Stephen Nichols Books

As Christians we must try to balance seemingly contradictory views in many areas of our lives. We often tend to lose our balance and fall into an extreme on one side of an issue or the other. For example; it is difficult for us to comprehend the sovereignty of God in salvation and yet understand that we must invite and even plead with sinners to repent of their sins and come to Christ. Also, we strive with all our might to become more like Jesus Christ in daily life, and yet realize that God is ultimately working in us "both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).

One of the main areas in which Christians struggle to maintain the proper balance is the tension between living as citizens of heaven and citizens of earth. Stephen Nichols wrote Heaven on Earth to deal with this tension. However, he does not go it alone. The entire book is based on the sermons of Jonathan Edwards. Through the explanation of several of Edwards' sermons, Nichols expounds the vision Edwards had of living on earth as a citizen of heaven.

Heaven on Earth is a short book, but is filled with helpful explanations of Edwards' thoughts on heaven. Nichols begins the book with the problem being discussed, namely that we live as dual citizens, and we must learn how to properly balance our time and efforts to reflect our commitment to heaven but our desire to impact this earth with the gospel. He explains the two extremes that Christians often fall into. First, there are those Christians that Nichols calls "monastery Christians". They live a life fearful of the world around them and with no desire to interact with it at all. "They refuse to live in this world and instead construct an entirely Christian one, from which they rarely break out." (p. 19) In contrast to these people are those Christians who live for this world so much that it appears they aren't even aware of the one to come. "They are consumed by this world's agenda and are driven by its passions." (p. 19)

After explaining the two extremes, Nichols spends the remaining six chapters teaching the proper balance of living on earth while bound for heaven. Each of these chapters is based on a sermon of Edwards. Nichols doesn't reproduce the entire sermon, but walks the reader through the major concepts presented in each one. For example, chapter two is based on the Edwards sermon, "Heaven Is a World of Love". Many people perceive Edwards as the preacher who preached the sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." This is only half the picture. In chapter two of this book we come to understand that Edwards was a man who thought often about heaven and longed to be there. Nichols walks the reader through the beautiful explanation Edwards gave of our future home. His vision of heaven is a vision of a world consumed by love. The helpful part of Edwards is that he does not stop by explaining what heaven will be like. He wants his listeners to understand how the proper vision of heaven will transform their lives on earth. "He points them to heaven with one hand, while with the other he directs their attention back to earth." (p. 32) This is where we come to understand the vision that Edwards had of living heaven on earth. "Living in between means we take both worlds into account. We are on the way to heaven, but we are not there yet. We applaud its breakthroughs in this world, but we know there are far better things to come." (p. 37) In other words, it is our duty as Christians to bring heaven to earth as much as possible.

The remaining chapters continue to investigate the tension of living in between. These chapters deal with such topics as "On the Way to Heaven", "Being Good Citizens", "But to Act Justly", "It's Only the Beginning", and "Meeting There at Last". Nichols closes the book with an abridged version of Edwards's sermon "Heaven Is a World of Love".

I believe this book will be helpful for a number of reasons. First, most of us tend to drift to one extreme or the other when it comes to living in between heaven and earth. For those who tend to live as "monastery Christians", this book will help to propel you out into the world to make an impact with the gospel. Nichols makes the point in the book that even though the Titanic is going down it is still our responsibility to polish the brass because it's God's ship. In other words, the earth will one day be burned up by fire, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be investing ourselves in others while we are on the earth. For those who tend to attach themselves to this earth, this book provides an appealing look at heaven. Living on earth is important, but we must remember it is not ultimately our home.

Also, Heaven on Earth will prove helpful because it will alter your perspective. Sometimes books are helpful because they provide specific instructions to deal with specific issues. Other books are helpful because they can spark a paradigm shift in the way you think. This book falls into the second category. Heaven on Earth will challenge your most basic thoughts about heaven, earth, and the possibility of living in between in a God honoring way. It takes purposeful effort to live out the vision Edwards sets. This book is a useful tool in catching that vision.

