No comments about Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places.

No comments about Presbyterian Polity for Church Officers.

1 comments about The Fire Spreads: Holiness and Pentecostalism in the American South.

1. This is that rare scholarly book and is engaging and lively. The author has clearly taken unusual pains to write the story, as well as communicate the facts. The book is also authoritative and is taking its place as the definitiave source on this topic.

2 comments about Book of Confessions: Study Edition.

1. Regardless of denominational affiliation, this book is a winner! The "Book of Confessions: Study Edition" takes most of the major Reformed theological treatises (and then some) and puts them in one handy book. Although this book was written by PC(USA) (of which I am a member) and therefore contains some of its theological biases in it (female ordination, "A Brief Statement of Faith," &c.) those in more conservative Presbyterian denoms (such as the PCA, Cumberland P.C., Covenanters, et al.) will find this book equally useful. This is a great resource in truly *knowing* the Presbyterian Christian faith.



2. As a nondenominational Christian, I've become interested lately in the actual theology of the Church. I've been reading/searching for general histories and expositions, primarily from a Protestant point of view. Although this book is specifically a Presbyterian publication, beginning basically with the Scottish Reformation, it does a nice job of explaining the historical circumstances/motivation behind each document. The result is a very logical presentation of how Presbtyerian beliefs have gone from A to B over the past 300+ years.

4 comments about Worldly Saints.

1. I was most pleased to find this book. Though I am a believer in the Puritans being the pinnacle of christianity I knew that they couldn't be perfect. Mr. Ryken has written a most readable and enjoyable history of the Puritans. He does not shy away from clear problems that they had.

   What caught my interest most was his demonstration through his scholarship that society under the Puritan "Ideal" had problems, but was infinitely better off than most other areas in western Europe. John Calvin and his followers in Switzerland were clearly extreme in their use of scriptural discipline. The American Puritans were fanatics of control and discipline. The English Puritans were more well rounded in how they were to effect their society.

   With all that said, Mr. Ryken has shown that the Puritans were not only good people, but may have been the true moral fiber of their different cultures. There seems to be an underlying truth that where the Puritans had the most influence, the people were the most safe and taken care of by the clergy.

   Were there mistakes in the Puritan movement? Yes, and again I say YES. A mistakeless society or movement is the figment of a deranged imagination or science fiction. The Puritans were human. They did wrong. When they were shown the wrong, from a biblical perspective, they repented and made the change.

   Modern revisionist historians have made much of the Puritan intolerence's for many things. If these historians would just read Mr. Ryken's book they would see, if they are honest, that the Puritans were very honorable and did stick to what they truly believed to be true.

   I liked this book because it made me admire the Puritans afresh. I now believe that when someone insults me by alluding to my "Puritan" ethics that I am being complemented much more than I deserve. I would hope to live up to such a statement.




2. This book gives the reader an excellent introduction to ideals of the Puritan movement. It is packed full of quotations since the point of the book is to let the Puritans speak for themselves on selected topics.

   This book is an introduction to Puritan thought as a whole, so it does not touch on specific situations. It is very broad and deals with both English and American Puritanism. Though this book is excellent, it should be known by all of you potential buyers that it deals with historical Puritan thought and not with the hard history of facts and events.

   Another bonus of this book is that it presents the Puritans in clear light. Dr. Ryken celebrates the Puritan culture but at the same time recognizes that they had clear faults. He includes a whole chapter on things we can learn from the negative examples within Puritanism.




3. Well, I guess everybody has to have a supporter, and Dr. Ryken has the rather unenviable job of defending the Puritans. He does so with relish and enthusiasism, if not exactly competence, as his field is English, not history or even theology, and the author is far too biased in favor of the Puritans to pass balanced judgment on them. On the other hand, his greatest pique is against the Catholic church, which he repeatedly misrepresents and diminishes. Really annoying.
   
   So what does history get wrong about the Puritans? According the Ryken, almost everything. Apparently, they dressed well, sang, danced, worked hard, liked sex and sports (just not on Sundays!), and were well educated. The author does a very good job of accurately describing the Puritans as they were, not as later generations have remembered them, and he clears away many misconceptions.
   
   So what does the author get wrong? Besides from the aforementioned anti-Catholic prejudice, Ryken is hopelessly in love with the Pilgrims. Little they did was ever wrong because their intentions were holy and good. So Ryken passes over the Salem witchcraft trials and Cromwell's terrible Irish war in complete silence and minimized other problems people had with them, such as their insufferable self-righteousness and their denigration of others less "holy" than themselves.
   
   The other big problem I have with this book is the lack of history in it. The Pilgrims were around for a century and a half, founded Massachusetts, caused the English Civil War, ran England for a decade, ran the Salem witch trials, and then just then disappeared. I never got much of a sense of history out of this book, perhaps because it is not a history book.
   
   Well written, excellently researched, and a very easy read.



4. The author uses the writings of the Puritan authors to help clear away our misconceptions of the Puritans. This works very well. However, it does very little to put the Puritans in their historical context. The Puritans started Havard and they were big on education. This was very interesting. They had very healthy enthusiasm for sex within marriage. However, Ryken points out in his chapter on the problems within Puritanism, the Puritans were so afraid of sin they were worried about commiting adultery with one's wife. Thus, they created a lot of guilt for sex within marriage. The thought/philosophy/theology of the thinkers of a movement is always far more attractive than the practice in every day life. We should look at the Puritan authors themselves for the ideals of Puritanism. Ryken does that well. It is easy to read and he quotes from a variety of writers.
   
   The problem is that he removes the movement from its historical context. He lauds the Puritans for starting Havard, but what about the witch trials? Another problem is repetition, he quotes so much that sometimes the quotes repeat the very same idea over and over. It makes the reading tedious at times.
   
