Our Southern Zion

Testimonials

Submit your testimonial

1. 

   Ben House – December 14, 2013

   Reading Our Southern Zion was then a pleasant regathering of thoughts and reminder of the great Southern theologians. Of course, therein lies the rub to this whole matter. The lives of theologians rarely makes for exciting or adventurous reading. After all, a theologian spends most of his time in the study, the classroom, and the pulpit. Then there is the Southerness of this book’s subjects. The South carries a weight and burden of its past that still gives it discredit in many circles. We grant that the Southern Church, in nearly all branches, failed in its mission and message at many points. All churches in all areas have had their areas of failure, their failure of vision, and their misapplication of doctrine and life. Reading history is never for the point of recreating. History should humble and instruct us, but never provide the exact blueprints for our own times. Therefore, reading about Southern Christianity is both a challenge and a rebuke.

   I refer to this book as a reunion because Dr. Calhoun referenced many of my favorite books on Southern history and theology, including those by Douglas Kelly (Preachers With Power), Eugene Genovese (a historian who went from Marxism to Christianity),
   Henry Alexander Whyte (Southern Presbyterian Leaders), Iain Murray (a Scotsman who has overseen the reprinting of lots of Southern theologians), E. Brooks Holifield, and others.

   It also featured the story of Charles Colcock Jones and his family. Jones was a missionary to African-Americans. The Jones’ family letters are treasures.

   The book also covered the lives and referenced the writings and preaching of such Southern theologian/preachers as James Henley Thornwell, Thomas E. Peck, Robert L. Dabney, John Girardeau, and Andrew W. Blackwood.

   Our Southern Zion, along with quite a few other books featuring Southern theologians, is published by Banner of Truth. Banner has long published great books heralding the Reformed faith.

   A history of a theological seminary is, by design, a history of the many different teachers whose spent time in the halls of learning. This book recounts some amazing aspects of Southern history.

   First, the South produced some of the most brilliant theologians of the 19th century. The Columbia greats, such as Thornwell, Girardeau, and Palmer, wrote some works that have continued to instruct serious theology students.

   Second, the great theologians were quite often quite powerful pulpiteers. The accounts given of the preaching of these same 3 (Thornwell, Girardeau, and Palmer) indicates that these men were not primarily academics. Their theoology translated into practical, hard-hitting, soul stirring sermons. They would have agreed with Karl Barth on this point (without agreeing with him on other matters): Theology is nothing other than sermon preparation.

   Third, many of the Southern Presbyterians had great hearts for and devoted great attention to African-Americans. Their views were not always perfect and their paternalistic views have been rightly criticized. But Southern Presbyterians of the 1800s had hearts for carrying the Gospel to their slaves. Had their vision and emphases been more applied in the South, racial problems in the years following the War Between the States would have been lessened.

   Fourth, the Southern Presbyterian Church and Columbia Seminary were strongly rooted and grounded in historic Calvinism. There were no frayed edges to orthodoxy in their doctrines. But, it should be noted that this Calvinistic rigor did not preclude Southern Presbyterians from having great relations with Christians of other traditions. Along with that, these Calvinists were strongly evangelistic.

   Our Southern Zion will probably have limited appeal. But there are those like me who rejoice in seeing the works of God in a Presbyterian seminary in days past. It gives a hint of what kind of blessings God still has in store for us.