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Puritan Portraits: J.I. Packer on selected Classic Pastors and Pastoral Classics
Here one of the leading authorities on the Puritans, J. I. Packer introduces us to their rich theology and deep spirituality. Packer gives us profiles of John Flavel, Thomas Boston, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, Henry Scougal, John Owen and Stephen Charnock and two closer portraits of William Perkins and Richard Baxter. The writings of the Puritans continue to profoundly reward readers and here J. I. Packer brings them alive in an inspiring way to encourage a new generation to experience their delights.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2012
About the author
J.I. Packer
451 books950 followersWhat do J. I. Packer, Billy Graham and Richard John Neuhaus have in common? Each was recently named by TIME magazine as among the 25 most influential evangelicals in America.
Dr. Packer, the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, was hailed by TIME as “a doctrinal Solomon” among Protestants. “Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, Packer helps unify a community [evangelicalism] that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.”
Knowing God, Dr. Packer’s seminal 1973 work, was lauded as a book which articulated shared beliefs for members of diverse denominations; the TIME profile quotes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington as saying, “conservative Methodists and Presbyterians and Baptists could all look to [Knowing God] and say, ‘This sums it all up for us.’”
In a similar tribute to Dr. Packer almost ten years ago, American theologian Mark Noll wrote in Christianity Today that, “Packer’s ability to address immensely important subjects in crisp, succinct sentences is one of the reasons why, both as an author and speaker, he has played such an important role among American evangelicals for four decades.”
For over 25 years Regent College students have been privileged to study under Dr. Packer’s clear and lucid teaching, and our faculty, staff and students celebrate the international recognition he rightly receives as a leading Christian thinker and teacher.
(https://www.regent-college.edu/facult...)
Dr. Packer, the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, was hailed by TIME as “a doctrinal Solomon” among Protestants. “Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, Packer helps unify a community [evangelicalism] that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.”
Knowing God, Dr. Packer’s seminal 1973 work, was lauded as a book which articulated shared beliefs for members of diverse denominations; the TIME profile quotes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington as saying, “conservative Methodists and Presbyterians and Baptists could all look to [Knowing God] and say, ‘This sums it all up for us.’”
In a similar tribute to Dr. Packer almost ten years ago, American theologian Mark Noll wrote in Christianity Today that, “Packer’s ability to address immensely important subjects in crisp, succinct sentences is one of the reasons why, both as an author and speaker, he has played such an important role among American evangelicals for four decades.”
For over 25 years Regent College students have been privileged to study under Dr. Packer’s clear and lucid teaching, and our faculty, staff and students celebrate the international recognition he rightly receives as a leading Christian thinker and teacher.
(https://www.regent-college.edu/facult...)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 19, 2022
Very helpful introduction to Puritanism. I don't have a vast knowledge of the Puritans other than what I have heard quotes in other books and sermons, so this overview was incredible to me. Packer gives his introductions to several Puritan authors and their major works.
I would recommend this to anyone seeking to learn more about the Puritans from a bird's eye view. I can assure you this book will be a comfort to your soul and will cause you to look to God's Word for sufficiency in all things.
"Puritanism, as Baxter understood it and as modern scholarship, correcting centuries of caricature, now depicts it, was a total view of Christianity, Bible-based, church-centered, God-honouring, literate, orthodox, pastoral, and Reformational, that saw personal, domestic, professional, political, churchly, and economic existence as aspects of a single whole, and that called on everybody to order every department and every relationship of their life according to the Word of God, so that all would be sanctified and become ‘holiness to the Lord." (159)
I would recommend this to anyone seeking to learn more about the Puritans from a bird's eye view. I can assure you this book will be a comfort to your soul and will cause you to look to God's Word for sufficiency in all things.
"Puritanism, as Baxter understood it and as modern scholarship, correcting centuries of caricature, now depicts it, was a total view of Christianity, Bible-based, church-centered, God-honouring, literate, orthodox, pastoral, and Reformational, that saw personal, domestic, professional, political, churchly, and economic existence as aspects of a single whole, and that called on everybody to order every department and every relationship of their life according to the Word of God, so that all would be sanctified and become ‘holiness to the Lord." (159)
December 14, 2025
In Puritan Portraits (2012), J. I. Packer gives a helpful introduction to readers of several prominent Puritan pastors and writers from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The writer is the late J. I. Packer (1926-2020), who was a life-long Anglican who spent the first half of his life in England, the second half in Canada, and likely most popular in the United States for his theological writings.
This book is written on a popular level, not just for college or seminary students, scholars, or pastors—as everyone should have a working knowledge of who these heroes of the past were. Packer begins with a good overview of Puritanism and what these godly men did in God’s service. He then takes nine of them (Henry Scougal, Stephen Charnock, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, John Owen, John Flavel, Thomas Boston, William Perkins, and Richard Baxter), highlights at least one of their books that impacted him, gives a brief biographical sketch of the man, and how we ought to view their writings today.
I enjoyed this book because it wasn’t too long (less than 200 pages), was readable, and gave enough information without bogging you down with too many details. There was a wide variety of men and it shows that God can use anyone, for His glory. I did find Packer’s writing—at times—to be challenging to read due to his long, run-on sentences.
Overall, my impression was that Puritan Portraits was a helpful book and I would recommend it to Christians who want to go deeper in their walk with God. This book is a sort of launching pad to many other helpful books one could read. It would be helpful to jot down books you want to purchase, as there will be at least a few. I give this book 5 stars because I did profit from it.
This book is written on a popular level, not just for college or seminary students, scholars, or pastors—as everyone should have a working knowledge of who these heroes of the past were. Packer begins with a good overview of Puritanism and what these godly men did in God’s service. He then takes nine of them (Henry Scougal, Stephen Charnock, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, John Owen, John Flavel, Thomas Boston, William Perkins, and Richard Baxter), highlights at least one of their books that impacted him, gives a brief biographical sketch of the man, and how we ought to view their writings today.
I enjoyed this book because it wasn’t too long (less than 200 pages), was readable, and gave enough information without bogging you down with too many details. There was a wide variety of men and it shows that God can use anyone, for His glory. I did find Packer’s writing—at times—to be challenging to read due to his long, run-on sentences.
Overall, my impression was that Puritan Portraits was a helpful book and I would recommend it to Christians who want to go deeper in their walk with God. This book is a sort of launching pad to many other helpful books one could read. It would be helpful to jot down books you want to purchase, as there will be at least a few. I give this book 5 stars because I did profit from it.
