions of the individual, as so many spheres in which God must be served and honoured."
In sum, the Puritans were Englishmen who embraced whole-heartedly a version of Christianity that paraded a particular brand of Biblicist, pietist, churchly and worldly concerns. As business-like believers, unpretentiously serious, humble, sober, and confident in Christ, fair and just in all their dealings, wholly uncompromising when God's truth and glory were at stake, and willing to accept unpopularity and suffer for taking a stand, they were far and away the most impressive Englishmen of the era, and have done as much for English and American Christianity as any group of would-be change agents in history, and continue to do so.
Their piety exhibited four main characteristics, all formed by the Puritan view of who God is and what he does:
1. Humility.
2. Receptivity to the teaching and correction of Scripture and providence.
3. Doxology and the passion to turn everything into worship and to glorify God in every word and deed.
4. Energy, where laziness and passivity are damned as irreligious because so much remains to be done before God's name is hallowed in the world as it should be.
In the combination of these qualities lies the secret of the Puritans indomitable and inexhaustible inner strength. Additionally, they held to four key realities and had four overarching areas of concern. The former are the sovereignty and sanctity of God; the dignity and depravity of mankind; the love and lordship of Christ; and the light and power of the Holy Spirit. The latter, on which their preaching dwelt, can be summarised as the first steps, the fight, the fellowship and the finish.
Further, the Puritans emphasised the need for Christians to see themselves as warrior pilgrims; the need for Christians to educate and heed their consciences; the need for Christians to sanctify all relationships; and the need for Christians to delight in God and praise him joyfully at all times.
Packer unpacks many of the wider aspects of Puritan thought and life in detail in the other chapters of this book, and every single one is packed full of gold that will delight and nourish any Christian who wants to grow in maturity and depth insight in the faith.
The Puritans were saints of great stature, showing the comparative stuntedness of most believers in the modern West. They were great thinkers, great worshippers, great hopers and great warriors and we should learn from them all that we can, and pray that God would make us likewise in our day.
My detailed summary of the book is available here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Vly...
Who were the Puritans?
Puritanism was a movement in 16th and 17th century England, which sought further reformation, and renewal in the Church of England than the Elizabethan settlement allowed. At its heart, this was a spiritual movement, passionately concerned with God and godliness, and a movement for church reform, pastoral renewal and evangelism, and spiritual revival. In addition, it was a world-view and a total Christian philosophy. The Puritans "were not wild men, fierce and freaky, religious fanatics and social extremists, but sober, conscientious, and cultured citizens, persons of principle, devoted, determined, and disciplined, excelling in the domestic virtues, and with no obvious shortcomings save a tendency to run to words when saying anything important."
The common features of the Puritans were:
1. A set of shared convictions, Biblicist and Calvinist in character about Christian faith and practice, an about congregational life and the pastoral office.
2. A shared sense of calling to work for God's glory in the Church of England by eliminating popery from its worship, prelacy from its government and pagan irreligion from its membership.
3. A shared literature that is catechetical, evangelistic and devotional, and that has a distinctive homiletical style and experiential emphasis.
Why We Need the Puritans
What the Puritans can give us is, in a word, maturity. Packer comments: "Maturity is a compound of wisdom, goodwill, resilience, and creativity." Compared to the Puritans we are spiritual dwarfs, and they can teach us a number of lessons that will help us toward the maturity that they experienced.
1. The integration of their daily lives. The modern term for their lifestyle would be holistic, as every aspect of their lives was integrated in the single purpose of honouring God.
2. The quality of their spiritual experience. In the Puritans communion with God, Jesus Christ was central and scripture was supreme, and they were consciously methodical in their approach to biblical truth.
3. Their passion for effective action, completely shunning self-reliance and depending utterly on God to work in and through them.
4. Their program for family stability, with their high view of marriage and child rearing. The Puritan ethic of nurture was to train up their children in the way they should go, teaching them to care for their bodies and souls together and educating them for sober, godly, socially useful adult living. The Puritan ethic of home life was based on maintaining order, courtesy and family worship, with goodwill, patience, consistency and an encouraging attitude seen as the essential domestic virtues.
