Joel R. Beeke

Calvinism is all the buzz these days. Last year, Time Magazine listed the rise of “The New Calvinism” as number 3 on a list of “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now”. The five points of Calvinism are gaining adherents at a rapid rate. At the same time, a deep-seated rejection of Calvinism remains popular in large swaths of evangelicalism.

When it comes to the internet, fierce debates over Calvinism are the norm. Calvinists routinely suspect the worst of their “Arminian” opponents show more who are often pictured as near-Pelagians. Arminians think that Calvinists tout a dour, sour-faced God who gleefully condemns people to Hell with no chance for salvation. No wonder then, that Calvinists don’t evangelize.

From my vantage point, as a convert to Calvinism from a Baptist non-Calvinist viewpoint, both the Calvinist superiority complex and the Calvinism-is-of-the-devil overreaction share a common shortfall. Neither extreme really appreciates the full ramifications of Calvinism for all of life. Both have a certain amount of ignorance with respect to the history and teaching of Calvinism from the Reformation onward. A historical perspective and an appreciation for Calvinism’s impact on worldview and theology beyond the rather specific and limited focus of the five points would do much good all around.

It is these reasons and more which make Joel Beeke’s book Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism such an important resource. This book is packed with material illustrating how Calvinism impacts all of life.

The book starts off with an historical treatment of the origins of what we call Calvinism and a look at several of the Reformed confessions. Then it moves on to a Scriptural defense of the teachings of Calvinism. Here we find a treatment of the 5 points of Calvinism as well as the 5 solas. We also find that the sovereignty of God, or theocentrism is the doctrinal heart and soul of Calvinism.

The book goes further and surveys the piety of Calvinism and its impact in the church. In these sections we learn a lot from the Puritans on sanctification and church life. Particular emphasis is placed on the emphasis of the role of preaching in worship, which is truly Calvinism’s gift to the wider church.

The book then goes on to how Calvinism provides a “theology for all of life”. I was particularly struck by this section. The discussion of a Puritan home and marriage was eye-opening. Indeed the medieval era had downplayed the physical aspects of the marital union. The clergy were above sex, or were supposed to be, and that was left for mistresses and secret elopements. The marriage wasn’t about that, it was a societal convention. The Puritans took the Bible’s teaching on the importance of the marital union and brought back a Biblical morality and a healthy enjoyment of physical pleasures within the confines of marriage.

I also enjoyed the chapter on vocation, and how Calvinism invests the idea of a life’s calling with great significance. Political and ethical questions are also addressed from the perspective of Calvinism.

The book concludes with a chapter by Sinclair Ferguson on doxology as the end goal of Calvinism. As it was John Piper’s ministry in particular that drew me toward Calvinism, I can testify that Calvinistic theology if it is actively embraced and understood should tend toward a doxological thrust in life. Everything should be seen as flowing from God’s good hand, and our very salvation is a free gift of God’s grace. Calvinism should make us worshipful and humble, not proud.

Joel Beeke and the other contributors to this book are to be commended for showing us how doctrine should impact all of life. They open up the horizons of contemporary Christians to see the beauty of faithful orthodox piety of previous generations. The book does get long and can be quite varied at times. But the work can be seen as an anthology from which to glean what you find interesting and helpful. I recommend this book heartily.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Reformation Trust Publishing for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

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I recently got the opportunity to read Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism edited by Dr. Joel Beeke who is president and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. The Contributors are an all-star caste in this book consisting Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson, Dr. James M Grier, Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin, Dr. Nelson D. Kloosterman, Rev. Ray b. Lanning, Dr. Robert W. Oliver, Ray Pennings, and Dr. Derek W. H. Thomas.

The target audience show more for this book is lay people & ministers who are interested in learning the basics of Calvinism. It is refreshing to read a book that expounds on the many impacts of Calvinism on history, philosophy, worldview and theology. The influence of Calvinism goes far beyond the five points of Calvinism. It does an excellent job showing the biblical roots of not just its theology but also its community.

