The Gospel and Religious Liberty: Interview with the Editors of First Freedom, Part 3 of 3

Part 1 is here, part 2 is here.

In your opinion, is it going to take another “Great Awakening” for religious liberty to be preserved?

MBY: It wasn’t the “Great Awakening” that gave us religious liberty in the first place, so I am not sure what the question entails. Moreover, if by “Great Awakening,” it is assumed that evangelicals, understood as the descendants of the magisterial reformers, have been proponents of religious liberty, that is in direct opposition to the historical record.

TW: While I always hope for another “Great Awakening,” I do not think this is necessary for religious liberty to be preserved. I could be wrong…

JGD: Religious liberty is important because it is a means to an end. It is the preserving agent in a culture that gives a platform for the gospel. That is, it provides an unimpeded avenue for the feet of those who bring the good news to travel as churches seek to take the gospel to all nations. However, it is not essential to that task. The work of the Great Commission will one day come to a fulfilled end regardless if there is a nation on earth that continues to extend liberties for the equal proclamation of ideas. So while I hope and will work to preserve religious liberty, and see such work as good and worthy, I don’t place my hope in future “awakenings” to accomplish this preservation. We should long and pray for such a movement of God’s Spirit, but press on nonetheless if he chooses the path of suspended freedoms, persecutions, trials, and even death to exalt the gospel of Christ—as he has done at various points in history. The end goal is the gospel to the nations for the fulfillment of Revelation 5:9-10—people from all nations magnifying the Most High God for all of his worth. Religious liberty is still the best means by which to expedite that day, in my view, but not ultimately necessary.

Knowing that the editors of this volume have spent considerable time outside the United States, do you have thoughts on questions 2–6 as they may relate to churches in the UK or elsewhere?

TW: I will leave this to Yarnell.

MBY: In the United Kingdom, there has been a transition over time from religious intolerance to religious tolerance to religious liberty. Unfortunately, now, the UK, as in much of Western Europe, religion itself is largely ignored by the non-immigrant populace. The biggest problem facing Western European societies is the growth of militant Islam, which has no regard whatsoever for religious liberty. Dr. Emir Caner’s essay addresses this problem and I refer you to that essay.

JGD: My hopes for pastors who read this volume regardless of their place or country of service remain the same. Obviously, this volume speaks to some of what could be instead of what is in countries where Communism still prohibits the free exchange of ideas or Islam snuffs out the light of truth with lies and false teachings regarding Jesus Christ and our God who is both merciful and just. However, in the secularized nations of the world where it is still legal to gather and preach and worship Christ, I would hope this volume might serve to enliven and encourage the work there—not only for the thoughts conveyed in this volume, but again for the introduction of the reader to the authors of these thoughts and their respective ministries and work in the world.

Both Professors White and Yarnell mention speaking prophetically to the government. Could either of you comment on the various forms this could take? Should we write letters, write editorials, make resolutions, seek to build relationships—what method is most effective?

TW: Yes, yes, yes, and yes. I think we should do what we can to voice biblical truth to our government leaders. While we seek to build relationships, we must do so not seeking our own gain or political positions, but with a desire to speak God’s truth to a troubled nation. We must be prophets crying out in the wilderness—faithful to accurately communicate God’s Word.

MBY: I believe Christians should speak prophetically to the culture. The exact method may vary with the context, however, the Scripture puts an emphasis on verbal proclamation and that method is, as a result, essential and non-negotiable.

JGD: Yes we should live as responsible and active citizens. A biblical understanding of this, I believe, encapsulates not only everything from paying taxes, respecting the governmental authority structures and its laws but also praying for our leaders and petitioning them in the ways in which you suggest. However, this ultimately is not going to be the most effective method for change. Only through person by person, leader by leader, citizen by citizen encounters with the power of the gospel that brings New Testament conversion and rebirth will our country be transformed in any way that is truly effective.

Many NT scholars are suggesting that the assertions of Paul (and the other NT authors) that Jesus is Son of God, Lord, and Savior would have had political connotations, since Caesar was viewed as, in a sense, son of (a) god, lord, and savior. In this line of thinking, Paul is being overtly political in that he is urging Christians to reject the Roman Imperial cult and give their allegiance to Christ alone, even if it means facing the sword. The Christians did this, leading to Tertullians’ assertion, which is quoted on the dedication page of First Freedom: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Is there a tension between being reckoned as sheep for slaughter on behalf of Christ, the blood of the martyrs growing the church, and demanding religious liberty?

