The Devoted Life: An Invitation To The Puritan Classics

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 318 pages
• Published by: InterVarsity Press October 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0830827943
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0830827947
• Book Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 1.1 pounds

Product Review
"Despite the Puritans' profound contributions to doctrine and disciplines of Christian life, we have few reliable introductions to their works." -- Stephen R. Spencer, Professor of Theology, Wheaton College

"It is an great idea to celebrate the theology of the Puritan movement by introducing its representative figures-" -- —Paul Helm, Regent College, Vancouver

"Just what we need--a easy to use guide to the spiritual classics of seventeenth-century Puritanism.." -- —Gerald Bray, Anglican Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"This is a grand achievement. An impressive collection of essays that explore some of the more important Puritan texts." -- —Frank A. James III, D.Phil., Ph.D., President and Professor of Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary/Orlando

Product Description
About the Book

The Puritans are frequently maligned but seldom understood. Far from the dour malcontents they are often portrayed to be, most Puritans were wholesomely engaged in life. This book is designed to introduce you to a wide range of influential Puritan writers and a representative work for each that pushes through stereotypes to the heart and soul of these Christian pastors and theologians. With a clear grasp of the historical contexts in which these Puritan works were written, these twenty essays presented by editors Kelly M. Kapic and Randall C. Gleason illuminate the vibrant spirituality of the Puritans that transcend their sometimes surprising political, ecclesiastical and religious differences.

In these pages notable scholars, such as J. I. Packer, John Coffey, Mark Noll, Leland Ryken, Richard Lovelace and Sinclair Ferguson, invite you to sit at the feet of Puritan writers, ranging from William Ames, William Perkins and Richard Sibbes to Thomas Goodwin, John Milton, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan and Jonathan Edwards. What comes through is a living, three-dimensional portrait of the devoted life that emphasizes the Christian experience of communion with God, corporate revival, biblical preaching and the sanctifying working of God's Holy Spirit.

Reader Reviews
The editors of The Devoted Life have put together a masterful introduction to some of the most important literature ever penned in the English language. It is not so much an introduction to the lives of the Puritans as it is an introduction to some of their key writings. However, readers will be delighted to know that the first chapter goes along way to answer the question: Who were the Puritans? (pp.15-37) and the last chapter on Puritan and Spiritual Renewal is worth the price of he book. The Puritans were chiefly responsible for shaping social and religious thought in the post-Reformation era. They are greatly misunderstood and often falsely caricatured. This introduction will be a great encouragement to the believer who wants to get beyond the typical fluff of modern writing and dig in to Christian literature that lives and breathes. The authors will take the reader on a grand tour of writings like Pilgrim's Progress and Paradise Lost and Puritan writers like Matthew Henry, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards will come alive. This book will be a welcome addition to anyone interested in Puritan studies, especially their writings. If one is looking for an accessible introduction to the lives of the Puritans, this reviewer would recommend, Leland Ryken's Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were (Zondervan, 1986).