The content of the book is divided into six sections in which each deals with a different aspect of Reformed theology. The History of Calvinism (1), Calvinism in the Mind (2), the heart (3), the church (4), in practice (5), and Calvinism’s Goals (6). The section I found most interesting that makes the whole book worth the journey was the second part “Cultivating The Heart.” I found here many practical helps to assist in examining the spiritual life of the believer. With the heart that is not just Calvinistic in theology but there worldview is reformed. Since the heart is reformed it will show in more than just thought but also in practice.

In the end, the book gives its desired goal for reformed theology which is to glory of God. The book is full of supporting texts and a variety of extensive quotations from past theological giants of the faith. I sincerely believe that Beeke’s work provides the best overall introduction to Calvinism that I have ever read. The book is over 400 pages but don’t let this hinder you from picking it up. It is a must read to any library.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Reformation Trust Publishing for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a favorable review. show less

"Few men have been as influential in their lifetime as William Perkins, and few men of such fame have been so widely forgotten with the passing of time as Perkins" (109).

I have dubbed 2017 as "The Year of the Puritan" in my reading plan. Only in the last two years have I discovered the rich writings of these faithful pastors of yesteryear. Some of my favorite authors feature more Puritan references than the Pope has hats. So, I determined that it was time for me to dive into the Puritans for show more myself. I have not been disappointed!

But William Perkins in the "Bitesize Biographies from EP Books may be the rare exception to my Puritan obsession. Sadly, it was less biography, and more a survey of Perkins' beliefs. I couldn't wait to dive into this book when I ordered it. Many of the Puritans I have read in the last two years have talked of "beloved Mr. Perkins." One might even say that William Perkins is the Puritan among puritans, even though he technically predates the Puritan era in England's history by several decades and lacked the separatist ecclesiology that marked later Puritans. It was his writings and thinking that sparked the theological imagination of the likes of Richard Sibbes, Richard Baxter, and Jeremiah Burroughs.

Joel Beeke and Stephen Yuille offer a good overview of Perkins' thought. They help the reader understand his importance in shaping later theologians and his impact on his contemporaries through his preaching and teaching. I only wish they said more of the man's life. I suppose that a brief work of this nature can only do so much. I do look forward to other works in this series. A series like this is needed lest the modern church forget the shoulders we stand upon. We need heroes of the faith. When we persist in ignorance of the past we yield treasures too rich and costly. We lose people like William Perkins. And that is sad indeed. show less

This is a masterwork by the authors. It is a labor of love and a gift to the church. In A Puritan Theology: Doctrine for Life Beeke and Jones have collated a wide range of Puritan writings into what is a essentially a Puritan systematic theology. Before reading this book I had what would be considered a stereotypical view of whom the Puritans were: Christians who were distinctive by being rigorous, dour and extreme, seeking to impose their particular understanding of theology on society at show more large. Oh, how wrong that view was, and how much better I am for reading this book and having it corrected.

Beeke and Jones provide a historical overview of the times that the Puritans lived in and the particular forces they were a part of and subject to. Then they go step-by-step through each of the focal points of systematic theology, drawing from the extensive writings of the many pastors of the Puritan tradition.

While no Puritan wrote a systematic theology in the sense of Calvin or Turretin, many of them did write both very widely and with great depth. In some chapters Beeke and Jones delve deeply into the perspective of a single Puritan while in others they draw from many people's writings. Examples of the former are Stephen Charnock on the Attributes of God, and John Owen on Justification by Faith Alone. Examples of the latter are chapters on the Holy Spirit and the Lord's Supper. I was stunned at the power of Charnock's writing and his love for his savior that lay beneath it. It makes me want to go back and read more directly from the source.

Beeke and Jones haven't just written a work of scholarly exposition, although this book is certainly that, but they have also made great effort to consistently show the warmth and pastoral concern the Puritan's had for the people they ministered to.

The book's last section are chapters that discuss various aspects of Puritan thought and practice and the relevance they have for the church today. For me these closing chapters tied it all together, showing practical ways in which the Puritans could give guidance to my own spiritual life and the life of the congregation I serve.

Puritan theology is a refined expression of Reformed theology, as the Puritans followed the magisterial Reformers and therefore they continued to build and shape what was done before them. Beeke and Jones have done a tremendous service to the church in showing us that Puritan theology speaks today to the 21st century as clearly as it did to the 17th century in which it was written. show less