TW: I will allow others to speak to this one.

MBY: Christianity has always had a political dimension. The recent awakening within the NT guild to this long-standing reality is belated but good to see. Political theology has roots in both the OT and the NT.

And yet, not all political theologies are worthy of our approbation, for they often have little foundation in the biblical text rightly interpreted. Good political theology must take seriously the priority of the NT and the example of the cross. Political power is ever to be practiced in the giving away of one’s own rights and the elevation of the other in the name of Christ.

One last response to your last question: Religious liberty is already granted by God, so its suppression is a rejection of both natural law and revealed law; in other words, we don’t have to demand religious liberty. Religious liberty is already granted by the God who granted us our freedom to respond to him. We don’t have to demand religious liberty: God has already granted us religious liberty, and we must live in it and refuse to suppress it.

JGD: See my answers to number 1 and number 6 above regarding apparent tensions such as this as well as the relationship between martyrdom and religious liberty.

————-

Many thanks to Malcolm Yarnell, Thomas White, and Jason Duesing, editors of the new book from B&H, First Freedom. For more on these issues, I encourage you to check out the book:

I was pleasantly surprised by Russ Moore’s contribution, perhaps because I felt such kinship with it. His chapter sounds many of the same notes I tried to hit in the paper I presented at ETS last fall, “The Church Militant and Her Warfare,” which is posted here, and which is set to appear in a coming issue of SBJT.

I think the most important thing we can do to transform society is invest ourselves in the ministry of the local church with whom we have entered into solemn covenant before the Lord, which you can read more about in my earlier post and in the paper. May the Lord visit this land with another Great Awakening!

The Gospel and Religious Liberty: Interview with the Editors of First Freedom, Part 2 of 3

Part 1 is here.

Are there practical things that contemporary local churches here in the USA can do to maintain the balance of being in the world but not of it? In other words, how do we balance appropriate and necessary involvement in the public square with being about our Father’s business? Should we be involved in the public square beyond pastors applying the truth of the Scriptures to contemporary social and moral issues from the pulpit?                      

MBY: This is a fantastic question, one that came to mind as we debated a resolution on global warming at the Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio recently. The Bible speaks to social and moral issues in the forms of narrative, command, prophecy, etc., and the church must be proclaiming those truths to the world. However, according to the Great Commission, the church’s primary function in the world is to proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, and we need to be careful about letting other issues dominate. Every time I step into a public forum and especially into a pulpit, I am convicted that Christ’s commission is not to address secondary issues but the primary issue of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone by the power of the Holy Spirit alone for the glory of God alone. This is a fantastic question and one that should be before every minister of the gospel: the gospel is your primary business!

TW: I believe it is our duty as good citizens to vote. This duty follows to pastors and church members so I believe that every Christian should vote. In addition, Christians are called to defend the helpless or defenseless. I believe that abortion is America’s greatest sin and must be reversed through biblical teaching and political influence. Beyond certain issues like these, however, Christians must recognize that salvation will not come through political or social endeavors absent from the Gospel message. Our first priority must always be the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we should not let anything side track us from that effort. 

JGD: I agree entirely with my co-editors and would only add this quote from Russell Moore’s chapter, “Maintaining religious liberty has more to do with Vacation Bible School that with the Supreme Court. If we are to ensure that the next generations of churches have liberty, we must remember why we claim that liberty: for the gospel and for the church. And we must therefore rear a generation of children and grandchildren who so love the gospel, who so love the church, that they are willing, when soldiers with AK-47s line them up against the walls for their faith, to go to their deaths for the Christ who alone is King. . . . They won’t do that for a political party or even a cultural way of life.”

 How should pastors of local Baptist churches address the concerns of people affected by the war our nation is fighting?

MBY: We should be ready to bring a word of peace and love, both for our soldiers and for our soldiers’ enemies.

TW: I believe the first freedom is the freedom of religion. As good Christians and good Americans we should always be encouraged when religious freedom enters a historically “closed” country. While personal attachment to a situation always makes rational judgment difficult, if America is able to help create in Iraq a free marketplace of ideas where Christianity can spread, then what value can a person place on the souls which will be in heaven for all eternity? This is why we must be faithful to share the Gospel while the opportunity exists.

