Stephen Nichols Books

Some say that Jonathan Edwards is the greatest theological mind America has ever produced. The book A God Entranced Vision of All Things -- whose contributors include John Piper, Stephen J. Nichols, J. I. Packer, Sam Storms, and others -- tries to show why. Though the book doesn't conclusively herald Edwards as the undisputed greatest, it nonetheless displays him as an absolute colossus of Christian history whose influence reaches into our day even more powerfully than it did during his own lifetime.

A God Entranced Vision is a collection of essays written by different contributors about the life of Jonathan Edwards. Each contributor selects something they've found fascinating about Edwards to write about. John Piper writes about Edwards's God-entranced vision of all things, Stephen J. Nichols about Edwards's life and legacy, Noel Piper about Jonathan's wife Sarah Edwards, J. I. Packer about Edwards's insights concerning revival, Donald S. Whitney about Edwards's pursuit of godly disciplines, Mark Dever about Edwards's dismissal from his church in Northhampton, Sherard Burns about Edwards as a slave owner, Paul Helm about Edwards's doctrine of Original Sin, Sam Storms about Edwards's views on the freedom of the will, and Mark R. Talbot on Edwards on the religious affections.

Most of the chapters are phenomenal. Some not as good as others, but overall they're all a pure delight to read. My favorite three were those of John Piper, Sherard Burns, and Sam Storms. Piper's chapter bleeds with the kind of intensity that has characterized his ministry. Burns's chapter, entitled "Trusting the Theology of a Slave Owner," cannot be missed. And Storms wonderfully elucidates Edwards's intricate and complex views on free will and the origins of evil. Though these three stand out, as I noted above, all the chapters in the book are worthy reads. They all have something special and important to display about the life of this towering figure in both church and American history. I recommend that you get to know Jonathan Edwards for the good of your soul. A God Entranced Vision of All Things is the perfect place to start.

A great concept for a book - ten different people writing about various facets of the life and legacy of Jonathan Edwards. I especially enjoyed the chapter that dealt with Jonathan's amazing wife Sarah as well as the chapter that wrestled with accepting the theology of a slave owner (yes, Jonathan Edwards did own slaves). The chapters were all written by individuals with a great appreciation for Edwards, his theology, his life, work and legacy, so reading it was a real joy...but not an easy task. Part Three of the book examined some of the theological issues best attributed to the work of Edwards, a Puritan and strict Calvinist whose writings on original sin, the freedom of the will and religious affections are still read and discussed today. The authors of this book pointed out various challenges to Edwardian theology and did an excellent job of communicating what Edwards wrote and taught without overshadowing it with their own opinions.

The book is great for any reader wanting to know more about Jonathan Edwards and although it isn't an easy book to read, it is worth the effort for someone wanting to either gain an appreciation for this man and his legacy or deepen their understanding of what he taught and the role he played at such a critical time in American history. Students of early American history should have a familiarity with Jonathan Edwards and this is a great book to move from acquaintance to appreciation.

A God Entranced Vision of All Things is a wonderful look at the legacy and relevance of Jonathan Edwards life and teachings. John Piper and Justin Taylor have assembled (and also contributed to) a remarkable series of essays on the different aspects of Edwards' legacy. As the back of the book declares: "This book's contributors investigate the character and teachings of the man who preached from a deep concern for the unsaved and a passionate desire for God. Studying the life and works of this dynamic Great Awakening figure will rouse slumbering Christians, prompting them to view the world through Edward's God-centered lens."

The book is divided into three sections. Part I "The Life and Legacy of Jonathan Edwards" introduces the book, and contains 3 essays on our need to rediscover Edwards, a biography of Edwards, and information about his marriage and family (ably done by Mrs. Noel Piper). Part II "Lessons from Edward's Life and Thought" contains some excellent essays by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever. But, for sheer impact and power, the highlight of this section was the essay by Sherard Burns, "Trusting the Theology of a Slave Owner". Mr. Burns, an African-American pastor and theologian, thoroughly and fairly looks at the reality of Edwards' ownership of slaves, and the failure of Edwards to apply his theology to that area. Burns, without excusing Edwards, gives a remarkable analysis of this sin in Edwards. Here are the paragraphs that blew me away:

"As an African American, I know daily the pressures of being in a predominantly white society. Yet how I approach that society, the grid by which I engage that society, is more telling than anything else. God cannot be sovereign over some things and yet not in control of others. This is no justification for abuse or racism, for such perpetuators will have their day of reckoning. But the eradication of racism today, as would be the case with slavery then, will not come about through programs, but by means of a God-centered and God-entranced view of reality. We must not be governed by the political persuasion of today, but governed by the sovereign reign and rule of God. Whatever we may think of Edwards, one thing is for certain: He left the American church with the necessary theological truths to kill racism in our hearts and to be conquerors of it in the church.