June 25, 2025
Although this book started life as a series of unconnected introductions to reprints of some Puritan classics, it is surprisingly cohesive. Each chapter displays Packer’s characteristic combination of concise and comprehensive insight, and allied with the typical deep and practical Puritan spirituality, we are left with a valuable contribution to the canon of books written about the wave of Christian renewal and reformation that swept across England in the 16th and 17th centuries. While the core of the book is made up of the introductory portraits, Packers tops and tails it with chapters on the priorities that characterised the work of Puritan pastors.
He summarises the essential Puritan insight into the Christian life as "a blend of structured obedience and hope based on freedom in and through Christ and on promises of grace sustaining close communion with God...The movement had two areas of concern and action. One was the organisational set-up of the Church of England, from its Book of Common Prayer to its episcopal hierarchy; all of which Puritans wanted to bring into line with what other Reformed churches did, and none of which Elizabeth, the Church's titular head, was prepared to have changed. The second and larger concern was the conversion of England to a vital evangelical faith, which they thought could be achieved through effective ministry in the parishes. Most of the brethren seem to have been concerned about both agendas, but active chiefly in one." That is, the second. Puritan Christianity was undoubtedly serious, and emphasised the importance of preaching and teaching, including catechesis and the reading of good, edifying books: "For faith, to the Puritans, started with factual knowledge- knowledge of who and what God is, who and what Jesus Christ is, and what the gospel is- and the purpose of catechizing was to open the door to the life of faith by laying faith's cognitive foundations." Counselling and spiritual health were also of great concern, and the frequent subject and aim of Puritan writing. This literary legacy is, contends Packer, Puritanism's most significant contribution to the ongoing life of the church.
In terms of the writing itself, Packer summarises its main enriching quality as "analytical thoroughness". The basic formula was to raise or extract doctrines from the text, then explain them, and finally apply them. This is frequently seen as the summary framework of doctrine, reason and use. Classic Puritan preaching (and writing) is characterised as "expository, analytical, didactic, applicatory, searching, converting and edifying." It is also regularly empowered by divine unction, in other words, having a discernible spiritual effect upon its hearers and, now, readers.
Packer sees the Puritan understanding of Christianity as "a connected view of God, of the Bible, of the world, of ourselves, of salvation, of the church, of history and of the future", and highlights the antithesis between Puritan Christianity and Western secularism. On this point, Packer warrants quoting at length: "Where Puritanism looks to the Word of God for self- knowledge and life- guidance, modernity looks with optimism to human reason as expressed in the sciences and philosophies, while post- modernism, of which today's universities are full, tells the modernists with pessimism that their enterprise is hopeless, since what philosophers and scientists, like Christians before them, offer as universal truth is really only an improper venture in mind- control...from the battlefield where modernists and post- modernists slug it out, the fumes of relativism, scepticism, and despair drift everywhere, producing a mind- set in which nothing seems certain, nothing feels quite worthwhile, and grabbing such pleasures as each moment offers seems the only thing to do. So human nature is devalued, human life is cheapened, human thought is blocked, and we live aimlessly, prompted only by instinct, appetite and various forms of greed in the manner of what we used to call the lower animals. Our idea of life is of drifting along, and our idea of pleasure stops short at the momentary satisfying of instinctual, sensual, body-based, self-absorbed cravings, urges and itches...Only as we grasp the antithesis between the historic Christian and modern secular approaches to the business of living, and programme ourselves to shake off cultural prejudice and take the Christian, biblical, Puritan view of human nature and human welfare seriously, shall we be able to profit from the flood of wisdom that [they] pour out."
Another way of looking at Puritanism is as a holiness movement where, "preachers never lost sight of the fact that Christ calls to holiness those whom He saves...All Puritan communication was designed to confront people as clearly and inescapably as possible with the closeness of God - the God who searches us, and exposes us to ourselves; who both judges and loves, both condemns and justifies through His Son, Jesus Christ; who claims and commands us, while promising protection, preservation, and final reward; and who may not on any account be ignored... the popular idea of a Puritan has always been of a pharisaical sourpuss who spreads gloom wherever he goes. In fact, however, as the real- life Puritan practised the disciplines of serious Christianity, praying, fasting, keeping his heart, warring against the world, the flesh and the devil, maintaining an ordered life and doing all the good he could, he found mental pleasure and joy at every turn of the road."
So much for Puritanism as a movement, what about the Puritans themselves? Two chapters which particularly stood out for me were those on John Owen and William Perkins.
The chapter on John Owen is masterful and was probably my favourite part of the whole book. I wholeheartedly echo Packer’s sentiment that, "I owe more, I think, to John Owen than to any other theologian, ancient or modern, and I am sure I owe more to his little book on mortification than to anything else he wrote." Packers recounts how Owen corrected his mistaken thinking on carnality vs spirituality, and how to move from one to the other, denying the personal self rather than denying the self - an important distinction! This led to him 'scraping his inside' to ensure that his consecration was complete, and laboured to 'let go and let God' when faced with temptation and in pursuit of the 'higher life.' In a memorable autobiographical passage Packer describes how this led to him becoming frantic, and close to spiritual and mental breakdown, until his university Christian group "was given an old clergyman's library, and in it was an uncut set of Owen, and I cut the pages of volume VI more or less at random, and read Owen on mortification- and God used what the old Puritan had written three centuries before to sort me out. Here was God's chemo for my cancered soul...Reaching across those three centuries, Owen showed me my inside - my heart - as no one had ever done before. Sin, he told me, is a blind, anti- God, egocentric energy in the fallen human spiritual system, ever fomenting self-centred and self-deceiving desires, ambitions, purposes, plans, attitudes, and behaviours. Now that I was a regenerate believer, born again, a new creation in Christ, sin that formerly dominated me had been de-throned but was not yet destroyed. It was marauding within me all the time, bringing back sinful desires that I hoped I had seen the last of, and twisting my new desires for God and godliness out of shape so that they became pride- perverted too. Lifelong conflict with the besetting sins that besetting sin generates was what I must expect."
Owen's answer to what we should do in response is to "Have the holiness of God clear in your mind. Remember that sin desensitises you to itself. Watch- that is, prepare to recognise it, and search it out within you by disciplined, Bible-based, Spirit-led self-examination. Focus on the living Christ and His love for you on the cross. Pray, asking for strength to say 'no' to sin's suggestions and to fortify yourself against bad habits by forming good ones contrary to them. And ask Christ to kill the sinful urge you are fighting."