JGD: Dr. Patterson’s chapter provides clear and thoughtful answers to these concerns. For example, he says, “Sixth, to become a consistent advocate of freedom for all, the government of the United States must be constantly exhorted to formulate foreign as well as domestic policy with a view toward establishing religious liberty around the globe,” and he continues carefully to explain what he means by this.

Emir Caner’s chapter that addresses how religious liberty might be possible in Islamic countries is alone worth the entire book specifically for those seeking answers to this type of question.  

What is the greatest threat to religious liberty Baptists in America face, and what should we do in response? Should the pastor of a small church leave this matter to the ERLC, or are there particular things he should be doing?

MBY: The greatest threat to religious liberty is amnesia, forgetting that religious liberty came after a long, hard battle over centuries. Religious liberty is a relatively recent historical phenomenon and we would not want to lose it. Other great threats would include hypocrisy (demanding religious liberty for ourselves but not for others) and liberalism (granting religious liberty only to those who agree with an egalitarian social agenda but denying it to those who have biblical convictions that demand obedience to God’s Word and work against the egalitarian social agenda).

TW: The ERLC exists to give Southern Baptists a voice in Washington and provide resources. That does not remove the responsibility of all Baptists to support religious liberty and educate various congregations. I believe the greatest threat to religious liberty is ignorance or apathy. We must understand religious liberty and defend it vigorously.

JGD: Barrett Duke of the ERLC provides with careful detail four fronts on which religious liberty is threatened today in our first chapter: 

1. A new religious fundamentalism has gripped many countries where it is bringing the power of the state to its aid in suppressing those of other faiths or even different sects of the same faith.
2. Certain Christ-confessing groups that believe in the superior nature of their sect or who consider other Christ-confessing groups as nuisances or threats to their dominance—in the former Soviet countries, for example. 
3. The world’s remaining totalitarian states still see religious belief as a threat to the state’s dominance of every aspect of life.
4. A fundamentalist secularism has emerged in many countries that considers the church’s denouncement of certain sins to be unacceptable.

 And Judge Pressler’s chapter provides great examples of how pastors are working with groups like the ERLC to confront these threats both on a local and national level.

Religious Liberty and the Gospel: An Interview with the Editors of First Freedom, Part 1 of 3

Thomas White, Jason Duesing, and Malcolm Yarnell have edited a spirited collection of essays that originated as papers presented at the Baptist Distinctives Conference in September of 2005. White, Duesing, and Yarnell serve us in this volume by allowing all of us not able to attend the conference the opportunity to read not only their thoughts but those of Barrett Duke, Paige Patterson, Richard Land, Craig Mitchell, Daniel Heimbach, Russell Moore, Emir Caner, and Paul Pressler.

First Freedom lets us listen in on a great conversation. 

Wishing that I could have been there for a Q&A session, I asked the editors if they would grant a text-interview on the book, and they graciously agreed. The interview takes us beyond the actual contents of the book, which you’ll enjoy reading. The responses below are keyed to the initials of the editors: TW—Thomas White; JGD—Jason Duesing; and MBY—Malcolm Yarnell. Lord willing, Parts 2 and 3 will be posted in coming days. 

Interview with the Editors of First Freedom

What is the relationship between the church’s responsibility to proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ and the defense of religious liberty? Is there a tension between our mandate to preach the gospel and our appeal to unbelievers in authority that they preserve religious liberty? 

MBY: This is a great question. Our primary obligation in glorifying God is to proclaim the gospel, and this assumes that people have the liberty to respond to that proclamation without coercion. Dr. Patterson’s essay makes clear that religious liberty and salvation exclusively in Christ are not incompatible concepts but necessarily intertwined. As he states at one point, “Christians embracing the exclusivity of Christ as the only saving and accurate expression of the true and living God are properly the most effective advocates of absolute religious liberty.”

TW: I believe the Baptist position on the separation of church and state and religious liberty allows the tension to be solved. Because of the separation of church and state, a rejection of the Christian religion is not a rejection of the state and thus treasonous. With the proper view of separation of church and state the offer of Christianity is truly voluntary and protects even the rights of the heretic to be a heretic. In addition a truly Christian understanding recognizes that a real decision can only be made voluntarily and not forced. Thus, I believe that only those countries without a separation of church and state see an unsolvable tension between preaching the gospel in authority and preserving religious liberty.