A very easy read and great introduction to Jonathan Edward. Many practical pointers on living in between. We liked it so well we did a Sunday school class on it.

Heaven on Earth is a wonderful summary of an aspect of Jonathan Edwards's thinking and preaching - specifically, how to long for heaven and the next life, while living, serving and enjoying our time here on Earth. Nichols is a very clear and enjoyable writer, and the book is relatively brief, so I would highly recommend it - especially if you think an "old theologian" like Edwards has no practical relevance to our lives today. Some of the chapter topics include: Living as preparation for heaven; the meaning of "our citizenship is in heaven" and how it impacts our life here; working to make this world better as stewardship of God's creation; the struggle of waiting in our lives; and how to deal with the deaths of loved ones, and how to see our lives as a journey towards heaven.

Here's a good summary passage near the end of the book to give you an idea both of J.E.'s theology, and of Nichols' way of explaining it:
"Both in life and in death Edwards teaches us how to live the pilgrim life. He teaches us that as we make our way to heaven we should serve God and do what good we can. He teaches us that we should long for our heavenly home and that we should enjoy the foretastes of that home now." (pp. 105).

Nichols also gives an introductory section on how to read an Edwards sermon, and includes an appendix with the abridged text of an Edwards sermon, "Heaven is a World of Love" on 1 Cor. 13:8-10. Hopefully, as I know the author hopes, people after reading this book, will want to and feel able to tackle some of Edwards' actual writing. And anyone who does will be spiritually richer as a result-not because Edwards is so great, but because of his ability to describe the greatness and great love of our God and King. Highly recommended!

It's easy for some people to become "so heavily minded they're of no earthly good," while others are more likely to be too earthly minded to be of no heavenly good. Scripture points us to a middle path, a way to live between the two worlds. Stehpen J. Nichols sheds light on this path through a collection of sermons by Jonathan Edwards in Heaven on Earth.


Through seven brief chapters Dr. Nichols explores a handful of Jonathan Edwards's sermons in an effort to explain what it means to live on earth with a vision of heaven. It includes themes of pilgrimage, citizenship, just action, waiting, and true happiness found in God's purposes for mankind. The book also includes an introduction on how to read Edwards' sermons, and an appendix containing an abridged version of the sermon "Heaven Is a World of Love."

This is a book that gets better as it goes, which makes its short length disappointing. I especially found the final two chapters to be insightful and though-provoking. Readers unfamiliar with Jonathan Edwards will learn much about his life as application of what he taught. While not an academically sophisticated work, Heaven on Earth will challenge every reader to make practical use of the theological truths it describes.

It is a very well written text.It also includes chapters in advanced mechanics of materials field. I strongly recommend this book to ones who are interested in this field more than elemantary level.

I am surprised to see no reviews for this great book. This is one of those books which will be totally over your head the first time around. But if you don't lose heart and keep at it, you will realise it is a treasure trove. The style is extremely concise. What is said in 20 pages in other books gets about 5 pages, but beautifully. Read a sentence,contemplate over it and you will get it. Some of the example problems and explanations are so practical and simple, you will wonder why you should ever read another book. But you will need another book before this book starts to make any sense.

The authors do justice in refuting the many pessimistic views of Stephen Long's career as an explorer in this great little book. Long received a plethora of negative criticism, especially after his 1819-1820 expedition across the plains to the Rocky Mountains. Some of this may be justifiable, such as not searching out the sources of the Platte, Arkansas and Red Rivers, which he had orders to do; or his nomenclature of "The Great American Desert", referring to his return trip from the Rockies. The scientific contributions from his expeditions speak for themselves. Along with publications by Long himself, there were innummerable papers and a few books from the likes of Thomas Say (zoologist), Edwin James (botanist), William Keating (geologist) and art work from Titian Peale and Samuel Seymour to vindicate the efforts of these early nineteenth century explorers. The book was easy to follow and comprehend, and a total pleasure to read.

