The Devoted Life: An Invitation To The Puritan Classics (Paperback)

by Kelly M. Kapic (Editor), Randall C. Gleason (Editor) "APART FROM NOSTALGIC PORTRAITS OF NEW ENGLAND PILGRIMS feasting with American Indians, the word Puritan typically conjures up images representing the worst sort of religious..." (more)
Key Phrases: fourfold state, reformed pastor, justifying faith, Holy Spirit, New England, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Despite the Puritans' profound contributions to doctrine and disciplines of Christian life, we have few reliable introductions to their works." -- Stephen R. Spencer, Professor of Theology, Wheaton College

"It is an excellent idea to celebrate the theology of the Puritan movement by introducing its representative figures-" -- —Paul Helm, Regent College, Vancouver

"Just what we need--a user-friendly guide to the spiritual classics of seventeenth-century Puritanism.." -- —Gerald Bray, Anglican Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"This is a grand achievement. An impressive collection of essays that explore some of the more important Puritan texts." -- —Frank A. James III, D.Phil., Ph.D., President and Professor of Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary/Orlando

Product Description
About the Book

The Puritans are frequently maligned but seldom understood. Far from the dour malcontents they are often portrayed to be, most Puritans were wholesomely engaged in life. This book is designed to introduce you to a wide range of influential Puritan writers and a representative work for each that pushes through stereotypes to the heart and soul of these Christian pastors and theologians. With a clear grasp of the historical contexts in which these Puritan works were written, these twenty essays presented by editors Kelly M. Kapic and Randall C. Gleason illuminate the vibrant spirituality of the Puritans that transcend their sometimes surprising political, ecclesiastical and religious differences.

In these pages notable scholars, such as J. I. Packer, John Coffey, Mark Noll, Leland Ryken, Richard Lovelace and Sinclair Ferguson, invite you to sit at the feet of Puritan writers, ranging from William Ames, William Perkins and Richard Sibbes to Thomas Goodwin, John Milton, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan and Jonathan Edwards. What comes through is a living, three-dimensional portrait of the devoted life that emphasizes the Christian experience of communion with God, corporate revival, biblical preaching and the sanctifying working of God's Holy Spirit.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 318 pages
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830827943
• ISBN-13: 978-0830827947
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #228,660 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction, March 10, 2005

By	Paul Lamey (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The editors of The Devoted Life have put together a masterful introduction to some of the most important literature ever penned in the English language. It is not so much an introduction to the lives of the Puritans as it is an introduction to some of their key writings. However, readers will be delighted to know that the first chapter goes along way to answer the question: Who were the Puritans? (pp.15-37) and the last chapter on Puritan and Spiritual Renewal is worth the price of he book. The Puritans were chiefly responsible for shaping social and religious thought in the post-Reformation era. They are greatly misunderstood and often falsely caricatured. This introduction will be a great encouragement to the believer who wants to get beyond the typical fluff of modern writing and dig in to Christian literature that lives and breathes. The authors will take the reader on a grand tour of writings like Pilgrim's Progress and Paradise Lost and Puritan writers like Matthew Henry, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards will come alive. This book will be a welcome addition to anyone interested in Puritan studies, especially their writings. If one is looking for an accessible introduction to the lives of the Puritans, this reviewer would recommend, Leland Ryken's Worldly Saints: The Puritans as They Really Were (Zondervan, 1986).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars All commentary, January 15, 2009

By	A. Stanley "all4jesus" (Lookout Mountain, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was looking for a book with sample texts by Puritan authors, but this book is all commentary on those texts, with no real texts available in it. The essays written are wonderful, but not what I was looking for.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding introduction to some Puritan greats!, August 19, 2008

By	Chris Meirose "Big Chris" (Waseca, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a great place to start if you want to know more about the Puritans. Each piece has a very clear and concise introduction to the specific Puritan author they are featuring. Each selection (of the Puritan authors) is appropriate, informative, and in my opinion transformative. Kapic and Gleason make the Puritan fathers quite approachable, giving you a taste and encouraging you to then go and get the rest of a meal. Kapic and Gleason's introductions are extraordinarily well written setting up each piece perfectly.