In short, "Owen is one of the dead who still speak...many would bracket him with John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards as one of the three greatest Reformed theologians of all time...His thoughts are like the pillars of a Norman cathedral; they leave an impression of massive grandeur precisely because of their solid simplicity. He wrote for readers who, once they take up a subject, cannot rest till they see to the bottom of it, and who find exhaustiveness of coverage and presentation of the same truths from many different angles not exhausting but refreshing...Owen embodied all that was noblest in Puritan devotion."
The Mortification of Sin, which Packer particularly has in mind here, is both a spiritual gold mine and a corrective to the shortcomings of much present-day Christian nurture. Specifically, our insufficient emphasis on God's holiness, our reduction of the moral life to outward actions, our neglect of self-scrutiny and our disregard for the life-changing power of God are all recalibrated by Owen's comprehensive analysis. "Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror; yea, thou wilt, through the good providence of God, live to see thy lust dead at thy feet."
On William Perkins, Packer tells us that no Puritan author other than Richard Baxter ever sold better, and that no Puritan thinker did more to shape and solidify historic Puritanism itself: "real Puritanism was not the eccentric and combative Protestant Pharisaism that nineteenth-century novels and history books imagined. Many know that the real Puritanism was an evangelical holiness movement seeking to implement its vision of spiritual renewal, national and personal, in the church, the state and the home; in education, evangelism, and economics; in individual discipleship and devotion, and in pastoral care and competence. Many know that real Puritan piety centred upon regeneration and repentance, self- suspicion and self- examination, rational Biblicism and righteous behaviour, discursive meditation and rhetorical prayer, faith in and love to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, recognition of the sovereignty of God in providence, grace, and judgment, the comfort and joy of a well- grounded assurance, the need to educate and cherish one's conscience, the spiritual war against the world, the flesh, and the devil, the ethic of discipline and duty, and the saints' hope of glory. Few, however, know as yet that it was Perkins, quite specifically, who established Puritanism in this mould."
His international popularity and influence were "due to an attractive and practical piety, an ability to popularise, and an extraordinarily wide range of theological activity...Majestic and magisterial, expository and evangelical, informal and applicatory, Perkins's preaching set standards for the whole Puritan movement thereafter, just as it brought benefit to great numbers in the Cambridge of his own day...there was nothing whatever as yet for their literate parishioners to read, to build them up in the faith. Perkins set himself to fill this gap. If you think of him as in this respect a forerunner of J.C. Ryle, C.S. Lewis, and John Stott, you will not be far wrong." Packer summarises the guidance he gave as bible based, according to the principles of literal and contextual interpretation established by the Reformers and Calvinistic in emphasis, as well as "practical, being attuned at every point to the business of finding and following the path of eternal life; and it was experiential, in the sense that it focused constantly on motives, desires, distresses, graces and disgraces in the heart and inner life, as the source from which both obedience to God and its opposite take their rise."
Packer also claims Perkins as the father of pietism, in the most positive sense of that word: "Pietism, so-called, was a seventeenth- and eighteenth-century development within Protestant state churches and Europe-wide Roman Catholicism. It was a renewing of personal devotion, marked by the principles, practices and priorities, the attitudes and aspirations, that were mentioned above. We should at once note here that the anti-intellectual, anti-cultural, anti-national church attitudes, plus the emotionalistic and legalistic and individualistic inclinations, that marked and marred some later pietists represent deviations from, and indeed contradictions of, Perkins's Puritan humanism."
Packer comments that Perkins had much "to say about the believer's inner life, which is the touchstone of Christian reality, and this profile of the growing saint gives us a vantage-point from which to review Perkins's theology as a whole, asking as we go how each aspect of it bears on what we now see to be its author's major focus...In delineating England's spiritual needs, Perkins mentions many forms of immorality and irreligion, but clearly what troubled him most was the Protestant formalism and spiritual complacency of his own era, which had replaced its earlier Roman Catholic equivalent. So his ministry tasks, as he saw them, boiled down with exact precision to afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted."
In conclusion, Packer makes a final call to both church leaders and laypeople to consider carefully the principles for a living and vibrant Christianity that were embodied by the English Puritans: "what I urge here is that the Puritan ideal for pastors, which, judged by the New Testament Scriptures on which it is based, has classic status in itself, is the foundational reality on which all ventures in church renewal must be based, otherwise they will fail continually until finally all is lost." I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and it again emphasised how much the Puritans still have to say to us as they call us to the same thorough, deep and consistent bible-saturated Christianity that they personified, even in the face of much opposition. May we do the same in our day.
A more detailed review and summary is available here
He summarises the essential Puritan insight into the Christian life as "a blend of structured obedience and hope based on freedom in and through Christ and on promises of grace sustaining close communion with God...The movement had two areas of concern and action. One was the organisational set-up of the Church of England, from its Book of Common Prayer to its episcopal hierarchy; all of which Puritans wanted to bring into line with what other Reformed churches did, and none of which Elizabeth, the Church's titular head, was prepared to have changed. The second and larger concern was the conversion of England to a vital evangelical faith, which they thought could be achieved through effective ministry in the parishes. Most of the brethren seem to have been concerned about both agendas, but active chiefly in one." That is, the second. Puritan Christianity was undoubtedly serious, and emphasised the importance of preaching and teaching, including catechesis and the reading of good, edifying books: "For faith, to the Puritans, started with factual knowledge- knowledge of who and what God is, who and what Jesus Christ is, and what the gospel is- and the purpose of catechizing was to open the door to the life of faith by laying faith's cognitive foundations." Counselling and spiritual health were also of great concern, and the frequent subject and aim of Puritan writing. This literary legacy is, contends Packer, Puritanism's most significant contribution to the ongoing life of the church.
In terms of the writing itself, Packer summarises its main enriching quality as "analytical thoroughness". The basic formula was to raise or extract doctrines from the text, then explain them, and finally apply them. This is frequently seen as the summary framework of doctrine, reason and use. Classic Puritan preaching (and writing) is characterised as "expository, analytical, didactic, applicatory, searching, converting and edifying." It is also regularly empowered by divine unction, in other words, having a discernible spiritual effect upon its hearers and, now, readers.