In light of that, though we fight and should fight the residue of such hatred in our day, the reality is that the desire to be theologically orthodox means we must add to our shelves books by dead white men who owned slaves. All our heroes today have clay feet. Jonathan Edwards was not a perfect man, and he did not get everything right, nor did he stand for all the right things. Neither do any of us. His blind spots and sins are pointers to our own blind spots and sins. To ask for grace and mercy on our own sins is, by logical implication, to be ready and willing to extend it to Edwards." (p. 170-171)."

Wow! 'Nuff said!

Part 3 "Expositions of Edwards's Major Theological Works" is also very helpful in understanding some of Edwards more(admittedly) difficult works. The book concludes with an Appendix by (of course) Piper, who writes an "Edwardsean Sermon" in honor of Edwards, and a helpful guide by Justin Taylor on "Reading Jonathan Edwards: Objections and Recommendations".

All in all, I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in gaining a more God-centered, God-entranced view of all things.

This really is a great look at a number of characteristics of Jonathan Edward's life and ministry. A pretty quick read, but rich in depth, the book unashamedly argues for exactly what it says: a "God-entranced vision of all things". Piper hits the ball out of the park in the chapters he contributes (did you expect any less?), and the chapters by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever are also particularly good. Check it out today!

Nichols has written an excellent book on the ministry of Jonathan Edwards and will enlighten the reader on how a godly many Edwards really was.

While the book delves somewhat into his personal life, the majority of the text involves his writings on revival, church life, theology, and philosophy.

While I would recommend Iain Murray's book on Edwards for more personal information on the man, I still recommend Nichols' book on what Edwards thought.

An excellent read for knowing more about one of America's greatest theologians!

Highly recommended!

Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought by Stephen J. Nicholas was at the same time excellent and disappointing. The disappointment was my fault and in no way reflects upon the book or the author, for I had begun reading it with unfair expectations. I had not read the cover carefully and thus I thought I was buying a short biography of Edwards and that is not what this book is. After I came to realize what the book was intended to be, I enjoyed it thoroughly. And in this way it was excellent. Despite not being a biography it contained all sorts of great information about Edwards and about the events and writings that shaped his life. It is, as it says in the title, a guided tour to his life and thoughts more than a chronological ordering of the events of his life. More than a biography, this is a gateway into the thoughts, writings and theology of this great man of God.

In the introduction Nichols writes that the book "is not an end in itself; it is not a substitute for reading Edwards. It is intended to help anyone who, like me, has wanted to read Edwards and even has tried to read him, but needs a little help." It might also be said that this book is not a substitute for reading a thorough biography of the man. Later Nicholas says "My hope is that this book will help you to see the relevance and importance of Edward's thought and that through these pages Edwards will help you, as he has helped so many others, to better understand God, his Word, his work in this world, and your place in it." In this regard, the book and the author succeed admirably.

The format of the book is as follows. It is divided into four sections. The first section, comprising two chapters is dedicated to a short overview of his life, from his upbringing in a Christian home to his untimely death from a failed smallpox innoculation. The following three parts, each comprised of three or four chapters, examine his writings and sermons. Part two examines his writings on revival and church life, part three his writings on theology and philosophy and part four several of his sermons. Each is presented in the appropriate historical context and is examined in light of the impact it had in his day and in its ongoing relevance to the church today.

This book is a solid entry-level introduction to Jonathan Edwards, and in particular, to his contribution to Christian thought and theology. I give it my recommendation, not as an alternative to his writings or biographies, but, as it was meant to be, a supplement.

This is an excellent book on the life of Jonathan Edwards. Dr. Nichols did an incredible job of depicting his life and thought...reflecting on what it was to be one of the most influential theologians ever!

I studied the 95 Theses over 50 years ago. Over the last 8 years, I have been with a teaching team in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany, and the Reformation of the 16t Century is a major if not the major focus of the seminary course.
If one wants to "hear" the authentic Luther, inevitably one must read and think and discuss the Theses. There are other treatises of Luther but of seminal value, I give the 95 Theses a prime spot.
James A. Glasscock
B.D., B.D., Th.M., D.Min. Diploma in Jurisprudence and Human Rights [Strasboug]

In this booklet, the second of Stephen Nichols' trio of booklets highlighting major Reformed figures (the other two booklets feature Jonathan Edwards and J. Gresham Machen respectively), Nichols' stated aim is to bring Luther's Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences - better known as the Ninety-Five Theses - to contemporary Christians who have heard of the theses, but never read them. This edition of the theses includes two helpful features: an introduction which sets the theses in historical context, and a minimal commentary on every facing page, while the main text appears on the right hand page. Not every thesis warrants a commentary, so Nichols has sensitively selected which theses bear specialized notes. Even then, the notes provide context or expansion only when necessary, and often in Luther's own words derived from his later work explaining the Ninety-Five Theses (suitably entitled The Explanations of the Ninety-Five Theses).

A few preconceptions of mine were dispelled by this booklet. Firstly, that Luther's main goal in 1517, as demonstrated by the document's official title, was `merely' to expose Johann Tetzel's abuse of papal indulgences (in effect a get-out-of-purgatory-free card) by generating a debate among churchmen. Secondly, Luther's reformational theology was far from being definitively worked out at this point; he was still very much a sympathetic Catholic intent on reforming the Church, not destroying it. Tellingly, the Ninety-Fifth Thesis itself portrays salvation by suffering rather than by faith. This emphasis would change in the years to come.