JGD: If you mean by tension that it is paradoxical to expect an unbeliever to preserve religious liberty, i.e., how can we expect those dead in their sins and therefore opposed to Christ and his disciples to preserve a higher morality that cannot be understood apart from Christ, then I think the tension is only apparent but not real. The Lord has always worked through governments and individuals who were opposed to him to protect and preserve that which is necessary to fulfill his purposes. To ask those unbelievers in authority to work to preserve the first freedom of religious liberty does not ask them to do something of which they are not capable or would have no interest. Nor does it, in my opinion, hinder their possible future acceptance of the gospel message.

For example, let’s say I am successful in petitioning my unbelieving local city official to work to ensure that the pastors at my church have equal opportunity to engage students at our local high school or invite them to upcoming church events in the same way other civic groups or other religious institutions might have access. This may cause him to add a mental gold star to his understanding of a heavenly works system of approval and therefore actually harden his heart to the work of the Spirit, but at the same time it gives me and my fellow church members more opportunities to talk to him about his false understanding of eternity and the reality of his sin. Extrapolate this to the largest of scenarios and I think the same conclusions apply. The tension is only apparent. In reality, the more we work with those in authority to see the necessity of implementing religious freedoms the more opportunities we have to share our perspective of why this is essential. 

2. What is the “payoff” of this collection of essays for the ministry of the local church? More specifically, are these essays mainly to inform us of our Baptist heritage and thereby make us more informed (which is valuable in itself), or is there a particular impact that these essays could and should have on church ministry? 

MBY: These essays will, no doubt, inform the churches of their Baptist heritage; however, their primary purpose is to remind the churches of the importance of religious liberty as a Christian doctrine and as a practical principle. Part of the beauty of the Christian message is that it respects the personal freedom of the people who are its evangelistic subjects.

TW: In addition to informing the reader of our Baptist heritage, these essays discuss a scriptural defense of the Baptist position. In particular, the proper interpretation of the wheat and tares is discussed as well as Jesus’ comments that His “kingdom is not of this world.” These essays will give preachers the understanding to defend from Scripture the position of religious liberty and separation of church and state. In addition, the essays address issues such as current court cases, and religious liberty in a Muslim context that will help pastors address questions and issues of church and state in local churches. 

JGD: The audience we had in mind for this volume from the beginning was pastors in the local churches. One of the strengths of this volume is the variety of the types of chapters. Some are more academic, some are practical, and some are conversational. My friends who are pastors are regularly dealing with the issues discussed in this volume whether it be relationships with local school boards, dealing with church members and their questions of the extent to which they can share their faith at work, or even the broader question of what exactly does it mean to identify yourself as a Baptist. The impact I would hope this volume would have is manifold: 

1. Pastors would find edification and enjoyment from reading whatever chapters stir their interest—we believe regular interaction with books can be used to encourage, embolden, and educate.
2. This book would then find a ready spot on the pastor’s bookshelf where it can serve as a future reference for questions asked—we believe these chapters will have a long and relevant shelf life of helpful influence.
3. This book would introduce pastors to broader teaching and writing ministries of each of the volume’s contributors. Some of these men need no introduction while some of them are Bible-believing Christianity’s best kept secrets. If this book serves merely as a door through which someone first learns about the work of Russell Moore or Emir Caner then we as editors are deeply honored.
4. Finally, this book would find a place in starting for some and furthering for others the vital conversation of whether or not it is important or necessary to identify yourself with the Baptist tradition—i.e. what is a Baptist? Why should I be a Baptist? Religious liberty, while championed by many, is historically a Baptist distinctive. It is not our purpose to recover this as Baptists for the sake of boasting, rather for the purpose of uncovering our rich heritage for a generation largely unaware. We hope this volume helps explain not only why we think religious liberty is important, but also why the fact that it is a Baptist distinctive is important as well.

Interview with Mark Dever

In response to Crossway’s release of What Is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever, I submitted a few questions to Dr. Dever, which he was gracious enough to answer. The brief text-interview is below:

1) We hear a lot today about contextualization of the Gospel. What is your view of the role of contextualization and church health?

My view changes with the definition of contextualization. The more we are talking about contextualization as the basic translation of God’s truth into language we understand (e.g. including even literal translations from the Hebrew and Greek into local language), then such contextualization is vital. On the other hand, the more we are talking about the eating habits of nurses in St. Louis on the night shift needing to be understood in order to witness to them then the less central such contextualization is to the gospel and church health.

2) One of the things that most impressed me when I came to a “Weekender” was the culture of service at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. What advice would you give on how a pastor can cultivate an attitude of service in his own heart and then build it into the life of the local church?