Packer sees the Puritan understanding of Christianity as "a connected view of God, of the Bible, of the world, of ourselves, of salvation, of the church, of history and of the future", and highlights the antithesis between Puritan Christianity and Western secularism. On this point, Packer warrants quoting at length: "Where Puritanism looks to the Word of God for self- knowledge and life- guidance, modernity looks with optimism to human reason as expressed in the sciences and philosophies, while post- modernism, of which today's universities are full, tells the modernists with pessimism that their enterprise is hopeless, since what philosophers and scientists, like Christians before them, offer as universal truth is really only an improper venture in mind- control...from the battlefield where modernists and post- modernists slug it out, the fumes of relativism, scepticism, and despair drift everywhere, producing a mind- set in which nothing seems certain, nothing feels quite worthwhile, and grabbing such pleasures as each moment offers seems the only thing to do. So human nature is devalued, human life is cheapened, human thought is blocked, and we live aimlessly, prompted only by instinct, appetite and various forms of greed in the manner of what we used to call the lower animals. Our idea of life is of drifting along, and our idea of pleasure stops short at the momentary satisfying of instinctual, sensual, body-based, self-absorbed cravings, urges and itches...Only as we grasp the antithesis between the historic Christian and modern secular approaches to the business of living, and programme ourselves to shake off cultural prejudice and take the Christian, biblical, Puritan view of human nature and human welfare seriously, shall we be able to profit from the flood of wisdom that [they] pour out."
Another way of looking at Puritanism is as a holiness movement where, "preachers never lost sight of the fact that Christ calls to holiness those whom He saves...All Puritan communication was designed to confront people as clearly and inescapably as possible with the closeness of God - the God who searches us, and exposes us to ourselves; who both judges and loves, both condemns and justifies through His Son, Jesus Christ; who claims and commands us, while promising protection, preservation, and final reward; and who may not on any account be ignored... the popular idea of a Puritan has always been of a pharisaical sourpuss who spreads gloom wherever he goes. In fact, however, as the real- life Puritan practised the disciplines of serious Christianity, praying, fasting, keeping his heart, warring against the world, the flesh and the devil, maintaining an ordered life and doing all the good he could, he found mental pleasure and joy at every turn of the road."
So much for Puritanism as a movement, what about the Puritans themselves? Two chapters which particularly stood out for me were those on John Owen and William Perkins.
The chapter on John Owen is masterful and was probably my favourite part of the whole book. I wholeheartedly echo Packer’s sentiment that, "I owe more, I think, to John Owen than to any other theologian, ancient or modern, and I am sure I owe more to his little book on mortification than to anything else he wrote." Packers recounts how Owen corrected his mistaken thinking on carnality vs spirituality, and how to move from one to the other, denying the personal self rather than denying the self - an important distinction! This led to him 'scraping his inside' to ensure that his consecration was complete, and laboured to 'let go and let God' when faced with temptation and in pursuit of the 'higher life.' In a memorable autobiographical passage Packer describes how this led to him becoming frantic, and close to spiritual and mental breakdown, until his university Christian group "was given an old clergyman's library, and in it was an uncut set of Owen, and I cut the pages of volume VI more or less at random, and read Owen on mortification- and God used what the old Puritan had written three centuries before to sort me out. Here was God's chemo for my cancered soul...Reaching across those three centuries, Owen showed me my inside - my heart - as no one had ever done before. Sin, he told me, is a blind, anti- God, egocentric energy in the fallen human spiritual system, ever fomenting self-centred and self-deceiving desires, ambitions, purposes, plans, attitudes, and behaviours. Now that I was a regenerate believer, born again, a new creation in Christ, sin that formerly dominated me had been de-throned but was not yet destroyed. It was marauding within me all the time, bringing back sinful desires that I hoped I had seen the last of, and twisting my new desires for God and godliness out of shape so that they became pride- perverted too. Lifelong conflict with the besetting sins that besetting sin generates was what I must expect."
Owen's answer to what we should do in response is to "Have the holiness of God clear in your mind. Remember that sin desensitises you to itself. Watch- that is, prepare to recognise it, and search it out within you by disciplined, Bible-based, Spirit-led self-examination. Focus on the living Christ and His love for you on the cross. Pray, asking for strength to say 'no' to sin's suggestions and to fortify yourself against bad habits by forming good ones contrary to them. And ask Christ to kill the sinful urge you are fighting."
In short, "Owen is one of the dead who still speak...many would bracket him with John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards as one of the three greatest Reformed theologians of all time...His thoughts are like the pillars of a Norman cathedral; they leave an impression of massive grandeur precisely because of their solid simplicity. He wrote for readers who, once they take up a subject, cannot rest till they see to the bottom of it, and who find exhaustiveness of coverage and presentation of the same truths from many different angles not exhausting but refreshing...Owen embodied all that was noblest in Puritan devotion."
The Mortification of Sin, which Packer particularly has in mind here, is both a spiritual gold mine and a corrective to the shortcomings of much present-day Christian nurture. Specifically, our insufficient emphasis on God's holiness, our reduction of the moral life to outward actions, our neglect of self-scrutiny and our disregard for the life-changing power of God are all recalibrated by Owen's comprehensive analysis. "Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror; yea, thou wilt, through the good providence of God, live to see thy lust dead at thy feet."
On William Perkins, Packer tells us that no Puritan author other than Richard Baxter ever sold better, and that no Puritan thinker did more to shape and solidify historic Puritanism itself: "real Puritanism was not the eccentric and combative Protestant Pharisaism that nineteenth-century novels and history books imagined. Many know that the real Puritanism was an evangelical holiness movement seeking to implement its vision of spiritual renewal, national and personal, in the church, the state and the home; in education, evangelism, and economics; in individual discipleship and devotion, and in pastoral care and competence. Many know that real Puritan piety centred upon regeneration and repentance, self- suspicion and self- examination, rational Biblicism and righteous behaviour, discursive meditation and rhetorical prayer, faith in and love to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, recognition of the sovereignty of God in providence, grace, and judgment, the comfort and joy of a well- grounded assurance, the need to educate and cherish one's conscience, the spiritual war against the world, the flesh, and the devil, the ethic of discipline and duty, and the saints' hope of glory. Few, however, know as yet that it was Perkins, quite specifically, who established Puritanism in this mould."