But the two preconceptions which were most jarringly dashed were a) Luther's consistent defense of the pope throughout the document, and b) the content of the sequence of theses derived from the questions of shrewd parishioners. Unless Luther was representing his own questions as those of his parishioners for rhetorical effect - which would have been dishonest - I would not have thought that the average working class 16th century German was thinking reformational thoughts. No wonder this spark on the tinder lit up the spiritual and ecclesiological landscape of Europe for generations to come.

Embedded in the midst of the theses is the one I consider Luther's gem, the Sixty-Second. It contains the reason why Luther was compelled to act on that October day in 1517, and why he persevered to bring true biblical teaching to the gospel-hungry masses throughout the rest of his life: "The true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God." Luther staked his life on this gospel, which is why we remember him and commemorate him today - and more importantly, the God he served.

Of course the 95 theses haven't changed much in the last few years! But this booklet is really nice. Its very sturdy for a small booklet and has very helpful notes and a fine introduction. I highly recommend this if you want to get an idea of the context and message of Martin Luther's famous "Ninety-Five Thesis".

For us and for our education, Stephen J. Nichols has written For Us and For Our Salvation -- a survey of the doctrine of Christ in the early church. The reason Nichols only covers the early church period is because it was during this period that the church managed to stamp out the orthodox understanding of the person of Christ.

At 172 pages, For Us is a short book that feels even shorter. It contains three main chapters, and three supplementary chapters, equaling six chapters in total. The three main chapters deal with (1) Christ in the early centuries, (2) Christ at the Council of Nicea, and (3) Christ at the Council of Chalcedon. The three supplementary chapters are works from the theologians of those eras. These chapters allow the early church figures to tell the story in their own words. Ultimately, Nichols doesn't write very much (his words amount to 60 pages total). But what he does write he compliments well with selections from these early church leaders.

Concise and accessible, For Us and For Our Salvation is the work that beginners to Christology will surely look to first in years to come.

Stephen Nichols is quite the prolific author. A professor at Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School and a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, Nichols has written several notable books in the past few years and it seems that he always has at least one title on the "Coming Soon" lists at Crossway or P&R Publishing. Nichols has a gift for presenting church history in a way that is interesting and in a way that appeals to those who may not otherwise know (or care) about the long, storied history of the church. He shows how church history is relevant precisely because the controversies we face today are strikingly similar to ones the church has dealt with long ages ago.

The early church fathers wrestled with the same problems presented by The Da Vinci Code phenomenon and its fanciful speculations about Jesus. They wrestled with the same problems presented by Islam and its adamant denial of the deity of Christ. And they wrestled with the same problems presented by the scholars working in the Jesus Seminar or in gnostic texts like the Gospel of Judas who quickly dismiss the four canonical Gospels as God's true revelation to humanity. In the days of the early church, the names of the opponents were different from those faced by us today, but the underlying issues bear a striking resemblance. When the church fathers responded with the orthodox view of Christ, they did the church of all ages a great service.

Nichols' latest effort is titled For Us and for Our Salvation and it examines the doctrine of Christ in the early church. "This book explores [the] controversies over Christ faced by the early church. This book also looks to tell the story of the people involved." The timing of this title is no coincidence. In the past few years we have seen several attacks on the doctrine of Christ, most of the accusers claiming that the doctrine of Jesus' divinity was a fabrication of those who followed centuries after His death.

This book tells the story of how the doctrine of Christ was formulated by the early church and how this doctrine was forged in the fires of controversy. It relies, as do many of Nichols' books, on primary source materials from the key councils and theologians. Nichols offers compelling proof that the divinity of Jesus Christ was not fabricated by his followers centuries later, but was central to the church from its earliest days.

He ultimately has to conclude that

The early church was right in spending so much time and effort on the doctrine of Christ. They were right to contend that Christ is the God-man, very God of very God and at the same time truly human with flesh and blood. They were right to content that Christ is two natures conjoined in one person without division, separation, confusion, or mixture, to use the language of the Chalcedonian Creed. They were also right to contend that the gospel collapses without this belief. In the words of Athanasius and the Nicene Creed, Christ is the God-man "for us and for our salvation."

I've long believed that church historians do not receive their due in today's church. But a man like Stephen Nichols shows what an integral role they can (and should!) play. Historians have a unique perspective on contemporary struggles in the church and are able to show, to borrow a great little phrase from French, "plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose." Or, to translate, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." There is a sense in which history seems cyclical--controversies arise and are put to rest for a time, but seem to rise again. Those with a view to the church's past are specially equipped to see these controversies for what they are and to teach how the church dealt with them in the past. Nichols does just this in For Us and for Our Salvation. He leaves no doubt that the answers to these contemporary issues lie in the past.

