Christian Biographies for Young Readers

Irenaeus is remembered for his work in helping the church to preserve the faith handed on by the apostles and to defend it when it was attacked. In this simply written and beautifully illustrated book, Simonetta Carr shows young readers the difficulties the early church faced and how Irenaeus taught Christians to discern truth from error by listening to the Bible. To Christians, the lessons Irenaeus taught are as important today as they were in his time.

Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: A Student of the Scriptures
Chapter 2: In the Great Capital
Chapter 3: Pastor of a Suffering Church
Chapter 4: For the Love of Truth
Chapter 5: Protecting the Flock
Chapter 6: Peacemaker and Preacher

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From Irenaeus's Pen
Acknowledgements

Jonathan Edwards lived at a time when many people were seriously questioning long-accepted ideas about the world, life, and God, and his answers to these questions have left a mark on the way we think today. While he is often remembered as the preacher of a scary sermon about a spider dangling over a fire, he remains significant as one of the greatest thinkers America has produced. Simonetta Carr traces the events of Edwards’s life from a young student interested in science to husband and father, pastor, leader of the Great Awakening, missionary, writer, and college president. Colorful illustrations, interesting facts, and a compelling story combine to introduce young readers to this important theologian and life in colonial America.

Contents

1. An Inquisitive Child
2. Student and Pastor
3. The Great Awakening
4. Sorrow and Rejection
5. Missionary to the Natives
6. The Last Years 

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A Letter from Edwards to His Daughter 

From armed bodyguard to galley slave, from loving husband and father to fiery preacher, John Knox was moved by a relentless passion for the honor of God and the purity of His truth and worship. Yet when he was a schoolboy growing up in the small Scottish town of Haddington, he could never have imagined that he would become a major leader of the powerful movement that transformed Scotland into one of the most committed Protestant countries in the world. Simonetta Carr tells the story of how this great Reformer, whose life began humbly, in a faraway, mysterious part of the world, influenced the church and its beliefs far beyond the borders of Scotland, shaping our thinking still today.

Contents

1. A Young Man in a Troubled Country
2. From Bodyguard to Preacher
3. Hard Labor and Chains
4. A New Home in England
5. A School of Christ
6. The Scottish Revolution
7. Facing the Queen 

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The Scots Confession of Faith

John Owen was a great Puritan preacher who lived in England. In this book, Simonetta Carr informs readers about Owen’s life, revealing some of the things that interested him while in school, the care he showed to people when he became a pastor, and the influential books that he wrote. Readers will also come to understand the difficult times in which Owen lived, and how he handled the terrors of war and religious persecution. Full of illustrations and fascinating information, this is an ideal way for young readers to learn history.

Contents

1. Growing and Studying in Difficult Times
2. A Pastor and a Writer
3. Form the Battlefield to the University Halls
4. Winds of Persecution
5. England’s Dark Hour
6. John Owen’s Last Years

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A Modern Version of John Owen’s Lesser Catechism

At age twenty, Julia Gonzaga was one of the most envied women in Italy. A property owner, she entertained artists, poets, and musicians at her castle; and she was the prettiest woman in the country! Yet Julia was confused and anxious about God and her own sin. No matter how hard she tried not to sin, she often put her desires to please other people before obeying God. She finally found peace when she understood the gospel, and then she devoted her life to sharing the good news with others. Her story, set in the 1500s, gives today’s young readers an opportunity to learn about the unique challenges of the Italian Reformation and some of the Italian Christians who risked and even gave their lives for the sake of Christ.

Contents

1. A Young Girl and Young Bride
2. A Teenage Ruler
3. Danger and Sorrow
4. A Change of Heart
5. Guardian of the Books
6. Darker Skies

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Julia's Voice

Although she ruled England for less than two weeks, Lady Jane Grey has been admired for generations for her courage and faithfulness to the gospel—even though she was executed for treason at the age of sixteen. In this addition to the Christian Biographies for Young Readers series, Simonetta Carr tells Lady Jane Grey’s story of intrigue and explains its context: the tumultuous politics of Reformation England. Maps, photographs, and beautiful illustrations decorate the narrative, helping young readers visualize what life was like in sixteenth-century England. More importantly, they will learn the story of an extraordinary young girl who understood that she was saved only by the mercy of God and the merits of the blood of Jesus Christ.

Contents

1. Raised to Be Queen 
2. Times of Trouble 
3. A Heavy Crown
4. Prisoner 
5. Ready to Die 

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Jane’s Letter to Her Sister