His international popularity and influence were "due to an attractive and practical piety, an ability to popularise, and an extraordinarily wide range of theological activity...Majestic and magisterial, expository and evangelical, informal and applicatory, Perkins's preaching set standards for the whole Puritan movement thereafter, just as it brought benefit to great numbers in the Cambridge of his own day...there was nothing whatever as yet for their literate parishioners to read, to build them up in the faith. Perkins set himself to fill this gap. If you think of him as in this respect a forerunner of J.C. Ryle, C.S. Lewis, and John Stott, you will not be far wrong." Packer summarises the guidance he gave as bible based, according to the principles of literal and contextual interpretation established by the Reformers and Calvinistic in emphasis, as well as "practical, being attuned at every point to the business of finding and following the path of eternal life; and it was experiential, in the sense that it focused constantly on motives, desires, distresses, graces and disgraces in the heart and inner life, as the source from which both obedience to God and its opposite take their rise."
Packer also claims Perkins as the father of pietism, in the most positive sense of that word: "Pietism, so-called, was a seventeenth- and eighteenth-century development within Protestant state churches and Europe-wide Roman Catholicism. It was a renewing of personal devotion, marked by the principles, practices and priorities, the attitudes and aspirations, that were mentioned above. We should at once note here that the anti-intellectual, anti-cultural, anti-national church attitudes, plus the emotionalistic and legalistic and individualistic inclinations, that marked and marred some later pietists represent deviations from, and indeed contradictions of, Perkins's Puritan humanism."
Packer comments that Perkins had much "to say about the believer's inner life, which is the touchstone of Christian reality, and this profile of the growing saint gives us a vantage-point from which to review Perkins's theology as a whole, asking as we go how each aspect of it bears on what we now see to be its author's major focus...In delineating England's spiritual needs, Perkins mentions many forms of immorality and irreligion, but clearly what troubled him most was the Protestant formalism and spiritual complacency of his own era, which had replaced its earlier Roman Catholic equivalent. So his ministry tasks, as he saw them, boiled down with exact precision to afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted."
In conclusion, Packer makes a final call to both church leaders and laypeople to consider carefully the principles for a living and vibrant Christianity that were embodied by the English Puritans: "what I urge here is that the Puritan ideal for pastors, which, judged by the New Testament Scriptures on which it is based, has classic status in itself, is the foundational reality on which all ventures in church renewal must be based, otherwise they will fail continually until finally all is lost." I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and it again emphasised how much the Puritans still have to say to us as they call us to the same thorough, deep and consistent bible-saturated Christianity that they personified, even in the face of much opposition. May we do the same in our day.
A more detailed review and summary is available here
November 13, 2025
The title says it all, Puritan Portraits! It is an introduction to some of the more popular Puritans. For those interested in studying the Puritans, this may be a good starting point. I am sure there are others, but this book is short, and Packer's writing style is palatable. Some of the famous names mentioned are Baxter, Boston, Flavel Owen, and others.
For Owen, the author uses his Mortification of Sin and highlights key points from that.
For example, in answer to the inquiry as to besetting sins not entirely destroyed in the believer, Owen answers by saying -
"Have the holiness of God clear in your mind. Remember that sin desensitizes you to itself. Watch - that is, prepare to recognize it, and search it out within you by disciplined, Bible-based, Spirit-led self-examination."
The author captures the impressionable works of all the others, giving us a taste of what each believed and taught in their ministries.
Yes, I would recommend this work. It is easy to read with just over 180 pages. It would be a good coffee-time read.
For Owen, the author uses his Mortification of Sin and highlights key points from that.
For example, in answer to the inquiry as to besetting sins not entirely destroyed in the believer, Owen answers by saying -
"Have the holiness of God clear in your mind. Remember that sin desensitizes you to itself. Watch - that is, prepare to recognize it, and search it out within you by disciplined, Bible-based, Spirit-led self-examination."
The author captures the impressionable works of all the others, giving us a taste of what each believed and taught in their ministries.
Yes, I would recommend this work. It is easy to read with just over 180 pages. It would be a good coffee-time read.
June 24, 2025
Puritan Portraits is essentially a collection of book introductions originally written for the Christian Heritage paperback series. This is not exactly what I expected, but this book was nonetheless interesting, informative, and encouraging.
May 7, 2021
A super helpful overview of the Puritans. Packer's books are gold always.
January 21, 2013
The title says it all--portraits. This book contains a collection of portraits written as introductions for reprints of Puritan works. They were collected as a sketches for each of the authors with additional material supplemented (introduction to Puritan theology and two additional authors sketched at end).
To know the Puritan emphasis, we must first understand true evangelical devotion,
Whatever the reason, the fact is there, and our idea of devotion appears foreshortened. Once it signified adhering to God, the Father, the Son and the Spirit, in loyalty and love with all one’s heart, mind, soul and strength; a single-minded concentration on praising and pleasing God as our life’s key activities. And included in the understanding of devotion was an appetite for learning wisdom from didactic study and exposition of Scripture. In former days, preaching and devotion were seen as correlates – faithful Bible teaching fed hearers with truth to trust, digest, and live out, and faithful Christians looked for, and longed for, didactic displays of biblical thought and teaching by which to shape their self-management in both living with God and relating to family, friends, colleagues and other human beings. (Kindle Locations 83-88).
and also know how to discern the baby from the bath water,
No doubt there was a good deal of Puritan bath-water needing to be emptied, but the essential Puritan insight into the Christian life as a blend of structured obedience and hope based on freedom in and through Christ and on promises of grace sustaining close communion with God was a precious synthesis that Christians should have prized, and sadly did not. Clergy should have taught it, and sadly did not. So at this point we live in a vacuum today, and it shows. Many ministers are unclear as to what they should tell their congregations about holiness and godliness, and many church people are quite lost when it comes to the specifics of spelling out, commending and living the Christian life. These are shortcomings which a grasp of the heart of Puritanism would cure. (Kindle Locations 115-120).
I loved how Packer starts off with the realization that we have much to learn from the Puritans while also recognizing they weren’t perfect. Crooked sticks, right? It should also be noted that Packer is discussing Purtanism from a strictly historical perspective (meaning Reformed pastors from 1560-1710) and isn’t using the term as it is often understood colloquially as refering to Reformed pastors up until as late as C. H. Spurgeon (1892).
What I found the most inspiring is the focus on making theology practical. All of the men sketched (Thomas Boston, Stephen Charnock, John Bunyan, Richard Baxter, John Flavel, Henry Scrougal, Matthew Henry, John Owen, and William Perkins) were supremely concerned with pastoring. I’ve heard it often said that Reformed theology is cold and detached but for those who would say so I would ask, “Have you read the Puritans?” These men were master surgeons cutting to the very heart of men and applying the gospel where needed.
