The Devoted Life: An Invitation to the Puritan Classics
"This is a grand achievement. Kapic and Gleason have managed to present an impressive collection of essays that explore some of the more important Puritan texts.The Devoted Life: An Invitation to the Puritan Classicsexpands on traditional conceptions and points out that Puritanism is a very difficult movement to define, especially with all the theological, ecclesiological and political diversity which attend that complex world, and yet the editors and their contributors also remind us that there was something that linked the idea across three centuries and several continents. I very much appreciate their approach to portray Puritanism as a kind of spirituality and general outlook on the Christian life. I commend the editors and the contributors for a job well done. As I always say to my students, good scholarship is not complete until it has been effectively communicated. Kapic, Gleason and their colleagues have succeeded superbly in capturing the complex dynamic of current scholarship while ensuring that it has been clearly communicated. This book will be welcomed and enjoyed in colleges, universities and seminaries alike. As Augustine might say,'tolle lege'[take up and read]." (Frank A. James III, D.Phil., Ph.D., President and Professor of Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary/Orlando)"Despite the Puritans' profound contributions to the doctrine and disciplines of the Christian life, we have few reliable introductions to their works. These insightful, accessible and critically appreciative essays enlarge our hearts and nurture us in livingcoram deo."(Stephen R. Spencer, Professor of Theology, Wheaton College)"Just what we need--a user-friendly guide to the spiritual classics of seventeenth-century Puritanism which will bring long-forgotten works back to life and encourage a new generation to move on to the meat of evangelical spirituality. From the familiar John Bunyan to the virtually unknown John Howe, this collection takes in a range of writers who bear witness to the enormous riches of our Protestant heritage which continue to shape and sustain the modern church. This anthology will open people's eyes to behold wonders of which few have ever dreamed, and it is sure to become a standard reference work wherever the English Reformation heritage is held in honor." (Gerald Bray, Anglican Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University)"It is an excellent idea to celebrate the theology of the Puritan movement by introducing its representative figures--from William Ames to Thomas Watson, from John Bunyan to Richard Sibbes--  through their classic writings. A first-rate team of evangelical scholars does the honors. Here is doctrinal exactness, faithfulness to Scripture and pastoral insight. Here also is learning and wit, allegory and poetry. Take up and read!" (Paul Helm, Regent College, Vancouver)