Book Reviews

John Frame’s new book, Salvation Belongs to the Lord, (P&R, 2006) is very fine. In 25 chapters he takes the reader through a crash-course in systematics. The chapters contain many wise judgments, much sound teaching, and good emphases. When caution is needed, Frame is cautious; when boldness is called for, he is bold. Though the […]

One by one the men who influenced the Scottish church’s history from the sixteenth century to the nineteenth are remembered in detail, inevitably drawing into the story many others who worked and worshipped with the main characters. From John Knox to William Roberson Smith, the story is one of strong beliefs and those opposing them: […]

Audubon Press is an associate ministry of the Audubon Drive Bible Church in Laurel, South Mississippi. Its pastor and one of the directors of this press is Jerry Marcellino, one of the driving forces behind a network of Calvinistic churches in the USA, the Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals (FIRE). A number of the recent […]

Letters of Samuel Rutherford1 is a compilation of 365 letters written by Samuel Rutherford in times of severe ecclesiastical trials in Scotland. They span a period from 1627 (possibly 1624) to 1661. This is the second reprint the Banner of Truth has produced of the 1891 edition, which was edited by Andrew Bonar. There are […]

A review by Paul Helm, Professor Emeritus of the University of London, of John Calvin’s Sermons on the Beatitudes.1 Calvin’s sermons were delivered extempore, taken down by the remarkable Denis Raguenier, published by the diaconate of Geneva, and the proceeds used to support refugees. Initially, Calvin was not keen on them being published, but when […]

A review by Donald S. Whitney of The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.1 I had never watched an entire episode of Oprah until her programme on The Secret. In the promo for the show, Oprah announced that the programme would present ‘the secret’ to making more money, losing weight, finding the love of your life, and […]

A review by Philip Eveson of The Gospel of Free Acceptance in Christ: An Assessment of the Reformation and New Perspectives on Paul by Cornelis P. Venema.1, 2 Yes, this is yet another book on justification! It is a fresh and helpful account of the Protestant understanding of this crucially important gospel truth in the […]

Elizabeth, the fifth child of Dr Edward Payson and his wife Louisa was born in Portland, Maine, USA in 1818. This is the story of her childhood development, her marriage in 1845 to George Prentiss and their subsequent life and work. I had no previous knowledge of this truly Christian lady, prior to reading this […]

Some thoughts from Iain H. Murray arising out of Alan Clifford’s Calvinus: Authentic Calvinism, A Clarification (Charenton Reformed Publishing, 8 Le Strange Close, Norwich, 1996), 94pp.1 This title from Alan Clifford is a monograph of twenty-six pages, plus end-notes, pages of quotations from Calvin, and refutation of some opposing views. It continues the discussion whether […]

Just over half of A Scottish Christian Heritage1 by Iain Murray consists of biographical accounts of five Scottish ministers, a form of writing at which Mr Murray excels. Each chapter is slanted towards highlighting specific lessons which the author considers its subject exemplifies. The second part has two chapters dealing with missionary themes. One focuses […]

A review by Rev William Macleod of Cornelis P. Venema’s The Gospel of Free Acceptance in Christ.1 This is a book for which I have been waiting. The subtitle describes it as ‘An Assessment of the Reformation and New Perspective on Paul’. Having heard many recent references to the New Perspective and lectures on the […]

A review by Austin Walker of John Diodati’s Doctrine of Holy Scripture by Andrea Ferrari (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books Inc., 2006), ISBN #1-892777-98-3). Among Christians John Diodati (1576-1649) is hardly a household name compared with men like Martin Luther or John Calvin. He belonged to the third generation of reformation theologians in Geneva, […]

Charles J. Brown was born in Scotland in the year 1806. He belonged to that valiant group of men who broke away from the Church of Scotland to form the Free Church of Scotland in 1843. He was one noted for his piety and godliness. It was said of him that he possessed, “a rare […]

A review by Rev Hugh M Cartwright of T M Lindsay’s The Reformation: A Handbook, published by the Trust.[1] Thomas Lindsay was ordained in 1872 as Professor of Church History at the Free Church College, Glasgow, where he continued until his death in 1914. Since 1902 he had been Principal of what had become the […]

The Banner of Truth Trust has performed an invaluable service for the Christian community by publishing Cornelis Venema’s little work Getting the Gospel Right.1 He had previously submitted several well written posts to www.monergism.com on the so-called “New Perspectives on Paul,” but this book condenses the essential points of the controversy into a very readable […]