If you haven’t read anything by the Puritans, I would recommend starting here. Packer will give you a taste of what you can expect. And if you’re then interested in reading the Puritans I would recommend reading the books these portraits go along with (put out by Christian Focus Publications see links in the paragraph above). You will find practical gospel truth for your soul. You will find a love for God and His Word. You will find men of God who will drive you to the foot of the cross. Not perfect by any means, but men who loved the gospel and took their charge as pastors seriously.
To know the Puritan emphasis, we must first understand true evangelical devotion,
Whatever the reason, the fact is there, and our idea of devotion appears foreshortened. Once it signified adhering to God, the Father, the Son and the Spirit, in loyalty and love with all one’s heart, mind, soul and strength; a single-minded concentration on praising and pleasing God as our life’s key activities. And included in the understanding of devotion was an appetite for learning wisdom from didactic study and exposition of Scripture. In former days, preaching and devotion were seen as correlates – faithful Bible teaching fed hearers with truth to trust, digest, and live out, and faithful Christians looked for, and longed for, didactic displays of biblical thought and teaching by which to shape their self-management in both living with God and relating to family, friends, colleagues and other human beings. (Kindle Locations 83-88).
and also know how to discern the baby from the bath water,
No doubt there was a good deal of Puritan bath-water needing to be emptied, but the essential Puritan insight into the Christian life as a blend of structured obedience and hope based on freedom in and through Christ and on promises of grace sustaining close communion with God was a precious synthesis that Christians should have prized, and sadly did not. Clergy should have taught it, and sadly did not. So at this point we live in a vacuum today, and it shows. Many ministers are unclear as to what they should tell their congregations about holiness and godliness, and many church people are quite lost when it comes to the specifics of spelling out, commending and living the Christian life. These are shortcomings which a grasp of the heart of Puritanism would cure. (Kindle Locations 115-120).
I loved how Packer starts off with the realization that we have much to learn from the Puritans while also recognizing they weren’t perfect. Crooked sticks, right? It should also be noted that Packer is discussing Purtanism from a strictly historical perspective (meaning Reformed pastors from 1560-1710) and isn’t using the term as it is often understood colloquially as refering to Reformed pastors up until as late as C. H. Spurgeon (1892).
What I found the most inspiring is the focus on making theology practical. All of the men sketched (Thomas Boston, Stephen Charnock, John Bunyan, Richard Baxter, John Flavel, Henry Scrougal, Matthew Henry, John Owen, and William Perkins) were supremely concerned with pastoring. I’ve heard it often said that Reformed theology is cold and detached but for those who would say so I would ask, “Have you read the Puritans?” These men were master surgeons cutting to the very heart of men and applying the gospel where needed.
If you haven’t read anything by the Puritans, I would recommend starting here. Packer will give you a taste of what you can expect. And if you’re then interested in reading the Puritans I would recommend reading the books these portraits go along with (put out by Christian Focus Publications see links in the paragraph above). You will find practical gospel truth for your soul. You will find a love for God and His Word. You will find men of God who will drive you to the foot of the cross. Not perfect by any means, but men who loved the gospel and took their charge as pastors seriously.
February 18, 2013
The Puritans are rightly regarded as some of the greatest theologians the Church ever produced. With men like John Flavel, Thomas Boston, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, Henry Scougal, John Owen and Stephen Charnock among others it would be hard to overstate the case that this was one of church history’s brightest periods of time. In his new book, Puritan Portraits leading evangelical theologian Dr. J.I. Packer writes to help introduce us to the Puritans rich theology and deep spirituality.
Dr. Packer opens up his book with a description of Puritan pastors at work. Here he sets forth his goal to help his readers “to think from the outset of the Puritans as writers of devotionals” (8). Packer ably demonstrates the importance of Puritans to contemporary Christianity much of which focuses on felt needs rather than being energized by the Gospel. The men Packer profiles were all men who were energized by a vision of the glory of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
In this book, Packer profiles Henry Scougal who wrote The Life of God in the Soul of Man which greatly impacted George Whitefield’s understanding of what it means to be born again. This book was one of the means God used to instruct Whitefield whom God used powerfully on both sides of the Atlantic during the Great Awakening. The second person is Stephen Charnock who wrote Christ Crucified. John Bunyan is well-known from Pilgrims Progress but he also wrote many other books like the one featured in this book The Heavenly Footman. Matthew Henry is well-known for his massive Bible commentary but was wrote several books including The Pleastness of a Religious Life.
Among the giants of this study are John Owen whose writings have made a deep impact on me. In this book Packer features one of Owen’s most penetrating books The Mortification of Sin. Packer also features John Flavel who wrote Keeping the Heart, Thomas Boston’s The Art of Man Fishing, the Crook in the Lot and Repentance. The book concludes with a profile of William Perkins and Richard Baxter.
Puritan Portraits is a very good introduction to Puritan theology and also features books that were recently republished with an introduction by J.I. Packer. My rule is whenever Dr. Packer writes a book, I know that I’m going to read it, and this tradition continues with this book (and the others that have republished). Whether you're new to reading the Puritans or you've read them for a long time, I recommend you pick up Puritan Portraits and the remainder of the books listed in this book to learn how deeply rich theology can be combined with deep spirituality and trust in the grace of God.
Dr. Packer opens up his book with a description of Puritan pastors at work. Here he sets forth his goal to help his readers “to think from the outset of the Puritans as writers of devotionals” (8). Packer ably demonstrates the importance of Puritans to contemporary Christianity much of which focuses on felt needs rather than being energized by the Gospel. The men Packer profiles were all men who were energized by a vision of the glory of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
In this book, Packer profiles Henry Scougal who wrote The Life of God in the Soul of Man which greatly impacted George Whitefield’s understanding of what it means to be born again. This book was one of the means God used to instruct Whitefield whom God used powerfully on both sides of the Atlantic during the Great Awakening. The second person is Stephen Charnock who wrote Christ Crucified. John Bunyan is well-known from Pilgrims Progress but he also wrote many other books like the one featured in this book The Heavenly Footman. Matthew Henry is well-known for his massive Bible commentary but was wrote several books including The Pleastness of a Religious Life.
Among the giants of this study are John Owen whose writings have made a deep impact on me. In this book Packer features one of Owen’s most penetrating books The Mortification of Sin. Packer also features John Flavel who wrote Keeping the Heart, Thomas Boston’s The Art of Man Fishing, the Crook in the Lot and Repentance. The book concludes with a profile of William Perkins and Richard Baxter.