~For Us and for Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church~ is an erudite work of Christian theological study for laypersons by Stephen Nichols. Therein, Nichols offers a thoughtful exposition on the Doctrine of Christ and His Deity. He illustrates how the early church fathers wrestled with these very issues. The book's title itself emanates from the words of Athanasius and the Nicene Creed, Christ is God in the flesh "for us and for our salvation." The author Nichols shows how church history is just as relevant today, since Christians are constantly revisiting the same controversies again and again. As Christians too, we should see the sovereign hand of providence at work. Though, the Church was confronted with the spirit of error, those who denied the Deity of Christ and/or that Christ had come in the flesh. Such controversies provided the opportunity for the Apostle Paul to clarify matters, building on the truth of the Gospel. In a strange providence, God allowed the spirit of error to be manifest that the truth and light of the Gospel would shine brighter yet still. Within the few centuries of the nascent Christianity's ascendancy, the early church fathers faced similar controversies emanating from various pseudo-Christian sects. They confronted Arians, Gnostics, Judaizers, and Modalists.

Whenever I read something from church history I have the same approach and the same reaction. I approach the book thinking that I am going to have to jump into a time machine to relate to the subjects and issues of the day. However, I am quickly reminded that aside from the cool names there is very little that we do not have in common today with them.

In reading For Us and For Our Salvation I had the same response. Stephen Nichols does an admirable job of contextualizing the issues of yesterday while also helping us to see the commonality of what we are facing today. From the introduction Nichols writes:

The early church fathers wrestled with the same problems presented by The Da Vinci Code phenomenon and its fanciful speculations about Jesus. The wrestled with the same problems presented by Islam and its adamant denial of the deity of Christ. And they wrestled with the same problems presented by the scholars working in the Jesus Seminar or in Gnostic texts like the Gospel of Judas who quickly dismiss the four canonical Gospels as God's true revelation to humanity. In the days of the early church, the names of the opponents were different from those faced by us today, but the underlying issues bear a striking resemblance. When the church fathers responded with the orthodox view of Christ, they did the church of all ages a great service.

Nichols begins his book under the shadow of the completion of the New Testament and traces the development of the attacks and defense of the doctrine of Christ through the first four centuries. We are introduced to valiant defenders of a biblical Christology such as Tertullian, Ignatius, Irenaeus, and Hippolyteus. We learn of their battles against the Ebionites, Marcion, Sabellius and others. Furthermore, Nichols provides helpful detail concerning Athanasius and his battles with Arius.

In effort to help us see, feel and better understand the gravity of the issue at hand in these days Nichols intermixes chapters containing selections of the original documents written by both the "good guys" and the "bad guys". This is helpful in that it helps us remember that these were `regular' guys just living their lives, aiming to exalt Jesus by standing firm to what he Bible teaches. They had their 60-70 years to live and this is what they chose to fight for.

Nichols' book is a helpful look into the past for encouragement in the present. I really appreciated Nichols' ability to be both clear and brief in his chronicling of the doctrine of Christ in the early church. The book weighs in at more than manageable 172 pages which includes a couple of appendixes and a helpful glossary. For Us and For Our Salvation will doubtless prove helpful to all--pastors, teachers, students, and `laymen'.

Stephen J. Nichols hit a homerun in this book. As the title suggests, Dr. Nichols' goal is to establish what the early church thought of the Deity of Christ. He lays this out by going through a quick examination of who the "players" are, what and who they were fighting, and then laying out their arguments.

After this, he lets the men speak for themselves with their own writings. I really enjoyed this format. You get some explanation and then you get to read for yourself. Most books will either focus on just the explanation and yet others just lay out the entirety of a writing. This book is a great medium. Although it is short, it gets to the point and shows that the Council of Nicaea was definitely not the first time that Jesus' deity was brought forth in the church, but was orthodoxy handed down from the Apostles to those in the early church.

The book is broken down in chapters based on the different centuries and includes many men and their beliefs, from the early centuries all the way to the fifth century. You read from men like Ignatius, Irenaeus, Turtullian, Hippolytus, Athanasius, Leo the Great, and more. You also encounter some of the heretical writings so that you see what these men were fighting against.

All and all, I would use this book as a resource for any that doubt the doctrine of Christ's divinity in relation to the early church. No doubt the Bible speaks of the divinity of Christ, but now we are getting attacked that it was a foreign concept to the church fathers. This book puts that to rest in a quick and easy read on the subject that Jesus Christ was no doubt God, and was For Us and Our Salvation. Highly Recommended.

The Reformation wasn't so much an event as it was a period. Today some of us tend to remember it as one man's struggle against the prevailing religious organization of his day -- that is, as Martin Luther against the Roman Catholic Church. But the Reformation was more than that. In fact, Luther wasn't the only reformer pushing for reform, and Germany wasn't the only country being reformed. Others such as Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin in Switzerland, John Knox in Scotland, and the Anglicans and Puritans in Great Britain, were also pushing for reform. But who were these reformers? And if the Reformation wasn't just one event, what was it?

