Customer Reviews

Spurgeon: A New Biography

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are more biographies devoted to Charles Spurgeon than to just about any other Christian figure. The first were written before his death (including his own autobiography) and hundreds have been written since. In the two years following his death, new biographies were published at the rate of one per month! One would be justified in asking, then, why we need another one. Arnold Dallimore answers this question in the preface, saying that in his studies he discovered no definitive volume. He found, for example, that no other biography gave a satisfactory account of Spurgeon's ability as a theologian or the methods he used in leading souls to Christ. Also, his character was often made to appear weaker than it really was. And so Dallimore sought to remedy these faults in his volume which was first published in 1984.

I quote again from the preface: "I trust that, at least to some extent, this book provides a more satisfactory account of the great Spurgeon...I have endeavored to understand and present something of the inner man - Spurgeon in his praying, his sufferings and depressions, his weaknesses and strengths, in his triumphs, his humor, his joys, and his incredible accomplishments."

Dallimore succeeds admirably. He presents Spurgeon as more than a great and powerful preacher. He presents him as a man who was the product of a long line of believers, a man whose life was filled with struggles and a man who emerged victorious. Above all, we see a man who was specially gifted by God and used those gifts to the fullest. Spurgeon's legacy is nearly immeasurable in souls won, in faith strengthened and in his influence over other preachers. He truly earned his title as the Prince of Preachers.

While not a definitive treatment of Spurgeon's life (it weighs in at a mere 244 pages while other biographies have been many times that length), this book is a wonderful starting place to learn to appreciate one of God's most humble servants. As with any good Christian biography, this book will serve to strengthen your faith and will turn your thoughts not to the man, but to the God to whom the man dedicated his life. I give it my wholehearted recommendation.

Arnold Dallimore (1911-1998), a Baptist clergyman who pastored three Ontario churches, also wrote biographies of Whitefield, Wesley, and Edward Irving. Like those biographies, this one of Spurgeon is intended to be both inspirational and historically accurate. The difficulties of simultaneously attempting to promote the faith while providing a "warts-and-all" biography are obvious, but Dallimore handles the challenge well.

Dallimore, the Baptist pastor, emphasizes a Spurgeon who was a whirlwind of pastoral commitments, a hearty Calvinist who supervised a magnificent range of church-oriented social service activities. (To an agnostic he once retorted, "The God who answereth by Orphanages, Let Him Be God.") No wonder that after spending nearly forty years in the pulpit, Spurgeon died before he was sixty.

Dallimore also properly stresses Spurgeon's principled withdrawal from the Baptist Union, with all the hurtful criticism that that decision engendered--as well as its prophetic anticipation of religious decline in the twentieth century. Yet it is also heartening to read of Spurgeon's warm relationship with those other evangelical giants of the late nineteenth century, D. L. Moody and Hudson Taylor, who didn't always cross their "t's" the same way as the London Baptist.

I would have preferred a bit more on Spurgeon's theology, the historic setting in which his ministry developed, and the contrast between his periods of deep depression and his reputation as a "bubbling fountain of humor." Nevertheless, for the modern general reader, this life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon is perhaps the best introduction to the greatest of all nineteenth-century evangelical preachers .

I've read portions of almost all the biographies written on Spurgeon. This one seems to take the some of the best bits and pieces and combine them into one book. This book used much of the quotes left by Spurgeon's wife, and this gave it a first person kind of feel.

If you really want to dive into Spurgeon's life and see the trials and victories that this man faced, this is a wonderful book. Enjoy it.

Arnold Dallimore's books about the great evangelist George Whitefield enthralled me with every turn of the page. This biography of the Rev. Charles Spurgeon is up to Dallimore's high standards. You'll learn about Spurgeon's voracious appetite for reading, his thorough knowledge of Christian theology at a young age, and his heartfelt conversiona t the age of sixteen while listening to a layman preach on Isaiah 45:22.

You'll also learn of the wonderful married life he had with his wife Susannah, and of his spellbinding, down to earth sermons. You'll marvel as the Baptist church he pastors grows to about 6000 members.

You'll also learn of his health crises and of his battles with depression. You'll also see that even though Spurgeon was a great man of God who started a college for ministers, he still had plenty of enemies both within and outside of the body of Christ.

This is a compact, action packed, engaging study of a great life. I give it a very high recommendation.

I have not finished with the book yet. My pastor, Jerry Johnston, told me to read it. I am interested in having some of Spurgeon's books of sermons in my library. I have found it an easy read and easier to understand than the 4 volume biography probably would be. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a basic idea about Spurgeon's life, then go to the 4 book biography for a more indepth look at his life, if you so choose.

I agree with the other reviewers that this is a good place to start on the life of Spurgeon but I was disappointed by the book. I hope my 3 stars isn't unfair, I just expected much more fom Dallimore. I thoroughly enjoyed his one volume work on George Whitefield and therefore the "bar" was a bit higher for me.

