Sinclair B. Ferguson

Joel R. Beeke

Michael A. G. Haykin

Church history is important because it shows us how God's faithful dealings with His people in the Bible continue in the ongoing life and work of Christ in our world. If you have ever wished for a short book highlighting church history's most important events that will enlighten your mind and peak your interest, this is the one you've been waiting for. Three prolific church historians collaborate their efforts in Church History 101 to present you with a quick read of church history's high points.

The Highlights of Twenty Centuries

Church History 101

Baptists are sacramental

When it comes to baptism and the Lord's Supper, many Baptists reject the language of sacrament. As a people of the book, the logic goes, Baptists must not let tradition supersede the Bible. So Baptists tend to view baptism and Communion as ordinances and symbols, not sacraments.

But the history of Baptists and sacramentalism is complicated. In Amidst Us Our Beloved Stands, Michael A. G. Haykin argues that many Baptists, such as Charles Spurgeon and other Particular Baptists, stood closer to Reformed sacramental thought than most Baptists today. More than mere memorials, baptism and Communion have spiritual implications that were celebrated by Baptists of the past in sermons and hymnody.

Haykin calls for a renewal of sacramental life in churches today--Baptists can and should be sacramental.


Recovering Sacrament in the Baptist Tradition

Amidst Us Our Beloved Stands

Brian Croft

James B. Carroll

The importance of friendship between pastors Historical pastoral friendships Biblical basis for friendship

The Forgotten Piece in a Persevering Ministry

Pastoral Friendship

An organized and convenient introduction to the church fathers from AD 100 to 500. Haykin surveys a number of church fathers, outlining their roles in church history and their teaching on a number of topics.

Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church

Rediscovering the Church Fathers

John Gill

This volume of essays examines various aspects of the thought of John Gill - his trinitarianism, soteriology, ecclesiology, use of Scripture - and in so doing, offers some key insights into the worldview of the transatlantic Baptist community of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

A Tercentennial Appreciation

The Life and Thought of John Gill (1697-1771)

John Clements

Roy M. Paul

As in other histories, the history of Christianity has certain key turning-points after which the flow of historical events is profoundly transformed. Some of these moments of transition-well expressed by the Greek term kairos-are immediately pellucid to the student of church history: the Constantinian Revolution, the rise of the heresy of Islam, the Reformation, the Great Awakening. While not as immediately obvious as these turning-points, the sailing for America in 1620 of those whom historians have called the Pilgrims needs to be reckoned as a key event in the story of both the American nation and American Christianity. To be sure, there are some today who dispute its central role in the founding of America, yet generations of historians have accorded it a key place in that story, and it is in line with this older interpretation that this book of essays has been written. The various essays in this anniversary volume remember the manifold details of this historic voyage in an attempt to inform and even inspire the modern Christian as he or she seeks to be a faithful pilgrim to that heavenly country that was ever in the mind of the men and women whom these essays recall.

Remembering the Mayflower Pilgrims, 1620-2020

Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth

Gordon L. Heath

While Baptists through the years have been certain that ""war is hell,"" they have not always been able to agree on how to respond to it. This book traces much of this troubled relationship from the days of Baptist origins with close ties to pacifist Anabaptists to the responses of Baptists in America to the war in Vietnam. Essays also include discussions of the English Baptist Andrew Fuller's response to the threat of Napoleon, how Baptists in America dealt with the War of 1812, the support of Canadian Baptists for Britain's war in Sudan and Abyssinia in the 1880s, the decisive effect of the First World War on Canada's T. T. Shields, the response of Australian Baptists to the Second World War, and how Russian Baptists dealt with the Cold War. These chapters provide important analyses of Baptist reactions to one of society's most intractable problems. ""Conflict challenges the Christian conscience, fostering divergent responses. Hence Baptists have commonly sought peace, sometimes to the extent of condemning war outright, but equally they have often believed that justice required the taking up of arms, even with enthusiasm. The detailed and penetrating international studies contained in this book illuminate contrasting attitudes over the centuries, showing how war has put Baptists to the test, spiritually as well as materially."" --David Bebbington, Professor of History, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK ""Baptists have had a varied approach to war from the Pietist/Reformed tensions of four hundred years ago to the reactions to the Vietnam War. This work explores the theme in different time periods and, using a number of individuals as case studies, opens the past so the reader can reflect on the present. The volume is an important contribution to both Baptist studies and the Christian approach to war and peace."" --Robert Wilson, Professor of Church History, Acadia Divinity College, Wolfville, Canada Gordon L. Heath is Associate Professor of Christian History at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario and Centenary Chair in World Christianity. He is the author of A War with a Silver Lining: Canadian Protestant Churches and the South African War, 1899-1902 (2009). Michael A. G. Haykin is Professor of Church History at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. He is the author of a number of books dealing with patristic and Baptist studies.