In his book entitled The Reformation, Stephen J. Nichols takes us on a tour of the Reformation along with its key figures and events. He writes on Luther and the German Reformation (ch. 2), on Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin and the Swiss Reformation (chs. 3, 5), the Anabaptists (ch. 4), the Anglicans and Puritans and the British Reformation (chs. 6-7), and the women of the Reformation (ch. 8). He tells us why the Reformation matters today (ch. 1), and gives us selections from documents of the reformation in the appendix. Throughout the book Nichols notes how the different players of the Reformation influenced each other. Indeed, one of the many helpful things about Nichols's volume is that he depicts the Reformation as a constellation of smaller-scale reform movements that coalesced into a larger, more widespread Reformation ethos. And this ethos was undergirded by the five solas that came out of Reformation thought: 1) Sola Scriptura; 2) Sola Gratia; 3) Sola Fide; 4) Solus Christus; and 5) Soli Deo Gloria.

At 156 pages, The Reformation is a short book. Yet Nichols covers a lot of ground. Even though he stretches himself to fit so many important details about such a vast and sprawling movement into a short space, his well-organized content and easy-to-follow style make this a wonderful introduction to the Reformation.

The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World by Stephen J. Nichols "is built upon two ideas. First, the Reformation matters. Second, history can be fun" (13). Does the Reformation--the issues that burned at the heart of Martin Luther--still matter 490 years after Luther "first tried to draw attention to the ineffective way the church was dealing with the problem of humanity's sinfulness" by pinning 95 theses to the church door at Wittenburg?

Luther, first, was concerned that the church believed that repentance could be bought. At the time, outside the Sistine Chapel, a 'resourceful' monk, Johann Tetzel, stood outside St. Peter's cathedral in Rome hawking that "When a coin in the coffer rings, a soul in Purgatory springs." It was clever, yes? Tetzel, by the authority of Pope Leo X, guaranteed that when a Christian gave money to the church--to pay for Michaelangelo's ceiling fresco--a sinner in purgatory would be forgiven (or sins past, present, and future!). Luther, alarmed, simply said that he could be "silent no more," so he took his mallet and 95 theses and hammered them to the church door "in hopes of stirring a debate in which the best minds would grapple with the problem of buying salvation" (29). That happened, but it was bigger . . . and it still matters today.

Why? Luther's 62nd thesis said, "The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God." Rome had missed the point--the gospel was no longer the treasure of the church, and Luther was ready to take that issue to debate. But the debate was slow coming. At first, Leo X simply dismissed Luther's theses, calling them "the ramblings of a drunken German" (29-30). Though the Reformation was slow coming and the 95 Theses stopped short at getting to the heart of Reformation theology, Nichols writes, "you could see the breach in the walls of the dam. The floods soon began" (30).

That first began on All Hallow's Eve (Halloween), 490 years ago. What did it lead to?

Nichols continues, "In the Heidelberg Disputation of 1517 Luther declares, 'He deserves to be called a theologian, however, who comprehends the visible and manifest things of God seen through the suffering of the cross'" (30). For Luther, either salvation was by grace alone (Sola Gratia) or it could be bought. It couldn't be BOTH. That is when he realized, "At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, 'For in [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith' [Rom. 1:17]. There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely faith" (31). That is, justification is by faith alone (Sola Fide) according to God's rich grace alone through Christ and his death on the cross (Sola Gratia/Solus Christus). So how am I saved? I am only alive with Christ by God's grace alone for his glory and joy--and my joy. "All of life could and should be lived for the glory of God alone (Soli Deo Gloria, 1 Cor. 10:31)" (32).

How did Luther find that out when the church wasn't teaching it? Scripture. The day after Luther was asked to recant his writings, he responded to the church:

"Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason, for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they often err and contradict themselves, I am bound to the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise. Here I stand. May God help me. Amen" (32).

To put it simply, Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura) is the "authority for the church. It alone is the very Word of God," not the pope, not tradition and folk-church (32). 490 years later, these 5 Solas are what the church must not forget, especially that "Scripture reveals those things necessary for salvation" and that "all traditions are subject to the higher authority of Scripture" (cf. James White, The Roman Catholic Controversy). Nichols concludes that the Reformation still matters today. He writes:

"Many churches celebrate Luther and his accomplishments on Reformation Day. It is a day about history, a time to remember what happened in the past. It is also about the present. It is about the power of the gospel to break through the noise and static of the world and to point to Christ. That gospel broke through in the life of a monk bent on getting to heaven through his own efforts. It broke through in a time and a place when the church had lost its way. That God used a monk and a mallet to do it amazed no one more than Luther himself" (38).

Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott . . .

The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World is one of the most entertaining books I have read in awhile. One of Stephen Nichols goals in writing the book was to prove that history can be fun. He succeeded. There were numerous times I was laughing out loud as I read his overview of the Reformation. He makes the men and women of the Reformation come alive. From Zwingli's sausage supper during Lent to Katharina (Katie) von Bora's conquest of Luther's heart, Nichol's presents the human and humorous side of the Reformers.