It is for scratching three words on a map of the southwestern part of the country he had recently explored, along with writing a short descriptive paragraph of the same area, that has condemned Stephen Long in the annals of western history. Those three words were Great American Desert, and the description said in part that "this section ... is almost wholly unfit for cultivation and [is] uninhabitable ...." Nichols and Halley try to correct, or at least shed a less damning light on, this harsh view of Long's opinion (for one thing, Zebulon Pike had pretty much the same impression after visiting that section of the country 10 years earlier). Long was also much criticized for not finding the source of the Red River, and the authors deal with that brouhaha as well. But they are not trying to make a wronged saint out of Long either, and are quick to point out his inefficiencies as an explorer, i.e. not exploring the headwaters of the Platte River and going into the Rockies.

After a brief summary of Long's apprentice years (1784-1817), the authors recount his major explorations: the 1817 exploration of the Fox and Minnesota Rivers, the 1818 exploration into Arkansas and the founding of Fort Smith, the 1819 expedition to the Rockies, the longer 1820 exploration of the plains along the South Platte and the Front Range (Long's Peak being named and Pike's Peak first climbed) to the Canadian and Red Rivers (this being the Great American Desert voyage), and the 1823 exploration of the upper Minnesota region. Their narrative of Long's life and career does not go beyond the Minnesota expedition.

The authors are impressed with what Long's expeditions accomplished, but believe with better organization and leadership could have done more. They place much of the blame on Long himself, but feel there "is little evidence upon which to base an examination of his personality or character traits," though at times he quarreled bitterly with his men and more than once subordinate officers refused to obey his orders. But details of these incidents are lacking. Their book is clearly written and fairly presented. It's an excellent, straightforward account of Long's explorations and their contribution to the scientific development of the country. Highly recommended.

I was introduced to the life and ministry of J. Gresham Machen by the book by David Hart titled Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestantism in Modern America, which is an outstanding read, and then again in John Piper's wonderful Book Four of his Swans Are Not Silent series titled Contending for Our All: Defending Truth and Treasuring Christ in the Lives of Athanasius, John Owen, and J. Gresham Machen. This was the first selection of Machen's own writings that I have read and I was greatly impressed. This short book is comprised of four different selections from Machen: "The Gospel and the Modern World," some selected correspondence between Machen and a student named Harold John Ockenga, a charge delivered to Ockenga's ordination titled "Preaching the Gospel in the Modern World," and a short essay published in McCall's in 1931 titled "Skyscrapers and Cathedrals." Each selection demonstrates Machen's profound understanding of the world around him and the severe implications facing a church that was moving away from the truth of Scripture in an attempt to be relevant and consistent with the world.

As I was reading the first essay, "The Gospel and the Modern World," I couldn't help but think about another profound selection written at the same time - Huxley's Brave New World. Machen's conclusion in this essay is that instead of protecting or expanding liberty, the modern world actually ends up destroying human liberty. In the battle between the natural and the supernatural, Machen recognizes that as the naturalistic worldview prevails, it not only eliminates the supernatural explanation of God, it also eliminates the need for God and the life lived in pursuit of any higher purpose or transcendent calling. While man has succeeded in becoming the master of his own universe, he has also succeeded in destroying any meaning or purpose for his very existence. This thought is probably best summarized in his final essay titled "Skyscrapers and Cathedrals" where he writes about the contrast between the modern builders amazing buildings that can lift the body to great heights in comparison to the medieval cathedrals that we able to uplift the soul of a man.

I have a tremendous appreciation for the life and ministry of Machen - he was a man that stood at the turn of the century and understood the profound changes that were taking root in Europe at the time and he sounded a clarion call to the United States warning us not to follow the folly overseas. But, as we stand here a century later, we realize that we as a nation, with much of the church included, did not heed his warning. I pray that a new generation of Christians will rise and understand the significance of following Christ and the cost that will be required to stand firm on the gospel and I believe that Machen's writings will be an essential element of our return to authentic Christianity if that day, indeed, does come.