Essays on Baptists and Military Conflict, 1640s-1990s

Baptists and War

"An examination of the role of William Carey's circle of friends in carrying out his pioneering missionary efforts in India"--

The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend,” Proverbs 27:17 tells us. God uses Christian friendships to help His children grow in grace and stay true to Christ. But our twenty-first-century Western culture values individualism, busyness, and selfishness—qualities that do not encourage deep, long-lasting, satisfying friendships. The authors guide us through a practical survey of biblical and historical friendships, drawing principles from them that will aid us in forming our own biblical friendships that will sharpen us for our Christian journey in a world that is no friend to grace.

How Should We Develop Biblical Friendship?

Barry H. Howson

In the pages that follow, you will find fifteen essays written by some of Dave Barker's many colleagues and friends. Each explores a theme related to the Bible and theology, church history or pastoral ministry. Together the various chapters combine to highlight Dave's twin passions for the theological academy and the local church.

Essays in Honour of David G. Barker

Reading Scripture, Learning Wisdom

Mark Jones

This is a study on Reformed theological debates during the »Long Eighteenth Century« in Britain and New England. By »Long« a period that goes beyond 1700–1799 is in view. This examination begins just before the eighteenth century by looking at the Neonomian-Antinomian debate in the 1690s. This is followed by the Marrow Controversy in Scotland in the eighteenth century. After that, the authors address the ecclesiological debates between George Whitefield and the Erskines. The doctrine of free choice concerning Edwards and his departure from classical Reformed orthodoxy is highlighted next, followed by reflections on the Edwardseans and the atonement. Returning to Britain again, the volume provides a study on hyper-Calvinism, and on eschatological differences among key figures in the eighteenth century. More specific debates in particular Baptist circles are noted, including the battle over Sandemandianism and the Trinitarian battles fought by Andrew Fuller and others. Returning to ecclesiology, a discussion on the subscription controversy in Philadelphia in the early eighteenth century and an analysis of the debate about the nature of »revival« in New England close this volume.

Transatlantic Reformed Evangelical Debates during the Long Eighteenth Century

A New Divinity

Anthony L. Chute

Nathan A. Finn

The Baptist Story is a narrative history spanning over four centuries of a diverse group of people living among distinct cultures on separate continents while finding their identity in Christ and expressing their faith as Baptists. Baptist historians Anthony Chute, Nathan Finn, and Michael Haykin highlight the Baptist transition from a despised sect to a movement of global influence. Each chapter includes stories of people who made this history so fascinating. Although the emphasis is on the English-speaking world, The Baptist Story integrates stories of non-English-speaking Baptists, ethnic minorities, women, and minority theological traditions, all within the context of historic, orthodox Christianity. This volume provides more than just the essential events and necessary names to convey the grand history. It also addresses questions that students of Baptist history frequently ask, includes prayers and hymns of those who experienced hope and heartbreak, and directs the reader’s attention to the mission of the church as a whole. Written with an irenic tone and illustrated with photographs in every chapter, The Baptist Story is ideally suited for graduate and undergraduate courses, as well as group study in the local church. (Pictures are not available in the eBook version).

From English Sect to Global Movement

The Baptist Story

David W. Hall

In Theology Made Practical, Joel R. Beeke, David W. Hall, and Michael A. G. Haykin declare the significance of John Calvin's life and ideasparticularly his contributions to systematic theology, pastoral theology, and political theologyas well as the influence he had on others through the centuries. With focused studies related to the Trinity, predestination, the Holy Spirit, justification, preaching, missions, principles of government, welfare, and marriage, this book demonstrates how Calvin's thought has been, and still is, a dynamic wellspring of fruitfulness for numerous areas of the Christian life. More than 450 years since Calvin experienced the beatific vision, his thinking about God and His Word still possesses what our culture passionately longs fortrue relevancy.

