Stephen J. Nichols

One of the many good things to come out of the recent Machen week was the chance to swap books with Steve Nichols. During the course of the week Steve mentioned a plan to meet up with the music journalist Steve Turner which opened up a side to him that I'd missed in a previous encounter. It turns out that Steve (N) has done this whole book Getting the blues looking at 'What blues music teaches us about suffering and salvation' and it really is a brilliant book.
Being a big music fan (though show more not the blues especially) and a lover of good theology I was immediately drawn to it. It takes you through a sort of history of the blues but all the way it gives you theology too. It is what he calls a theomusicology, a term borrowed from another contemporary writer in this area. The theology is good (ruin, redemption, regeneration, etc) and although there may be a little selectivity here and there his argument that a sound theology is woven through the blues stands up.
I liked this book on many levels - the fine introduction to the music (I'm pretty hazy except for the sound track to Brother where art thou and a half dozen Rev Gary Davis tracks in my i-tunes); the good theology (in a minor key); helpful things on Ruth and Ecclesiastes; the whole idea of looking at what is so often considered by secularists on robust Christian lines. Oh yeah - great title too.
I'm hoping to pass copies on to people who will appreciate it even more than me and who may be will get to understand the theology too. show less

What is Christmas about? Is it about presents or a bearded obese man squeezing down chimneys or awkward meals or public school pageants that attempt to walk the PC road of inclusivity mixed with nostalgia-lite(all the fluff and none of the substance)?

Or is it about peace on Earth? Or should I say, Peace on Earth.

Nichols recounts a story early on in this work about “The Miracle on the Western Front”. I vaguely remembered pieces of the story but was struck anew by this recounting. This show more Christmas truce of 1914 left opposing forces, who hours earlier would only rank “staying alive” higher on their to-do list than killing this enemy, singing together and playing football together and enjoying peace in the midst of battle, if only for a short time.

But this peace was not lasting. As any man-made peace is sure to do, this peace ended. The violence and bloodshed resumed and the war, and wars, would proceed as usual. Christmas is not about a truce. It is not about a hiatus of bloodshed, it is about peace. Peace with each other and peace with God, accomplished by His Son who came into the world via a virgin and a manger.

“The birthday of the Lord is the birthday of peace.”—Pope Leo I

But this story of peace does not begin in a manger and Nichols does well in showing this. It does not begin with an angelic announcement, but rather the Christmas story has its roots in eternity and grows throughout history—from the “Let there be” of God, to the Garden of Eden and on.

Nichols takes the reader from promise, to fulfillment, to reflection—seeing the manger from Genesis to Revelation, the incarnation from cover to cover. Nichols tells this story by blending Scripture readings, hymns and quotes. The reader will be encouraged to worship by the beauty of the content and the presentation.

Nichols chapter on “Keeping Christmas” helps the reader to develop traditions to keep the focus of Christmas firmly set on the God of Christmas. He gives some Scriptures to read alongside carols and introduces the practice of Advent with a month’s worth of Advent Sunday devotionals to do as a family. He also leaves space for families to record traditions or future traditions that they desire to develop.

Christmas is about the Lord and how He made peace with a rebellious creation. Nichols work leads the reader to this and leaves them worshiping in the midst of this truth. This is a great book to bring out every November and leave on the coffee table throughout the holiday season and a work to enjoy throughout the year. show less

Children's books on church history are rare, good ones even rarer and ones that can appeal to all ages rarer still. The Church History ABCs by Stephen J. Nichols and Ned Bustard is a children's book that certainly falls into the latter category. You would think that a book about church history would be geared towards older children and a book about ABCs would be to kindergarten-age children. How then does Nichols and Bustard manage to quite successfully marry the two concepts?

Each letter of show more the alphabet features a prominent figure from the history of the church. There are the more well-known ones such as Calvin, Edwards and Spurgeon. But there are also some not-so-well-known people like John Donne, Hippolytus ("Let's get one thing straight, my name is Hippolytus, not hippopotamus"), Tertullian, Vivaldi and Florence Young. Each person is accompanied by a brief informational snippet about that particular person, written from his or her perspective.