5. Their sense of human worth, with a vivid awareness of the greatness of moral issues, of eternity and of the human soul.
6. Their ideal of church renewal, or revival, centred on the reformed doctrine of justification by faith and requiring the thorough renewal of the pastorate as well as each individual Christian.
In summary, the Puritans were "men of outstanding intellectual power, as well as spiritual insight. In them, mental habits fostered by sober scholarship were linked with a flaming zeal for God and a minute acquaintance with the human heart...In thought and outlook they were radically God-centred. Their appreciation of God's sovereign majesty was profound, and their reverence in handling his written word was deep and constant...They applied their understanding of the mind of God to every branch of life, seeing the church, the family, the state, the arts and sciences, the world of commerce and industry, no less that the devotions of the individual, as so many spheres in which God must be served and honoured."
In sum, the Puritans were Englishmen who embraced whole-heartedly a version of Christianity that paraded a particular brand of Biblicist, pietist, churchly and worldly concerns. As business-like believers, unpretentiously serious, humble, sober, and confident in Christ, fair and just in all their dealings, wholly uncompromising when God's truth and glory were at stake, and willing to accept unpopularity and suffer for taking a stand, they were far and away the most impressive Englishmen of the era, and have done as much for English and American Christianity as any group of would-be change agents in history, and continue to do so.
Their piety exhibited four main characteristics, all formed by the Puritan view of who God is and what he does:
1. Humility.
2. Receptivity to the teaching and correction of Scripture and providence.
3. Doxology and the passion to turn everything into worship and to glorify God in every word and deed.
4. Energy, where laziness and passivity are damned as irreligious because so much remains to be done before God's name is hallowed in the world as it should be.
In the combination of these qualities lies the secret of the Puritans indomitable and inexhaustible inner strength. Additionally, they held to four key realities and had four overarching areas of concern. The former are the sovereignty and sanctity of God; the dignity and depravity of mankind; the love and lordship of Christ; and the light and power of the Holy Spirit. The latter, on which their preaching dwelt, can be summarised as the first steps, the fight, the fellowship and the finish.
Further, the Puritans emphasised the need for Christians to see themselves as warrior pilgrims; the need for Christians to educate and heed their consciences; the need for Christians to sanctify all relationships; and the need for Christians to delight in God and praise him joyfully at all times.
Packer unpacks many of the wider aspects of Puritan thought and life in detail in the other chapters of this book, and every single one is packed full of gold that will delight and nourish any Christian who wants to grow in maturity and depth insight in the faith.
The Puritans were saints of great stature, showing the comparative stuntedness of most believers in the modern West. They were great thinkers, great worshippers, great hopers and great warriors and we should learn from them all that we can, and pray that God would make us likewise in our day.
My detailed summary of the book is available here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Vly...
January 1, 2024
~3.5 rounded up~
On the one hand, this book is full of rich truth. I have highlights on most pages throughout the book.
On the other hand, it was a letdown, because I was hoping for an intro to/overview of the Puritans (which I believe was the goal of the book?) but the “overview” part was lacking. If the author’s job of introducing the Puritans was like the job of describing a whole forest, he disproportionally spent time zoomed in on individual branches and leaves. So, while the content he discussed was still good and solid truth, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book.
I agree with other reviewers who say that you’re probably better off skipping this book and going straight to reading the Puritans themselves.
On the one hand, this book is full of rich truth. I have highlights on most pages throughout the book.
On the other hand, it was a letdown, because I was hoping for an intro to/overview of the Puritans (which I believe was the goal of the book?) but the “overview” part was lacking. If the author’s job of introducing the Puritans was like the job of describing a whole forest, he disproportionally spent time zoomed in on individual branches and leaves. So, while the content he discussed was still good and solid truth, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book.
I agree with other reviewers who say that you’re probably better off skipping this book and going straight to reading the Puritans themselves.
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