As he did in his two other books of similar style--on Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards--Stephen Nichols gives detailed, yet clear insight into one of the lesser-known figures of American Evangelicalism. Unlike Luther and Edwards, who lived in different time periods, J. Gresham Machen lived and taught closer to our modern era. He enjoyed playing football and attending baseball games, even skipping a class or two while at Princeton Seminary! But he was also very studious, and after spending a year studying in Germany became an associate professor at Princeton.

His study, particularly in the area of New Testament, enabled him to teach a generation of students the heart of the gospel and stand toe-to-toe with critical scholars who would denude it of its saving power. It was this latter stance that would eventually lead to his leaving the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. One of the more touching stories was his personal ministry to a Richard Hodges, an alcoholic who became a Christian, but who continued to struggle with his alcoholism for many years. Machen found him a place to stay away from the influence of old friends and funded his rent and other living expenses for nearly 20 years. And when Hodges died, he paid for the funeral.

What Nichols demonstrates from start to finish is the life of a man who lived the message of the Gospel to the fullest: He preached Jesus Christ and him crucified; taught that there can be no separation of doctrine and life; enjoyed walking in the mountains of Europe and desired that national parks and other natural resources be preserved for generations to come; engaged the culture of his day with the Christian message; and loved to entertain Princeton students on Saturday evenings with fruit and tobacco. [At that time only men attended the seminary.]

If you want to learn more about Machen, but don't know where to begin, pick up this book.

This book is a welcome addition to many introductory books on the life, thought, and theology of Jonathan Edwards. Drs. D. G. Hart, Sean Michael Lucas (please correct his name- -it is Sean Michael Lucas, not 'Edwards'), and Stephen Nichols have done an outstanding job of writing clear and informative essays that will be appreciated by both those who are new to Edwards' influence on American Religion, as well as those trained as scholars in this field.

May Jonathan Edwards' life, thought, theology, and most of all his great devotion to God's glory and holiness recapture us all. This book will point those interested in the right direction and cause some to understand the evangelical tradition and theological stream in which we all live that flows from the influence of Dr. Edwards. Purchase this with the Marsden Volume on the life of Edwards, or Nichols' 'Guided Tour of Edwards' Life.
PS Please correct Dr. Lucas' name!

The editors of this volume are two of the most important scholars in the field of Medieval Studies today. They are also both exponents of a new approach to the study of the Middle Ages that has come to be called "The New Philology". While this is neither the time nor the place to engage in a discussion of this approach, suffice to say that the essays in this book are informed by a theoretically and critically informed postmodern sensibility. Happily, however, the focus of these essays is *not* theory in and of itself-- the essays are about specific texts and well-defined topics. Even more happily, the essays avoid the jargon-laden impenetrability that too often comes with other worksn that have a postmodern bent to them. The writing here is quite clear and direct, at least as scholarly prose goes. (That said, this still is *primarily* a book for scholars, rather than for a general reading public. It tends to assume familiarity with major works of medieval literature, with the names of famous medieval scholars-- especially those of the 19th century-- and the general history of medieval scholarship as a whole.)

So, that said, what is this book actually about? A lot of things, actually... It contains many short articles on a variety of topics that fall under the rubric of the title, "Medievalism and the Modernist Temper". This means that the book is not about the Middle Ages, per se. Rather, it is about *medievalism*-- that is to say, the scholarly study of the Middle Ages. While medieval scholarship takes the Middle Ages as the object of its study, the fact remains that medievalism is a distinctly modern phenomenon. In spite of some stirrings during the 18th century Enlightenment, the scholarly study of the middle ages did not begin in earnest until the 19th century. Not only were many "classic" texts of medieval literature completely unknown until the 19th century (e.g. Beowulf, the Song of Roland), many of the terms we use today to describe medieval phenomena and values were, in fact, coined in the 19th century. The phrase "courtly love" (a.k.a. amour courtois) for instance, was not used the Middle Ages; it was invented in the 1860s by a French philologist named Gaston Paris.