He also does a great job teaching history. The book has eight chapters covering Luther, Zwingli, the Anabaptist, John Calvin, the British Reformation, the Puritans and the women of the Reformation. Nichols overviews the leading people and events in a compelling narrative that makes the history easy to remember. He even points out things that are frequently not mentioned or considered in overviews of church history. For example, Luther's decision to post the Ninety-Five Theses on October 31, 1517 was likely connected to the celebration of All Saints' Day, the next day. On All Saints' Day pilgrims would file past the relics in the church and appeal to the excess merits of the saints in hopes of pleasing the righteous demands of God - the very activity Luther was trying to correct.

Nichols decision to focus on lesser known (or misunderstood groups) like the Anabaptists, puritans and women brings people who are frequently lost in the shadows of Luther, Zwingli and Calvin into the light of history they deserve. There is also a scorecard in the back of the book that will help you remember the major people and events covered in each chapter.

I highly recommend this book for those who want an initial overview of the Reformation or a quick refresher. I enjoyed it so much that I have added his more extensive book on Luther to my "to be read" list.

I love church history. I consider it absolutely tragic that so few contemporary Christians have any real sense of their heritage. They know a little bit of New Testament history, can list hundreds of today's best and worst teachers, but know almost nothing of the 2000 years between.

The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World is one of a long line of books authored by Stephen Nichols, professor at Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Nichols is a prolific author who seems to be releasing books with impressive regularity. To this point all of his books have centered on church history. He has written several works on Jonathan Edwards, one each on Martin Luther and Gresham Machen, and one providing a guided tour of classic Christian writing. This new title "goes behind the scenes and uncovers the human side of the larger-than-life Reformers through user-friendly narrative stories on the Reformation."

The book is built upon two ideas, both of which I agree with entirely. The first is that the Reformation matters (which indicates that all of church history matters). Nicholas provides four reasons why: first, church history provides lots of examples of Christians from all walks of life who labored to bring their faith to bear upon the world in which they lived; second, church history can be humbling as we realize that we are not a whole lot better and smarter and godlier than people in the past; third, we are humbled by the spiritual insight and spiritual depth of our predecessors in the faith; fourth, we learn what matters most to the Christian faith when we look to church history in general the the Reformation in particular. The second idea behind this book is simply that history can be fun. Though teachers of history can take the fun out of it, this does not indicate that history is just plain boring. When taught well, history is a joy and can bring about many benefits.

The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World serves as a brief and popular introduction to the Reformation, and in particular, to the key figures in each of the nations involved. We first meet Martin Luther and learn about the Reformation in Germany where it began. From there we move to Ulrich Zwingli and Switzerland and then to the Anabaptists. From there we go to John Calvin, Thomas Cramner and other English Reformers, and then we meet the Puritans. The final chapter introduces many of the women of the Reformation, both those notable for being the wives of the Reformers and those who made substantive contributions on their own. A few appendices introduce Reformation-era creeds, prayers, and other writings. One section I appreciated was one dealing with the question of "Do we still need the Reformation?" Answering historians like Mark Noll who argue that the Reformation is over and that unity between Protestants and Catholics can now be achieved, Nichols affirms that the theology at the heart of the Reformation was the very gospel and that we are not at a place where we can have ecumenical unity.

All-in-all, this book serves as a wonderful, popular-level introduction to the key persons and events involved in the Reformation, surely one of history's most pivotal times. It makes for a great springboard to deeper appreciation and thus deeper study of both people and events. It is exactly the kind of book I would put in the hands of new Christians, or simply Christians who have no appreciation of the church's history, so they can benefit from knowing and understanding the history of the church and thus the history of their faith. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Stephen J. Nichols has been coming out with a lot of books lately and has been highly recommended by a lot of people that I respect. I decided to take a look at a couple of his books and this one in particular, being that I am always looking for more information on the Reformation.

Nichols sets this up for an introduction for the differing reformations that happened all over the globe after the way that was paved by Wycliffe and Hus and then finally with the most powerful Martin Luther.

You can actually get a great understanding of where the book will lead you by seeing the different chapter titles.

1. Five Hundred Years Old and Still Going Strong: Why the Reformation Matters Today

2. A Monk and a Mallet: Martin Luther and the German Reformation

3. Some Middle-Aged Men and a Sausage Supper: Ulrich Zwingli and the Swiss Reformation

4. The Not-So-Radical Radical Reformers: The Anabaptists and the Reformation

5. An Overnight Stay in Geneva: John Calvin and the Swiss Reformation

6. A King and a Divorce: The Anglicans and the British Reformation

7. Men in Black: The Puritans and the British Reformation

8. Women in Black Too: The Untold Story of Women and the Reformation

Appendix: In Their Own Words: Selections from Documents of the Reformation

So, as you can see Nichols tries to cover a lot of ground in one little book, as the book, including the appendix is only 150 pages. It is very short in a lot of areas but it has to be so that the reader that is not accustomed to the Reformation can get their pallet wet enough to want to read other works that get more detailed each of these particular reformation periods.

