Heritage Booktalk » Dr. Michael Haykin

New Publication: Christ Is All: The Piety of Horatius Bonar

Michael Dewalt — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:17:00 +0000

“Christ Is All” highlights the life and work of the memorable Scottish minister and poet, Horatius Bonar (1808–1889). Michael A. G. Haykin and Darrin R. Brooker present 65 excerpts from Bonar’s writings that capture his ardent devotion to the glory of Christ. Readers will also find Haykin’s biographical introduction on Bonar a valuable glimpse at a life that God used greatly in the preaching of the gospel and the saving of souls.

Authored and Edited by:
Michael A. G. Haykin is Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky & Research Professor of Irish Baptist College, Constituent College of Queen’s University Belfast, N. Ireland.

Darrin R. Brooker is the editor and publisher of The Life and Works of Horatius Bonar CD. He and his wife Melissa are members of Trinity Baptist Church, Burlington, Ontario.

BLURBS:
Maurice Roberts says:
“This book of excerpts from the eminent Horatius Bonar is a window on the real Christian life. Living as Bonar did when Liberalism was seeking to replace Reformation theology with disguised Humanism, Bonar sounds his clarion calls: Be at your Bible; be earnest in prayer; be holy and zealous for God; preach the truth; live for eternity; shun worldliness; care to be remembered only by what you have done for Christ in this world. No message is more needed than this today.”

David P. Murray says:
“Bonar’s biography provides an enlightening vista of another age, while his selections give us penetrating insight into our own. As Bonar would wish, every word points us to the Christ of all ages and for all ages.”

Another volume of “Profiles of Reformed Spirituality” series for Reformation Heritage Books as been published and you can order it now, before it comes out. You can purchase this at Reformation Heritage Books or by calling 616- 977- 0599.

A Sweet Flame by Dr. Michael Haykin

Michael Dewalt — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:58:00 +0000

One of our previous posts was Dr. Michael Haykin in a Q and A session on the topic of Jonathan Edwards (you can read this here). In that session Dr. Haykin was asked the following question,

“Many people have never read Edwards, but after reading this interview, there may be some who want to see what he is all about. Do you have any suggestions of which of Edwards’s writings would be a good place for them to start?”

To which Dr. Haykin replied, “I would begin with his A Faithful Narrative of a Surprising Work of God, the account of the revival in his church in Northampton, Mass., in 1734-1735 (this is found in Banner of Truth’s Jonathan Edwards on Revival). Then, maybe his sermon “Heaven is a World of Love” (this is the last chapter of Charity and Its Fruits). Then, The Religious Affections. And of course, I would recommend “A Sweet Flame!”

We at Reformation Heritage Books would like to take the time in this post to focus on the book that Dr. Haykin stressed would be a great place to start in learning about Jonathan Edwards. A Sweet Flame was written by Dr. Michael Haykin who introduces to the readers the piety and spirituality of Jonathan Edwards. This biographical sketch of Jonathan Edwards done by Dr. Haykin reveals the importance f the New England ministers had on Scripture, family piety, and the church’s reliance upon God. Here Dr. Haykin gives 26 sections of different letters in which Jonathan Edwards had written, letters written from Edwards’s family upon his death, and an appendix drawing upon Edwards’s last will and the inventory of his estate.

This book is only number two of the many books to come in a series, which Dr. Michael Haykin is working on. This series of books will cover profiles in Reformed Spirituality, and are designed to show the piety and spirituality of the Reformed tradition by presenting descriptions of the lives of particular Christians with selected passages from their works. This combination of biographical sketch and collected portions from primary sources gives a taste of the treated person’s contribution to our spiritual heritage and some direction as to how the reader can find further edification through works of those people treated in this series. Under the guidance of series editors Dr. Joel R. Beeke and Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin, “Profiles in Reformed Spirituality” promises to provide a valuable primer to our rich Reformed heritage.

