J.I. Packer has ahd 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 different between the Puritans and ourselves is spiritual maturity--the Puritans had it; we don't. Educated at Oxford University, Dr. James I. Packer has served as assistant minister at St. John's Church of England, Harborne, Birmingham and Senior Tutor and Principal at Tyndale Hall.
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars(4.5 out of 5 stars)
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5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Chris Jordan (Duluth, GA), December 26, 2008
WOW! What more could I say. If you have a passion to learn about and from those who have gone before us, this book hits it out of the park! The Puritans come alive through the pen of J.I.Packer. Every Christian ought to read this book!
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by George Demetrion (East Hartford, CT), April 02, 2008
This is a key book in gaining a thorough understanding of the scope and range of J.I. Packer's theology and understanding of the Bible. Packer is best known by his highly accessible book, Knowing God. In that book and others he has worked hard to make serious eangelical biblical theology and corrsponding pietistic practice accessible to lay audiences. A Quest for Godliness is a tougher read, but for those who know Packer primarily by his more popular work, well worth the time it takes to internalize the wealth of insights that one can glean from almost any page.
In addition, Packer brings out something of the spiritual depth of the English Puritans, who with Packer's guidance may become more acessible and more relevnt to more readers. Through Packer's own passion for their many insights, particularly those of John Owenss', one has gained an accessible introduction to this group of Christians that many within the Reformed tradition have with Luther and Calvin. Through Packer's pen one gains a sense of plausibility that the collective work of the 17th and early 18th century English Puritans are just as rich, if not more so, in some respects than the 16th century founders of the Reformation. In short, there is much to gain in so many ways by a careful reading of A Quest for Godliness. For this and for so much else we have J.I. Packer to thank.
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