A pastor should cultivate, within his own heart, a continuing stunned and surprised joy of God’s inclusion of him in the gospel, to take a way any sense of entitlement, and this should encourage graciousness and service that should come from such an appreciation.

3) Do you have a sort of outline or structure in your mind when you think of discipleship or do you think of it more as a dynamic, person by person process? Even if it is the latter, are there certain signs of growth that you watch for as you walk with someone?

I do think of it as the latter, and yes there are signs of growth that I would generally watch for. One of the chief would be an obvious concern growing in the heart of the disciple for other people and for God’s glory and will to be accomplished in the lives of others – for his thoughts to be more taken up with others than with himself.

4) What are your thoughts on the relationship between youth ministry, as it is typically practiced in churches here in the States, and church health?

The most important teaching the youth receive is from the home, if they are from a Christian home, and from the pulpit.

5) Are there dangers or pitfalls that you see afflicting pastors and/or churches that are sympathetic with the mission of 9Marks?

The whole purpose of 9Marks, in one sense, is to identify and defeat certain temptation in the ministry. So, my short answer would be no. I think that we share all the same temptations and difficulties with other pastors.

6) Are there blogs that you find particularly helpful, or do you mainly avoid them altogether? Is there something you do to make sure that blogs and other daily stuff (political news, etc.) don’t keep you from your Canon of Theologians?

I don’t read blogs much.

—————-

Those interested in reading or hearing Dever sermons can check out the sermon page on the Capitol Hill Baptist Church website.

We praise God for the ministry he has given you, Mark, and we extend to you our hearty thanks for your faithful service and example, for your work on this and other books, and for this interview! May God continue to bless CHBC and 9Marks.

Everlasting Dominion, by Eugene H. Merrill

I had the privilege of studying under Dr. Merrill at Dallas Theological Seminary, and I praise God for his gentlemanly example, sincere concern for students, and commitment to the word of God. I have been particularly helped by his book on Old Testament history, Kingdom of Priests, as well as by his commentary on Deuteronomy. Dr. Merrill is a no-nonsense Old Testament scholar who reads the Old Testament through the lens of the story it tells of itself rather than the one imposed upon it by modern scholars who have made up a story all their own.

Dr. Merrill is to be congratulated on the completion of his theology of the Old Testament, Everlasting Dominion. Lord willing, I’ll write a more substantive review of this book, but this post is to obey the Old Testament injunction to do reverence to my elder, stand in his presence, and show him honor for the glory of God (Lev 19:32).

Finishing a book like this is a great acheivement, so congratulations to Dr. Merrill, and may the Lord use this book to open the eyes of many to the wonders of the word of God!

The Fall of Saul and the Rise of David

My sermons on 1 Samuel 31 through 2 Samuel 3, preached June 3, 10, and 17, are available here.

In the past we have had some trouble with the audio, but a new sound system and the faithful labors of the saints have fixed the problem.

Breaking News: New 9Marks Blog

Check it out here.

New Blog from Juan Sanchez

I mentioned meeting new friends at the Southern Baptist Convention last week, and one of them, whom I met only briefly, was Juan Sanchez, who gives his own thoughts on the SBC meeting here. Juan is the pastor of High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, TX. High Pointe has a fascinating history, is a Southern Baptist Church, holds to the New Hampshire confession, and is led by a plurality of elders.

If I were in Austin, I would check out HPBC, but for those of us not in Austin, we can listen to or watch sermons here, and there’s even a sermon from Greg Wills on the History of the SBC. In the service that I watched, Pastor Juan began by bringing all the kids in the service up to the front, then he started catechizing them! Teaching the parents what to do with their kids and plugging the Catechism for Boys and Girls. Good stuff.

Keep an eye on Juan’s blog.

For Us and for Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church

Christian, do you know Jesus? Do you know your heritage? Do you know the major movements and men who fought the battle that was and is the most important ideological controversy in human history? Do you know how this controversy affects you?

Stephen Nichols has our back. He’s doing his part to help us know our spiritual ancestry, understand what our spiritual forefathers went through, what their big ideas were, how they differed from their opponents, and why it matters to us.

It matters because yesterday’s heresy is today’s fad. It matters because some people claim that Orthodoxy was just the preference of the powerful, and the victors write the history.