New Studies on John Calvin and His Legacy

Theology Made Practical

Matthew Barrett

John Owen is widely hailed as one of the greatest theologians of all time. His many works—especially those encouraging Christians in their struggle against sin—continue to speak powerfully to readers today, offering much-needed spiritual guidance for following Christ and resisting temptation day in and day out. Starting with an overview of Owen’s life, ministry, and historical context, Michael Haykin and Matthew Barrett introduce readers to the pillars of Owen’s spiritual life. From exploring his understanding of believers’ fellowship with the triune God to highlighting his teaching on justification, this study invites us to learn about the Christian life from the greatest of the English Puritans. Part of the Theologians on the Christian Life series.

Living for the Glory of God in Christ

Owen on the Christian Life

Historian Michael Haykin reminds contemporary Christians of the important contributions eight women have made in the history of the church, including Jane Austen, Lady Jane Grey, and Sarah Edwards.

Eight Women of Faith

Robert Davis Smart

Ian Hugh Clary

When Jesus ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, He poured out His Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This significant historical and redemptive event was not the last time Christ poured out His Spirit in redemptive history. Mindful of these subsequent acts, Pentecostal Outpourings , presents historical research on revivals in the Reformed tradition during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Investigating the British Isles, it observes the outpourings experienced among Welsh Calvinistic Methodists, Irish Dissenters, Calvinistic English Baptists, and Scottish Presbyterians. It then moves on to evaluate the revival instincts among Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, and the Dutch Reformed in America. May the knowledge of these outpourings of the Holy Spirit help us seek God earnestly to revive His Church once again. Table of Contents: Preface - Steve Lawson I. Revival in the British Isles 1. The Power of Heaven in the Word of Life: Welsh Calvinistic Methodism and Revival - Eifon Evans 2. Melting the Ice of a Long Winter: Revival and Irish Dissent - Ian Hugh Clary 3. The Lord Is Doing Great Things and Answering Prayer Everywhere: The Revival of the Calvinistic Baptists in the Long Eighteenth Century - Michael A. G. Haykin 4. Revival: A Scottish Presbyterian Perspective - Iain Campbell II. Revival in America 5. Edwards's Revival Instinctive and Apologetic in American Presbyterianism: Planted, Grown, and Faded -Robert Davis Smart 6. The Glorious Work of God: Revival among Congregationalists in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries - Peter Beck 7. Baptist Revivals in America in the Eighteenth Century - Tom Nettles 8. Dutch Reformed Church in America (the 18th century) - Joel Beeke

Revival and the Reformed Tradition

Pentecostal Outpourings

This volume provides a fascinating insight into the way that the theological concerns of two important fourth-century Greek Christian authors, Athanasius and Basil of Caesarea, shaped their exegesis of Scripture as they sought to explicate tha nature and status of the Holy Spirit.

The Exegesis of 1 and 2 Corinthians in the Pneumatomachian Controversy of the Fourth Century

The Spirit of God

Jeongmo Yoo

This is the first critical study of the writings of the English Particular Baptist Benjamin Beddome (1718–1795), whose evangelical ministry stretched over the last half of the eighteenth century. Best known in the years following his death as a capable hymn writer, he was also a significant doctrinal preacher. John Newton, who had heard such preachers as John Wesley and George Whitefield, considered Beddome one of the finest preachers of his day. The articles in this critical study examine his sermons to delineate Beddome’s view of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, as well as his position on the free offer of the gospel, a central issue among the Particular Baptists of his day. His important contribution to Christian hymnody is also detailed. A must-read for those interested in eighteenth-century evangelical thought.

Tercentennial Essays on the Life and Writings of Benjamin Beddome (1718-1795)

Glory to the Three Eternal

Jeff Robinson Sr.

Calvinist missionaries. If you think that sounds like an oxymoron, you’re not alone. Yet a close look at John Calvin’s life and writings reveals a man who was passionate about the spread of the gospel and the salvation of sinners. From training pastors at his Genevan Academy to sending missionaries to the jungles of Brazil, Calvin consistently sought to encourage and equip Christians to take the good news of salvation to the very ends of the earth. In this carefully researched book, Michael Haykin and Jeffrey Robinson clear away longstanding stereotypes related to the Reformed tradition and Calvin’s theological heirs, highlighting the Reformer’s neglected missional vision and legacy.

Calvin's Missional Vision and Legacy

To the Ends of the Earth

Jonathan Edwards

A Sweet Flame introduces readers to the piety of Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). Dr. Haykins biographical sketch of Edwards captures the importance the New England minister placed on Scripture, family piety, and the churchs reliance upon God. The remainder of the book presents 26 selections from various letters written by Edwards, two written by family members at his death, and an appendix drawing upon Edwardss last will and the inventor of his estate.

Michael A. G. Haykin

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