The main reasons why I gave book this 2 stars:
First, this book would really only be useful for a person who has never even heard the name Charles Spurgeon...but then, one who has never heard of the man will likely not plop down and read a whole biography about him!

Secondly, Dallimore does not deal with Spurgeon's theology in any significant way. It was precisely Spurgeon's knowledge of God that enabled him to do the things he did.
I also think he gets some things wrong when dealing with the issues surrounding the "downgrade controversy."

This book is better than nothing, but not too much better. I have heard that "The Forgotten Spurgeon" by Iian Murray is better...I'm off to try that one! If you're interested in Whitefield, I highly recommend Dallimore's book on his life. For learning about the life of Spurgeon, save your money for another day.

In the past I have read Iain Murray's The Forgotten Spurgeon and Spurgeon vs. Hyper Calvinism. Both of these works were excellent at getting to know the theology that drove the man. Yet their purpose was not to tell the life story of the man. Dallimore does just that. He says his goal will have succeeded if many "come to know him better and are both instructed and inspired by his powerful example".

Dallimore begins his biography by showing the preparation of the man. This serves to help us see the foundation that was built in this mighty man of God. Young Charles had studied and read extensively on the Puritans. Certainly, they (along with Spurgeon's passion for Scripture) were used by God to develop at a young age the passionate theology of Spurgeon. It is because of the "boy and his books" that Spurgeon became the "prince of preachers" that labored to earnestly contend for the faith.

In this shorter biography Dallimore will lead us from the boy preacher at Waterbeach to the embattled veteran defender of biblical faith against the onslaught of New Theology. We read of his early labors at the New Park Street Chapel to his thriving services at the famous Metropolitan Tabernacle. Dallimore champions throughout this work the exhausting labors of Charles Spurgeon. It is telling that after his death it took many men to carry on that which Spurgeon started and they still were not able to fill his shoes. We are introduced to many friends and even a few in opposition to Spurgeon. We also are honored to meet in these pages Spurgeon's admirable wife Susannah.

Dallimore closes with a beautiful chapter on Spurgeon's funeral. He writes as if he were there and takes the reader into the funeral services. I found myself holding back tears, mourning the loss of this wonderful saint. Therefore, I find as I close the book, that Dallimore has succeeded. I feel as if I know Spurgeon better, but more importantly I have been instructed and inspired by his powerful example.

Should You Buy It?

It is a wonderful work, and for that reason I give a wholehearted "yes" to buying it. However, if you want to buy a book dealing with his theology and preaching methods, Dallimore might not be the best place to go. I would suggest buying this book to be introduced to Dallimore's life, then as an accompaniment I must encourage the reader to buy Iain Murray's works on Spurgeon.

This was my first book on Charles Spurgeon, and I have to say that it sparked my interest so much that I proceeded to his 4 volume Autobiography! Dallimore writes very well, breaks down the material into short, manageable chapters, and liberally uses the words of Spurgeon himself to give the reader a good snapshot of the preacher. One of the things I like about this book is that while Dallimore gives us a good clear picture of Spurgeon the man, he also provides the reader a faithful glimpse of Spurgeon the servant of God. I could not help but be inspired by the work of God in this man. This is a biography of Charles Spurgeon, but it is ultimately about the incredible local and global work of Christ through one of His humble servants. If you are looking for a short, first book on Spurgeon, then this is the one. It is concise, accurate, faithful to the man himself, and inspirational.

There are hundreds of biographies on Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Following Spurgeon's death in 1892, for nearly three years new biographies appeared at the rate of about one a month. Arnold A. Dallimore wrote this one in 1984. There are more thorough biographies of Spurgeon that are two or four or eight volumes in length. This 250 page volume serves as a nice introductory.

C.H. Spurgeon was born in England in 1834. He was a preacher within the British Reformed Baptist denomination. One hundred and ten years after his death he remains highly influential among Christians of different denominations. He is known most commonly as the Prince of Preachers.

With little formal education he began preaching at the age of 17. At the age of 19, just four years after his conversion, he took over the pulpit at New Park Street Chapel. He would serve there until he died 38 years later.

Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences of more than 10,000 souls. At twenty-two years of age Spurgeon was the most popular preacher of his day. At the peak of his service he oversaw 66 different ministries in England.

While he suffered from rheumatism, gout, and Bright's disease he went on to preach well over 2000 sermons. He was known for a large booming voice and witty oratory style. But, his unwavering and sound theology is what drew hundreds of thousands to hear him preach and millions to read his many books. He was a tireless servant and an unparalleled theologian.

The book was interesting and informative. I feel like I know and understand the man and his passion. It really helps me to understand the things Spurgeon has written.