The one thing that was stated at the first of the book that I was excited to see more about, that I found lacking, came when Nichols said we need to "humanize" the people of history. Meaning, we need to show who they were and not merely what they did. I felt as though Nichols did a pretty good job in this with Luther, but felt that this dropped off in the future chapters with the others. This, by no means, makes this book a disappointment and would definitely recommend it to others for an introduction to who and what went before us.

Nichols does make this history very readable and interesting to read without merely spitting out facts, which is happening in another book I am reading on the same subject. The book flows very well and makes you want to learn more about the reformers, instead of seeing history as a dry and dead subject.

I look forward to reading more books by Nichols and would defnitely recommend this to any who need an introduction to the Reformation from Wycliffe to the Puritans.

Nichols does what he says on the tin, and more. This isn't just a guided tour of Luther's life and thought, but of the way that Jesus worked through the arch-Reformer to shape Europe and the rest of the world afresh with the gospel, the circumstances of the Reformation, and his private and public relationships.

Edifying all the way through you'll see why the Reformation was (and remains) vitally necessary (whatever many who should know better are saying these days) of who some of the key players were whom Luther worked with, including our debt to Erasmus and also why Luther rightly parted company from him.

Personally I found the insight into Luther's home the most stimulating part of the book. His wife soon learned that if she wanted to keep hold of something, she had to hide it, as Martin had such a developed sense of hospitality and generosity that he was forever giving gifts to the countless folks to whom he opened his home. There are touching descriptions of his "table talk" where he would be waxing lyrical about vital matters of the Kingdom of Christ but would never be too busy or proud to leave the table and play with his baby son, for example.

This is the worst book I have ever read on the topic of Martin Luther by a person claiming to be Reformed.

The book is littered with historical and theological mistakes from start to finish.

Nichols asserts that Luther himself wrote "Table Talk" in one part of the book. Nichols writes, "Luther, in one of his table talk entries..." page 162. Any novice of church history knows that Luther did not author "Table Talk." This is poor scholarship.

Another mistake is seen when Nichols asserts that the 5-Solas are Protestant presuppositions. This is the type of mistake we expect someone from a completely different religion to make, not one who is supposed to be Calvinistic. Nichols writes, "Perhaps more than any other person, Luther shaped the presuppositions that define Protestantism. Theologians use a series of Latin expressions to capture these concepts. Known as the "Reformation Solas," they include: sola Scriptura, Scripture Alone; sola fide, faith alone; sola gratia, grace alone; solus Christus, Christ alone; and soli Deo gloria, to the glory of God alone. These ideas all take root in Martin Luther's thinking" page 16.

Sola Scriptura is the Axiom of Christianity. It is the belief that the Bible alone is the word of God. It is the only "Sola" that is presupposed. The other 4 are either explicitly stated or logically deduced from the Bible alone. Nichols is therefore wrong. For Nichols to make the absurd claim that all of the "Solas" are presupposed by Protestants is to completely misrepresent Protestant theology. Furthermore, the "Solas" do not take their root in Martin Luther's thinking. Luther merely rediscovered these principles and published them openly. He did not come up with them. John Wycliffe and John Huss, for example, each asserted the Protestant principle of Scripture Alone. Both were persecuted for their profession, and Huss even died the martyr's death for it.

These are two mistakes I came across in my reading of this book. There are many more.

Nichols uses sound scholarship to make an easily accessible book that is an easy read in providing some of Luther's basics.

First of all, please see my rebuttal to the awful one star reveiw in close proximity to mine.

And on to my reveiw...
Though this is certainly not the best work on Luther, I would venture to say that it is the best popular introduction. The book is layed out nicely. It reads quickly. Covers all of Luther's major epochs and works in a compact fashion. Having read the book, the average high schooler will have a reasonable amount of knowledge about Luther and a desire to learn more. My only complaint is that it would have been nice to have more than two chapters of biography at the front end. Nichol's is a good scholar and is doing a service to the church by writing history in a way that is easy for the layman to digest and enjoy. If you are mildly interested in understanding Luther, I would get this book, a good biography (Bainton or Kittelson), and Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings edited by Lull. Nichol's also has great suggested reading sections and a good bibliography for further study.

Many years ago I attended a piano recital by Stephen Stroff. While a bit amateurish, he played with genuine relish, and after reading this book, I feel that perhaps he should have stuck with being a performer. He definitely had potential, but as a writer he is a bit too pretentious, and too often gets bogged down in asides. At least that is the case with this book. He is a far better writer on classical music than jazz, and I wish he would return to that area of writing.

I had never heard of Stephen Stroff before reading this book, but afterward...I went and bought his other two books, "Discovering Great Jazz" and "Opera: An Informal Guide." All of them display an agile musical mind, capable of sophisticated analysis, while being able to convey this in readable, entertaining language. An absolute joy--and quite informative on Nichols' unjustly-neglected recordings.