Puritan Portraits is a very good introduction to Puritan theology and also features books that were recently republished with an introduction by J.I. Packer. My rule is whenever Dr. Packer writes a book, I know that I’m going to read it, and this tradition continues with this book (and the others that have republished). Whether you're new to reading the Puritans or you've read them for a long time, I recommend you pick up Puritan Portraits and the remainder of the books listed in this book to learn how deeply rich theology can be combined with deep spirituality and trust in the grace of God.
February 12, 2021
This was a pretty good book. It was essentially a collection of introductions that Packer has written for several reprints of books by various Puritans. It can easily be read as a way to get primers on several Puritans. Before the introductions to the Puritan writers Packer gives a basic explanation of who the Puritans really were and how they lived. Overall a good books, but there are definitely other books I would recommend!
January 26, 2013
A Puritan Primer and Pastoral Guidebook
"In former days,preaching and devotion were seen as correlates--faithful Bible teaching fed hearers with truth to trust, digest, and live out,and faithful Christians looked for,and longed for, didactic displays of biblical thought and teaching by which to shape their self-management in both living with God and relating to family, friends, colleagues and other human beings." (J.I. Packer)
It is this truth, set against the backdrop of "the slimmed down, man-centred idea of devotion to God that has currently become all too common," that J.I. Packer seeks to bring to the forefront as he introduces us to the book "Puritan Portraits," a compilation of introductions he wrote for the Christian Heritage editions of some of the most celebrated Puritan classics.
One might ask, "What is appealing about reading a bunch of introductions?" I would reply, "You obviously have not read a book with a J.I. Packer introduction." Many who are familiar with the author and some of his books ("Knowing God," "A Quest for Godliness," "Concise Theology," etc.) will most likely know of his intimate knowledge of the Puritans... and perhaps, in their own reading of the Puritans, they have come across an introduction written by Packer (many will be familiar with his introduction to John Owen's "Death of Death in the Death of Christ").
Packer,in the book "Puritan Portraits," introduces us to:
Henry Scougal, "The Life of God in the Soul of Man" Stephen Charnock, "Christ Crucified" John Bunyan, "The Heavenly Footman" Matthew Henry, "The Pleasantness of a Religious Life" John Owen, "The Mortification of Sin" John Flavel, "Keeping the Heart" Thomas Boston, "The Art of Manfishing," "The Crook in the Lot," and "Repentance"
...and gives us an in-depth look at two giants of the Puritan era: William Perkins and Richard Baxter.
PART 1
"Puritan Pastors at Work," Packer shares the rich pastoral legacy of the Puritans, complete with a strong emphasis on the historical context in which these men served. In the midst of the persecution that arose from The 1662 Act of Uniformity, many of these men stayed the course and dedicated their lives to shepherding God's flock. He writes, "They put their preaching of the gospel first, because they believed that in God's economy this was the prime means of the grace by which God saves souls; but they buttressed their preaching ministry with catechizing on the one hand and counseling on the other, and thus made it immeasurably stronger in its impact." This threefold trajectory of gospel ministry was the Puritan standard, a methodology that is (unfortunately) vastly missing from the modern evangelical landscape.
PART 2
"Puritan Pastors in Profile" is the second part of the book, in which Packer's biographical introductions are showcased...
Henry Scougal
Scougal (a favorite of George Whitefield), according to Packer, was "a holy man excelling as a preacher, catechist, and worship leader." In "The Life of God in the Soul of Man," Packer celebrates the fact that he "never loses sight of the inwardness of true religion, as a state of being that starts in our hearts, nor of the fact that it is a supernatural product, 'having God for its author,and being wrought in the souls of men by the power of the Holy Spirit'... we do not find him slipping into the self-reliant, performance-oriented, surface-level,ego-focused, living-by-numbers type of instruction that is all too common among Christians today."
Stephen Charnock
This ministry partner of Thomas Watson, was "intensely analytical," and the author has no qualms about pointing out some of his quixotic quirks. Of Charnock, Packer writes, "his power of boiling down and compressing... can leave the wisdom and truth he sets forth... at a distance from our inner being... his writing reveals him as a man of bony thoughts who sees it as our part rather than his to put flesh on the bones and warm up the thoughts so that they gain heart-piercing power... Evidently, he thought that the dramatising and interiorising of gospel truth was for his hearers to do by personal meditation, rather than for him to attempt by pulpit rhetoric." Nonetheless, in his book "Christ Crucified," the "Reformed and Puritan understanding of penal substitution at Calvary is expressed with plain and simple precision."
John Bunyan
Packer writes of Bunyan's conversion (for more on this, see "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners") and call to ministry (pulpit and pen), and then mentions his incarceration for nonconformity before closing the biographical portion by mentioning his "years of distinction" as a powerful preacher and accomplished author (it was during this time that he authored "The Pilgrim's Progress"). "The Heavenly Footman," the author explains, "is a single sustained exhortation to run, to run hard, and to keep running, along the path of life." He continues,"Bunyan assumes that his readers already know the objective truths of the gospel... and now concentrates on raising consciousness and generating commitment with regard to gaining heaven and escaping hell... his intensity almost overwhelms you."
Matthew Henry
This "precocious, bright, lively and Bible-loving" man, explains Packer,was grounded in "Puritan beliefs and behaviour patterns (daily prayer,Bible reading, self-watch, and self-examination; journal keeping, and practice of the presence of God; scrupulous morality and generous philanthropy, thorough-going Sabbatarianism, and hard work for the other six days of the week." Shortly after he died, "The Pleasantness of a Religious Life" (a compilation of six sermons he preached on the Christian life) was released. In this book, "Henry's aim is to make us see that real Christianity is a journey into joy, always moving us on from one joy to another, and that this is one of many good and strong reasons for being excited and wholehearted in our discipleship."
John Owen
Of Owen and his classic book, "The Mortification of Sin," Packer says: "I owe more... to John Owen, than to any other theologian, ancient or modern... [he] has contributed more than anyone else to make me as much of a moral, spiritual, and theological realist as I have so far become. He searched me to the root of my being. He taught me the nature of sin, the need to fight it and the method of doing so. He made me see the importance of the thoughts of the heart in one's spiritual life, He made clear to me the real nature of the Holy Spirit's ministry in and to the believer,and of spiritual growth and progress and of faith's victory. He showed me how to understand myself as a Christian and live before God humbly and honestly, without pretending either to be what I am not or not to be what I am." Coming from a man like J.I. Packer, this is noteworthy... we would do well to follow suit and seek counsel from the pen of John Owen. After rightly affirming Owen's status as "the weightiest Puritan theologian," the author proceeds to describe his ministry. The literary audience of this brilliant Puritan were "readers who, once they take up a subject, cannot rest till they see to the bottom of it..." those who consider "exhaustiveness of coverage and presentation of the same truths from many different angles not exhausting, but refreshing." In preaching, he "bowed before his own maxim, that 'a man preacheth that sermon only well unto others which preacheth itself in his own soul.'" The classic work on killing sin (a set of sermons on Romans 8:13) entitled "The Mortification of Sin" helps the reader to understand what sin is in order to put it to death. "Mortification is Owen's subject, and he is resolved to explain from Scripture the theology of it-that is, God's will, wisdom, work and ways regarding it-as fully as he can."