"Medievalism & the Modernist Temper" examines some of the ways in which the study of the Middle Ages has been shaped by *modern* individuals acting within *modern* institutions, that have been motivated by *modern* beliefs, assumptions, and concerns. As such, I suppose this could be understood as a kind of 'meta-history of the Middle Ages'-- one that examines how the concerns of the modern world have shaped the way in which scholars have come to view the medieval world in the past 200 years. The essays variously explore issues, such as how the experience of the Napoleonic wars shaped the ways in which the young German philologist Jakob Grimm came to view Romance languages and literature, and how the loves and frustrations in the personal life of Gaston Paris and his friends led him to formulate his ideas about 'courtly love' in the way that he did.

All in all, These essays offer a striking set of examples about how modernity shapes what we consider to be medieval, and how the so-called 'private' experiences and values of modern scholars shape the character of their 'public' scholarship.

I only have two (mild) criticism of this otherwise excellent collection. First, it tends to focus, almost exclusively, on those medievalist scholars whose research lay in the area of language and literature, as opposed to those who worked in the realm of political/economic/religious history. Second, it tends to focus primarily on French scholars (e.g. Gaston Paris, Paul Meyer, Leon Gautier, etc.)-- and other scholars who studied medieval French languages/literatures (e.g. Jakob Grimm), to the exclusion of scholarship in other fields. Still, the focus on French 'literary medievalism' does add an additional layer of thematic unity to these essays, so I can't really complain too much.

One final word: Some folks might want to compare this to Norman Cantor's "Inventing the Middle Ages". However, there really is no comparison. Whereas Cantor's book consists of a series of short, polemical biographies of prominent 20th century medievalists, with no real ideas to advance on how the study of the Middle Ages is itself a product of modern concerns, this collection's articles point out, in a way that Cantor fails to, just what is "at stake" here. They show the degree to which Middle Ages-- and our ideas about it-- are substantially modern inventions (not fictions, necessarily, but inventions) that have come about largely as a result of modern concerns.

Highly recommended for all those interested in the theory and practice of medieval scholarship (especially literary scholarship and philology)... but be prepared to have naive ideas about the relation of past and present, and about the 'objectivity' of scholarship as an activity, shattered.

A great little book, easy to read and fun. I am passing it on to my daughter.

This spring I enrolled in PSCI 398 Domestic Terrisom. As part of my outside reading, I came across this book. I found that it was very informative and offered a new insight into what happend in Oklahoma City. Though I read this book on my own time, it gave me lots of good ideas on how to explore the question that plagued my class "What is domestic terriosm?" This books explains why everyone including the guilty deserve a defense.

Stephen Jones, the lead counsel for Timothy McVeigh, writes an engrossing book that is not only about his client's case, but gives equal treatment about a nefarious government reminescent of Rome of the Roman Empire. In his writings Jones not only presents many deficiencies in the Federal government's case against McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing, but also paints the picture of a government agency completely hell-bent on "winning." Jones, in advocating for his client, contends that the prosecution's case was incomplete and circumstantial; exculpatory evidence was either withheld or stalled that could have helped in giving McVeigh a fair trial.

In his analysis, Jones does raise enough doubt in McVeigh's "direct" involvement in the bombing, and more that one can of worms is opened. For example, an extra leg is found in the Murrah Building rubble that does not belong to any victim. Additionally, several red flags that are discovered by Jones and his team may imply that the bombing was planned from abroad. For example, how can only two men plan and execute such a bombing of such magnitude, something said to be impossible by bomb experts in other countries where this kind of thing is routine? Jones questions Terry Nichols' ignorance of the OKC bombing plans. Nichols made several trips and many telephone calls to the Philippines, a hotbed of terrorist activity -- that's never taken seriously in connecting Nichols, much less in mitigating McVeigh.