Nothing is more important than Jesus. That means that we must understand what the Bible says about him, why the Bible doesn’t mean what the heretics claimed, and who the good guys were in the early centuries of the fight for the faith. This is not a story of the victorious giving their slant. It is the story of the true Christ, as represented in the true Word of God, being worshiped by those whose hearts were gripped by the fact that Jesus died for us and for our salvation.

If you know these issues well, enjoy this masterfully brief presentation as a refresher, and then give it away to (or read it with) someone who is following you as you follow Christ. If you’re coming to these issues for the first time, you’ll have to wait til August for your copy of this book to arrive, but as soon as it comes in the mail, get to know your fathers, and join them in the fight as they contend for the faith once for all entrusted to the saints.

Stephen Nichols has done his part, now it’s up to us to take up and read. May the Lord use this little book to deepen our worship, strengthen our evangelism, and revive our churches.

Review of Garretson, Princeton and Preaching

[You can also read Sinclair Ferguson's foreword to this book on the Banner of Truth website.]

 

James M. Garretson, Princeton and Preaching: Archibald Alexander and the Christian Ministry. Edinburgh/Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 2005. xxiv+280pp. $28.00, hardcover.

Published in SBJT 11.1 (2007), 93-93.

Archibald Alexander (1772–1851) was the first professor at Princeton Seminary, the first official Presbyterian seminary in the United States. The school began its first year with three students who met with Alexander in his home. Alexander was joined by Samuel Miller (1769–1850) in 1813, and the two served Princeton together for most of the first forty years of the seminary’s existence. Born to a pious family, Alexander could read the New Testament by the age of five and at seven had memorized the Westminster Shorter Catechism. He was apparently born again at the age of seventeen while reading John Flavel’s sermon on Revelation 3:20 aloud to an elderly Christian lady. He soon felt called to ministry and was tutored by his pastor, Rev. William Graham. He was licensed in 1791, and he then served as a missionary in the southern counties of Virginia and along the borders of North Carolina through 1794, when he was ordained, and installed pastor of the church of Briery. He had a passion for home and foreign missions. 

From 1796 to 1806 Alexander served as president of Hampden-Sydney College. He then accepted a call to Pine Street Church in Philadelphia. While in Philadephia, Alexander helped establish the Philadelphia Tract Society, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge among the Poor, and a Sunday School Association. He aided in the establishment of a Foreign Missions Society, helped develop a colonization plan for Negroes to return to Africa, and was involved with various Bible Societies. Though he would have preferred to remain at the church, he was called to Princeton in 1812. Archibald Alexander’s son James W. Alexander provided the English translation of the hymn by Bernard of Clairvaux which Paul Gerhardt had rendered into German, “O sacred Head, once wounded.” The great Princeton theologian Charles Hodge named his son Archibald Alexander Hodge.  

The robust theology and warm piety of old Princeton owed much to Archibald Alexander, who has been called, “the fountain-head of the Princeton ministerial ethos.” Old Princeton trained generations of men for ministry, and when it shifted decisively to the left in the 1920’s, Old Princeton became the ideal that drove Machen in the founding of Westminster Seminary. The vision of Old Princeton also inspired early founders of Fuller Theological Seminary such as Harold John Ockenga and Carl F. H. Henry. After “Black Saturday” at Fuller (see George Marsden, Reforming Fundamentalism) the Old Princeton ideal was pursued at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School by several who had been at Fuller. Carl Henry’s decisive influence on R. Albert Mohler Jr., along with the fact that two founders of Southern Seminary, James P. Boyce and Basil Manly Jr. studied at Princeton under Alexander, extends the Old Princeton, Archibald Alexander influence well into the Southern Baptist orbit. 

Several studies of Old Princeton exist, but books on Alexander are comparatively sparse. In the volume under review here, James Garretson provides a biographical summary of Alexander in chapter 1. From there Garretson provides chapters that summarize Alexander’s approach to the call to ministry, the qualifications for ministry, sermon preparation, the preparation of the preacher’s heart, the minister as shepherd, the content of preaching, ministerial deportment, the challenges of ministry, and the encouragements of the ministry. The concluding chapter draws together Alexander’s approach to training men for ministry and recommends it to our generation. This book would serve as healthy devotional reading. It is almost too rich to be read through quickly, so readers would perhaps be best served by savoring short passages for periodic encouragement. Let us heed the admonition of Hebrews 13:7 and remember those who have gone before, observing the outcome of their lives that we might imitate their faith.