   On the whole I enjoyed the book and I learned a lot about the Puritans, which is exactly what I wanted from the book.

5 comments about Book of Common Worship Daily Prayer.

1. I have committed myself to the spiritual discipline of writing meaningful letters to friends; yet, I just could not give up the daily practice of intentional, guided, prayer. In the past five or six months I read a devotional reflection, scripture, and prayers, both written and private. I then used these prayers and scripture as a type of mantra to reflect on a theme for the day. After this has concluded I would clear my mind and wait for God to speak. There is a specific small leather covered book I have used to recite guided prayers and Scriptures. The Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer has been an invaluable tool in my discipline of daily prayer. The Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer has a number of beneficial tools for a daily prayer practice. The book has provided an outline for Morning and Evening Prayer time, with alternative texts for special seasons and festivals within the church year. The book even provides a section for prayers at mealtime. The book breaks down the Psalms into those shared at Corporate Worship and then ones that can be used in private reflection. Prayer Litanies are provided on a number of subjects of need. The Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer concludes with a helpful listing of the daily lectionary for the church year. I have enjoyed the process of learning the Psalms in an ongoing spiritual process. I have explained on numerous occasions the difference between reading Scripture, and using Scripture as a communal discipline of prayer. Reading a psalm and then saying the same verse over and over until I know it by heart allows me to internalize the message. Then I allow the passage float between my conscious and unconscious mind in silence. Once in a while a spark of divine recognition takes place in the directed silent communion with God through prayer. This book is a stepping off place in your daily prayer life. I recommend this book for the holidays because of it's a gift of prayer. The leather cover, with gold trim, is elegant while remaining affordable. How many Christmas gifts have the potential to change lives. If you decide you want the Book of Common Worship: Daily Prayer for yourself or someone else, give the church office a call and Jane can give you the number for Cokesbury publishing, so you can order in time for Christmas or find it on the web at www.amazon.com. Let me know how this resource influences your daily prayer life. Rev. Scott Paczkowski, First Presbyterian Church, Merrillville, IN



2. We Presbyterians needed a book which conveys our tradition and guides us in prayer. This book is wonderful! I can see the hand of providence (how Presbyterian of me!). Its major sources are The Book of Common Prayer, The Book of Common Order, Ecumenical Prayer Books, and "New" material. The book has given order to my prayer life and infused my devotions with meaning.



3. Anyone wanting to have a structured prayer life I highly recommend Book of Common Prayer. It is a beautiful book and praying the psalms helps deepen one^s spiritual life. The Lectionary gives you the daily readings of the church. It is an ecumenical book with many beautiful and inspiring prayers. This is a book that will give you much thought for meditation. I highly recommend it. The book is for morning and evening prayer.



4. Anyone wanting to have a structured prayer life I highly recommend Book of Common Prayer. It is a beautiful book and praying the psalms helps deepen one^s spiritual life. The Lectionary gives you the daily readings of the church. It is an ecumenical book with many beautiful and inspiring prayers. This is a book that will give you much thought for meditation. I highly recommend it. The book is for morning and evening prayer.



5. Anyone wanting to have a structured prayer life I highly recommend Book of Common Prayer. It is a beautiful book and praying the psalms helps deepen one^s spiritual life. The Lectionary gives you the daily readings of the church. It is an ecumenical book with many beautiful and inspiring prayers. This is a book that will give you much thought for meditation. I highly recommend it. The book is for morning and evening prayer.

2 comments about The Presbyterian Handbook for Pastors.

1. This book tells what most seminaries won't tell you--namely how the "real world" works. When I left seminary I had a good grasp on systematic theology but precious little understanding of how to be a minister. I now mentor seminarians, and this book is required reading for them. It also works as a springboard to discuss issues related to functioning within the local church. I think the title should be changed, as it certainly applies to other denominations. It's practical and written with a sense of humor as well!



2. This is a companion to The Presbyterian Handbook written specifically for pastors. It is easy to read and offers pastors a review of the practicalities of ministry, some of which are not covered in Seminary curriculum. The drawings are amusing and some of the discussion of pastoral situations are down right funny. It is a light-hearted look at the ministry and doesn't take the pastoral ministry too seriously while getting the reader to look as the practicalities of ministry in a new way. The section on self-care is well written. This is a great gift book for a newly ordained minister or recent seminary graduate.

No comments about A History of Presbyterian Missions: 1944-2007.

2 comments about Presbyterian Beliefs: A Brief Introduction.

1. I attend another faith services with a preference towards Presbyterianism. Since I am relatively new to this faith, I wanted a succinct background of the Presbyterian beliefs. This paperback has that, and it is well written in laymen's terms. There are also in-depth explanations of the church's positions on key issues of the faith. A feature which I especially like is the discussion question list at the end of each chapter. They can be used for group discussion or self-indulgence. At the end of the book there is a list of titles for further detail on any of the aforementioned subject matter. I believe that you will enjoy this book. I do.



2. This book is well-written and easily understood. The book was introduced to a men's Bible study group that I am part of and we dedicated our study time to discussing the book, one chapter a week.
   
   The book is really an introduction to Christian Beliefs from a Reformed perspective. Our group found the book helpful and biblical. Where Presbyterians disagree over issues, McKim was faithful to present a breadth of views.

1 comments about Why Do We Baptize Infants? (Basics of the Reformed Faith).

1. Dr. Chapell's presentation for infant baptism is Biblical, balanced and classic. He makes his case without making enemies. It is now the standard I use for discussing and preparing families to understand the Biblical case for infant baptism. I commend this great book to pastors and others wholeheartedly.