Jones' book is also his own biography foray into a high profile case that transformed his life and his beliefs about U.S. justice. His book, as he writes, is not meant to cash in on this case, but to expose the truth. Jones believes McVeigh should have been found not guilty (Read especially the acknowledgements!), and portrays his client as a man, not the demon characterized by the press. Although Jones does not offer why McVeigh was involved at all, this would seem to be covered by attorney-client privilege. Despite this, whether or not Jones convinces the general public of the facts that McVeigh did not receive a fair trial and that the government successfully hid the truth is left for the reader.

In trying to justify his defense of Tim McVeigh, which needs no defense, since we all know everyone is entitled to a good defense no matter what the crime, Stephen Jones tries to convince us that Tim McVeigh may not be guilty of bombing the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, or at least that there are a number of others involved.

His main defense consists of trying to convince the reader that certain eye witnesses do not agree with each other on important sightings of McVeigh, but you don't have to know much about legal proceedings to know how unreliable eye witnesses can be. Another strong pillar of his defense is the finding of an unidentifiable leg in the bomb debris. A leg that apparently belongs to none of the known victims. Presumably, the owner walked away on his remaining leg and never showed up at any hospital in the area. Presumably, the medical examiners trying to patch up numerous body parts got it all right and could not have made a mistake.

On top of that, Jones was a party to fake confession of McVeigh's that was designed to confuse far right milita units who might be talked to admitting things they knew about, since Tim had already taken credit for the bombing. This little subterfuge backfired on the defense when the Dallas Morning Times illegally learned about it and proceeded to tell the world about the confession, not realizing it was fake.

But like all murder trials, you can't help but feel the accused is guilty when he won't take the stand in his own defense. McVeigh taking the stand was never even considered as far as I can determine from this account of the story. And since McVeigh would rather go to his death, and Nichols to life in prison, rather than incriminate anyone else, one can only conclude they are truly guilty.

Nevertheless, I recommend this book to all buffs of courtroom trials and conspiracy buffs who can probably have a lot of fun with it.

Stephen Jones blends an insightful analysis of the events that have transpired since April 19, 1995 and the date of McVeigh's execution in Terre Haute, Indiana based on two important premises: The government investigation was incomplete and McVeigh did not receive a fair trial. This is as much a book for law students as it is for conspiracy artists. Jones' southern charm comes forth in his capacity as author yet his role as defense lawyer never escapes the reader. Jones covers his bases much of the time, pointing out early in the prologue that he would not have been able to write this detailed account of his conversations with McVeigh had McVeigh's appellate team attacked his capacity as a lawyer during McVeigh's trial.

This book is far from sensational and actually is closer to a calm, reasoned look at both McVeigh as a person and United States v. McVeigh as a trial set in perhaps the most bizarre and compromising circumstances in the past fifty years. This book perfectly suits any law school course involving mass destruction or suits any university course concerning political dissent or even the political science of law.

Others Unknown put into print what the majority of thinking Americans sensed about the Oklahoma City Bombing.

There had to be more people involved.

It all started with the FBI drawings of mystery man number 3, who was described by no more than 3 people to have been with McVeigh. He looked Middle Eastern. Hmmm, nope no terrorist acts would ever occur on American soil right. Then the second little facts that weren't put to light, the bomb making materials that they had receipts for would never have been enough to do that sort of damage. And on it goes.

The interesting thing is that Stephen Jones (the author and McVeighs attorney) even points the finger at Osama Bin Laden back in 1998. Hello is anybody listening. Hindsight is great, but I think we all knew there was more than meets the eye about this ordeal.

The weakest part of the book is that MR. Jones never delves deep enough into why the government cover-up. He barely scratches the surface, but I think that is the real mystery. Why was the government not screaming that we know there was at least one other person involved and we need to find him? Is it simply that Bill Clinton didn't want to rock the boat? Could it have been that he was trying to create a legacy for himself, other than ????gate (you fill in the scandal)? Did he think naming an Arab as a suspect might destroy peace talks with Israel and Palestine? These are all only conjectures but the book should have hit these issues harder.

Overall a good book, especially for the ignorant Americans who are spoon-fed their daily dose of propaganda from CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Etc., and think its news.