Some of the volumes which have already be published are, A Consuming Fire: The Piety of Alexander Whyte, A Sweet Flame: Piety in the Letters of Jonathan Edwards, and Devoted to the Service of the Temple: Piety, Persecution, and Ministry in the Writings of Hercules Collins.

Still to come in the series of “Profiles in Reformed Spirituality” are volumes over, Samuel Pierce, Horatius Bonar, Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, John Calvin and George Swinnock.

RHB Q and A’s Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin on Jonathan Edwards

Michael Dewalt — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:50:00 +0000

Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin is the Principal of, Toronto Baptist Seminary, Toronto, Ontario, where he teaches Church History, Historical Theology, and Spirituality. He is a Senior Fellow of The Andrew Fuller Centre for Reformed Evangelicalism. He will shortly take up the position of Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at The Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Q In one place, you have said that the study of Jonathan Edwards “has become an academic industry in its own right.”Furthermore, book publishers seem to be having a field day bringing his works back into print. Why do you think books by and about Jonathan Edwards have become so popular these days?

A Well, there has been a movement over the past forty years of growing dissatisfaction with the intellectual and spiritual state of western Evangelicalism. In a desire to find an antidote to this situation, one of the most profitable avenues of approach has been to go back to past spiritual giants—and among them none stands taller than Edwards. His intellectual prowess and spiritual acumen are rich food for an anemic Evangelicalism.

Q With all of the excitement generated in relation to Edwards, are there any concerns you have about certain interests in and trajectories of scholarship on Edwards?

A Iain Murray rightly pointed out that the Edwards we need to recover is the theologian and man of God. We must be wary of hagiography and making Edwards a plaster saint, but his walk with God and his theological insights are of enormous value for the church. Earlier generations were both wary of and enamored by his philosophical predilections. We certainly need to be careful in this regard, remember that the heart of the heritage of Edwards is his biblical and theological reflections.

Q Many would claim that we live in a completely different time and culture than the one in which Edwards lived and wrote. How can reading Edwards’s works, composed so long ago, benefit us today?

A This is the perennial issue about learning from the past. Can Edwards help us with our technological difficulties? In one sense, no. He cannot help me fix my computer when it is broken. But can he speak to our technological age, as the consummate Edwards scholar, George Marsden, once put it? Undoubtedly yes, because men and women of our day share the same fundamental problems of Edwards’s day: the need for a place of spiritual safety, forgiveness of their sins, a comfort in the face of death, and a God of glory to live for.

Q Your new book, “A Sweet Flame,” highlights the spirituality of Edwards. There seems to be a growing interest in Reformed experiential piety. Why do you think this is a growing movement?

A As mentioned above, there is such a vacuum in many quarters of Evangelicalism and younger believers are longing for depth and reality. In its own way—though I do not applaud the solution—the Emerging Church movement (or at least, sectors of it) are seeking to respond to the same issue. I am solidly convinced that Reformed experiential piety offers the best biblical solution to our problems.

Q What do you consider Edwards’s greatest contributions to the church, either in his ministry as a whole or in his writings that have been passed down to us?

A His piety without a doubt. If he had only written The Religious Affections, he would be remembered as a major figure. Also his massive biblicism and love of Scripture is vital for a day when many Evangelicals are uncertain about the sufficiency of God’s Holy Word.

Q Where would you encourage people to go to learn more about Edwards’s life and thought?

A For those unfamiliar with Edwards, Iain Murray’s Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography is an excellent starting place. Also, Stephen Nichols’ survey of his life and works in Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour.

Q Many people have never read Edwards, but after reading this interview, there may be some who want to see what he is all about. Do you have any suggestions of which of Edwards’s writings would be a good place for them to start?

A I would begin with his A Faithful Narrative of a Surprising Work of God, the account of the revival in his church in Northampton, Mass., in 1734-1735 (this is found in Banner of Truth’s Jonathan Edwards on Revival). Then, maybe his sermon “Heaven is a World of Love” (this is the last chapter of Charity and Its Fruits). Then, The Religious Affections. And of course, I would recommend “A Sweet Flame”!