Customer Reviews

For Kirk and Covenant: The Stalwart Courage of John Knox (Leaders in Action)

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I have read 3 or 4 biographies of Knox in the past ten years. Stanford Reid's *Trumpter of God* is considered the standard. But Wilson's is by far the most engaging.

I am not a Wilson fan at all. But this is a good read.

Wilson has not attempted a comprehensive biography. Instead he hits the milestones and highlights what made Knox one of the most interesting figures in Western history. WIlson seems to have relied primarily on 2 or 3 sources and has little to no familiarity with the bulk of the scholarly literature on Knox, but this matters little for the scope of this work.

Wilson makes contemporary, practical applications from Knox's that the reader will find very challenging.

For Kirk and Covenant is an easy book to pick up and get a feel for John Knox--particularly his character. But I have not found the result of reading it to be that I feel that I really know and love the man himself. The book's short chapters (topically arranged) are engaging but paint a choppy picture of his life. Author Douglas Wilson's aim to display his godly character and leadership requires him to continually protect Knox from his critics--the result being an almost perfect picture of him in every chapter. I'll use For Kirk and Covenant as a supplementary reference, but I look forward to reading a more comprehensive chronological biography.

A great reformer written from an honest perspective, well aware of our own culure... another great one for young and old alike!