J. I. Packer and the Evangelical Future: The Impact of His Life and Thought

by Timothy George

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 2009

Overview

J. I. Packer is one of the most significant evangelical theologians of the last one hundred years. He has had a deep and encompassing influence on many renewal movements within North American Christianity and has become a highly regarded leader in the global Christian movement through his many books and worldwide lecturing.

In J. I. Packer and the Evangelical Future, a stellar team of scholars examines some of the major aspects of Packer’s life and thought. The contributors analyze and assess Packer’s impact on evangelicalism over the past half century, ask what more we can learn from him about ministry and the evangelical future, and suggest a way forward for evangelical theology. The book also includes a full bibliography of Packer’s writings—the most comprehensive such listing available.

Perfect for scholars, students, pastors, and laypeople alike, the Logos edition of the J. I. Packer and the Evangelical Future is fully searchable and easily accessible. Scripture passages link directly to your English translations and to the original language texts, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library.

Key Features

• Provides essays on major aspects of J. I. Packer’s life and thought
• Includes a response and reflection by J. I. Packer
• Highlights the impact Packer has had on evangelism

Contents

Top Highlights

“Of course, the twinned concepts of God’s initiative and love are not novelties. But it is the ease with which Packer weaves careful theological insight with commonsense and scriptural allusion that lends the words their wings. This particular insight is laced with potent phrases ingested from the bread of life, delivered without pomp or ceremony, and innocent of any attempt to manipulate the feelings of the reader.” (Page 35)

“Rediscovering the corporate and historic nature of the Christian faith reduces the danger of entire communities of faith being misled by charismatic individuals and affirms the ongoing importance of the Christian past as a stabilizing influence in potentially turbulent times.” (Page 25)

“From the cool head of Packer has come a consistent sounding of significant theological themes, for he is convinced” (Page 31)

“Packer urges his readers to value what is good yet identify what is weak” (Pages 26–27)

“Packer argues that attentiveness to the past liberates us from” (Page 26)

Contributors

• Charles W. Colson
• Mark E. Dever
• Timothy George
• D. Bruce Hindmarsh
• Paul R. House
• Edith M. Humphrey
• James Earl Massey
• Alister E. McGrath
• David Neff
• Richard John Neuhaus
• Donald J. Payne
• Carl R. Trueman
• J. I. Packer

Praise for the Print Edition

[This book] celebrates the life and thought of J. I. Packer, evangelicalism’s premier theologian. . . . Many of the essays address his theology directly. In the process, the reader learns about key concerns in Professor Packer’s thought. . . . Other essays take a certain aspect of Packer’s theology and draw on it in order to discuss issues of concern to contemporary evangelical thought. . . . The book concludes with a helpful bibliography of Packer’s works. . . . Each of the essays makes for delightful reading. . . . This book—suitably devoted to the memory of Fr. Richard John Neuhaus—constitutes a wonderful contribution both to Professor Packer’s theology in particular and to evangelical thought and spirituality more broadly.

—Expository Times

History lovers have to appreciate a book that charts the evangelical future by looking back on the life and legacy of a great theologian. Of course, such a strategy of turning back to find your way forward perfectly suits J. I. Packer. As an accomplished historian and theologian, Packer finds cures for what ails contemporary evangelicalism by exploring the contributions of spiritual giants such as the Puritans. So we expect nothing less than prescriptive retrospective from J. I. Packer and the Evangelical Future.

—Christian History blog

Students of J. I. Packer’s beloved Puritans may hear echoes of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress throughout this volume. Turning the pages feels like walking through the Interpreter’s House, with each essay introducing a series of poignant lessons from the Anglican theologian. . . . When historians examine the life of Packer, this volume will serve as a useful starting point.

—Christianity Today

Perhaps no other figure towers above modern evangelicalism like J. I. Packer. . . . In honor of Packer’s life and ministry, Timothy F. George has assembled some of the world’s best pastors and theologians to write about those aspects of doctrine, theology, and church history which have personally impacted Packer’s life and through him the modern church.

—The Baptist Messenger

Product Details

• Title: J. I. Packer and the Evangelical Future: The Impact of His Life and Thought
• Editor: Timothy George
• Publisher: Baker
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 256

About Timothy George

Timothy George is dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and an executive editor of Christianity Today. George has written and edited more than 20 books including The New American Commentary: Galatians.