There are, usually, two ways to approach 1920s jazz: love it or hate it. The former attitude normally emanates from hopeless Romantics who find its peppy melodies and stiffish rhythms jolly and optimistic. The latter comes from everyone else, particularly lovers of cool or bebop. In this book, however, the author has struck on a middle path: `20s jazz can be great depending on who you're listening to, but only a few bands escape negative criticism. Among these he cites Duke Ellington, The New Orleans Rhythm Kings, Jelly Roll Morton, Tiny Parham--and Red Nichols.

This is surprising in light of Nichols' reputation as a stiff, emotionally neuter cornetist but, as Stroff points out, this is missing the forest for the trees. Red and his core musicians (Arthur Schutt, Miff Mole, Vic Berton, Fud Livingston, Pee Wee Russell, Jimmy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, Joe Tarto and Glenn Miller) were among the most harmonically advanced minds of their day. In their little three-minute masterpieces, records that Red called "syncopated chamber music," they explored virtually the entire lexicon of jazz as it existed in their time and was to exist up until the extended chord positions of bebop. Within a window of seven years (1925-1932), they explored and augmented every style of jazz in their time and beyond. Stroff proves his point by analyzing about four dozen of their best recordings, often using musical examples.

This book is a brilliant tour-de-force that is well worth the price and, yes, even the wait from the publisher. If you are a serious musician or music-lover, you will not be able to put it down. At long last, musicians like Mole, Tarto, Schutt, Livingston and even Miller are lifted above the flotsam and jetsam of the mainstream and given their just due. Forget five stars--I give it ten!!

The more I read about Jonathan Edwards and the more of his works I read, the more impressed I am with the dedication to the Lord that this man had - and what an amazing time at the founding of this great nation for a man of God such as Edwards to live, write and minister. This short booklet is a compilation of Edwards' famous resolutions which he penned over about a two year period as he was completing his schooling and looking forward to the work that the Lord had before him. He took a moment to pause and reflect on the kind of man that he wanted to be (we should all learn from this) and then wrote down resolutions that would help him not only live a life worthy of his calling, but also leave a legacy through his eleven children and seventy-two grandchildren! From his resolution "never to lose a moment of time," to my favorite one, "that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die," these resolutions show what dedication, resolve and intentionality Edwards' had for his spiritual journey.

The booklet edited by Nichols also includes a letter that Edwards' sent in reply to an inquiry by a young lady giving suggestions for spiritual growth. This letter was republished by the Hartford Evangelical Tract Society titled "Advice to Young Converts." In this letter, Edwards' warns this young woman to "[b]e always greatly humbled by your remaining sin," but then encourages her by writing, "Although we are exceeding sinful, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, the precious of whose blood, the merit of whose righteousness, and the greatness of whose love and faithfulness infinitely overtop the highest mountains of our sins."

The booklet is a wonderful read - encouraging, challenging and insightful - to learn from probably the greatest theologian from the U.S. soil how he lived the Christian life with full devotion to the Lord and how we may as well.

Tired of wandering the aisles of the video store, only to succumb to yet another film made for teenage boys? Then pick up this new guide, which boasts 500 wide-ranging reviews of everything from art films, small-scale indies and foreign-language films, to coming-of-age comedies and thrillers that "flourish on the far side of respectability."

The one-page reviews, all organized alphabetically, are sure to enthuse even the staunchest cinephile - but especially fans of "The New York Times." You won't agree with everything, to be sure. But there's definitely something for everyone here. A great gift book for a cinephile.

I had high hopes for this guide, as I generally respect the reviews of A.O. Scott and the New York Times movie review crew. However, this book disappoints in several ways:

1) The movies are heavily skewed towards those released in the last 10 years. The more recent a movie, the less likely I am to have "almost forgotten" it. Sure, Metropolis is in here, but very few other movies until the 1990s. What I'm looking for in a book of this title is more older movies that I am more likely to never have heard fo.

2) Some of the recommended movies are pretty questionable, in my book. I understand there is bound to be difference of opinion, but I doubt that flicks like "Drumline", and "Freddy got Fingered", rank amoung the best movies I've never seen.

There are several positive aspects to this book. It gives a good presentation of the doctrine of illumination as being a wholly supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. It discusses Edwards's view of the Trinity, which is truly thought provoking, if speculative. It introduces the reader to Plantinga's theory of warrant and Coady's work on testimony, both of which can help Christians maintain their bearings in the midst of the prevailing postmodernism of our culture.

On the negative side, the book started life as Nichols's Ph.D. dissertation, and though presumably reworked somewhat for the popular reader, it still retains the polemic and strained tone of an academic work. I much prefer it when an author is motivated by passion than by the need to demonstrate his case in lawyer-like fashion. (See Calvin's "The Bondage and Liberation of the Will"--translated into English for the first time just eight years ago--for an example of passionate writing!) I also thought Nichols did a poor job of explaining difficult, nuanced concepts such as the internum testimonium Spiritus Sancti, though this may have been because his original audience consisted of seminary professors who didn't require an explanation from the ground up.

If you read everything on Edwards that you can get your hands on, you will probably want to read this. Otherwise, I would suggest you pass on this one.