The beauty of each letter/person is that every piece of information can stand on its own depending on the age of the children. For instance: "'A' is for apricot, apple and Augustine - Africa's ancient bishop." That alone is enough to teach a younger student to associate a letter with a name as well as other common items such as an apple. For the student that is a little older, the biographical information can be included. For the more curious/able student desiring to know more, there is still further information about each person at the end of the book.

The real fun part, however, is in the illustrations and can probably be turned into a game of sorts. Hidden in each illustration are clues about that person that will be answered either in the brief biographical sketch on the same page or in the fuller paragraphs at the end of the book. For example, "A" is for apricot and apple, but why is there a pear on Augustine's page? What's up with the heart John Calvin is holding? Why on earth is Jonathan Edwards wearing an Indian headdress and eating chocolate? Why is Spurgeon holding a sword and a trowel? The subtleties in each illustration make discovering more "secrets" about that person all the more interesting. (And don't think we didn't notice the cigars in Spurgeon's pocket!)

This is an excellent resource for children of all ages to learn about great people God has used down through church history. I'd give this book 6 out of 5 stars if I could.

(Thanks to Crossway's Homeschool Book Review Program for the opportunity to read and review this book.) show less

Martin Luther: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought
Stephen J. Nichols; Phillipsburg: P&R, 2002
Reviewed by A. Michael Cole

Stephen Nichols’ Martin Luther provides a manageable read (intended for mature readers) that goes beyond a simple introduction to the events of the reformer’s life. He seeks to remedy the lack of familiarity most modern Protestants have regarding Luther’s life and writings. So Nichols’ attempts to “put his [Luther’s] long-lost descendants in touch with their show more legacy, an invitation to spend some time at Luther’s table, to examine his life and hear his ideas” (14). He does so in a relatively short book (240 pages) of three parts. Part one offers a brief, interesting biography [chapters 1 and 2] that highlights the significant events of Luther’s life. In Part two, Nichols’ guides the reader through Luther’s theology that led to the Reformation. Chapter 3 surveys Luther’s theology, dealing with his teaching on sin, the cross, justification, faith, Scripture, and the laity. Chapter 4 introduces readers to three of Luther’s treatises that sparked the Reformation: Address to the Christian Nobility, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, and The Freedom of the Christian. In chapter 5, Nichols summarizes Luther’s debate with Erasmus concerning the human will by walking the reader through The Bondage of the Will. Next, in chapter 6, Nichols’ covers Luther’s teaching on the Lord’s Table. In the final chapter of part 2 (7), the reader discovers the center of Luther’s teaching on Christian ethics. The final part of Nichols’ book covers Luther the pastor, surveying his work among children (8) and pupils (9), his work in hymnody (10), his work in church polity and practice (11), and his work in preaching (12).

Unlike some biographical or historical books I’ve read, this work is enjoyable to read. Nichols writes on a popular level, but does not resort to shallow treatment when tackling deep topics. He has organized the chapters well, helping the reader stay with the topic under discussion. He keeps the primary topics in view and does not deviate from them. His sentence structure and vocabulary keep the work moving.

Several features of Nichols’ work succeed in providing readers with beneficial information and analysis. First, each chapter ends with several suggestions for further reading. He also provides a list of books written by and about Luther at the end of the book. Second, special insets and feature boxes also provide helpful information in summary form. For example, he summarizes the important events of Luther’s break with Rome in 1520 and lists Luther’s major works on the Lord’s Supper along with key events in the development of his thought. Third, each chapter introduces readers to the ideas embodied in Luther’s works, moving readers into a knowledge of Luther that goes deeper than a rudimentary grasp of his life. This feature is why the book should be read. Nichols ably takes the reader to the root ideas that drove Luther’s theology; ideas like justification by faith alone, radical depravity, love as the center of Christian ethics, and the importance of training the next generation to name a few. This book is not a rehash of what everyone knows about Luther; it takes the reader by the hand and introduces him to key themes in Luther’s teaching. Finally, Nichols moves beyond description to application throughout the book. He is not afraid to point readers to the relevance of Luther’s thinking for modern Christianity. Usually he is pointing out deficiencies in contemporary thought or practice.

Nichols accomplishes his purpose with this book. He took someone who knew the basic aspects of Luther’s life and teaching to a deeper understanding of the reformer’s theology. Martin Luther’s has wet my appetite for learning more from this godly man. I recommend it as a helpful place to begin a journey of understanding the man and theology that sparked the Protestant Reformation. show less