John Flavel
After describing the Puritan (and biblical) understanding of the heart, Packer chronicles the ministry of John Flavel. During his first six years of pastoral ministry, Flavel "gained distinction as a preacher of the classic Puritan type,expository, analytical, didactic, applicatory, searching, converting and edifying, with divine unction regularly empowering his pulpit work. His writings reveal him as clear-headed and eloquent in the plain Puritan style, orthodox, Christ-focused and life-centered in his subject-matter, with his mind always set on advancing true godliness, with peace and joy in the Lord." Like many of the other Puritans written about in this book, Flavel endured persecution after he was forcibly removed from his pulpit due to the Act of Uniformity, but pressed on with a type of "renegade ministry" (like any nonconformist would). In his book, "Keeping the Heart," "Flavel leads us into... the most basic of all the disciplines of the Christian's inner life-basic to worship and prayer; basic to faith, hope and love; basic to humility, peace and joy; basic to pure-heartedness and steady obedience."
Thomas Boston
"As Boston had a sensitive spirit," says Packer, "so he had a first-class mind, a retentive memory, and a way with words... He had matured early; his theological convictions were clear, his sense of call to a preaching and shepherding ministry was strong, and his insight into the vistas opened by biblical texts was already deep." J.I. Packer does an excellent job of prefacing Boston's views on "the call of God to shepherd His flock" (a concise summary of "The Art of Manfishing" full of sound biblical wisdom for the pastor) with Westminster (as in The Westminster Assembly) theology and Puritan evangelism and catechesis. Of "The Crook and the Lot," Packer says, "along with his permanent purpose of leading the unconverted to faith and the new birth, his clear purpose is to discipline Christ's disciples in reverent, realistic, hope-filled humility, as they face up to the inescapable imperfections of life in general and their own lives in particular." In the third section of Packer's biographical sketch of Thomas Boston, he lays out the biblical view of repentance (contrasted with the unbiblical view held by many in the Middle Ages), before introducing us to Boston's own treatise, "Repentance". In it, he writes of "the necessity,nature, and urgency of repentance, and the folly of ignoring or postponing this life-and-death issue" and "explains that repentance is a matter of the heart, a lifetime's task, a gift of God's Spirit through God's Word, a change involving conviction, distress, faith in Christ, humiliation of heart, 'holy shame' and violent self-dislike, a confessing,renouncing, and turning from all one's sins as one knows them and a sincere,whole-hearted turning to God in total commitment to obedience henceforth and forever."
PART 3
In "Puritan Paragons," the author takes a closer look at two eminent Puritan pastor-theologians [on the eve of publishing this review, my computer crashed... this section of my review has been limited to a set of quotes from the book that pertain to these men]...
William Perkins
"At first Perkins ran wild, but then was converted (details not known); a passion for theology now replaced the devotion to astrological studies that had marked him hitherto, and he impressed his peers by the thoroughness and speed with which he mastered the things of God."
"During the years that Perkins preached his pen was busy and he left behind him almost fifty separate treatises of various kinds, covering the whole range of theology, spirituality and ethics, and including several major pieces of biblical exposition. Perkins's special strength both in preaching and on paper was to be systematic, scholarly,solid and simple at the same time. No one else in world Protestantism had hitherto produced material of Perkins's type and range, at Perkins's level of lucidity"
"in daily life he was a man of peace, studied moderation, and a personal sanctity that impressed everyone. He was faithful in fulfilling his role as a professional academic and a college tutor, but it is clear that his wider ministry at Great St Andrews, and the popular writing that went with it, were his chief concerns."
"Perkins gave prime attention throughout his ministry to the religious concerns already indicated--each person's need of regeneration; the quest for the peace and joy of assurance; the duty and discipline of self-examination to uncover one's sins, and of invoking Christ constantly by faith to cover them by His blood; the experience of flesh-spirit conflict; the reality of falls and recoveries as one travels the path of obedience; battles against doubts, discouragements and depression; the practice of lifelong repentance, and conscientious avoidance of wrongdoing."
"Basic too to all Perkins's work was his insistence that Holy Scripture must be received as the teaching and testimony of God, and that interpretation must take the form of applying biblical principles to the interpreter's own times and needs."
"Majestic and magisterial,expository and evangelical, informal and applicatory, Perkins's preaching set standards for the whole Puritan movement thereafter, just as it brought benefit to great numbers in the Cambridge of his own day."
"...we should call William Perkins the Father of Puritanism, for it was he more than anyone else who crystallised and delimited the essence of mainstream Puritan Christianity for the next hundred years."
Richard Baxter
"Though he was, as we would say, ecumenically oriented, sympathetically alert to all the main Christian traditions and happy to learn from them all, he constantly equated the Puritan ideal with Christianity... and all his writings display him as the classic mainstream Puritan that he ever sought to be."
"Baxter appears throughout his ministry as the very epitome of single-minded ardour in seeking the glory of God through the salvation of souls and the sanctification of the church."
"The quiet peace and joy that shine through these almost clinical observations on himself are truly impressive; here is an endlessly active man whose soul is at rest in God all the time as he labours in prayer Godward and in persuasion manward."
"Puritanism, as Baxter understood it and as modern scholarship, correcting centuries of caricature,now depicts it, was a total view of Christianity, Bible-based, church-centred, God-honouring, literate, orthodox, pastoral, and Reformational, that saw personal, domestic, professional,political, churchly, and economic existence as aspects of a single whole, and that called on everybody to order every department and every relationship of their life according to the Word of God, so that all would be sanctified and become `holiness to the Lord'.
"Puritanism's spearhead activity was pastoral evangelism and nurture through preaching,catechizing, and counselling (which the Puritans themselves called casuistry), and Puritan teaching harped constantly on the themes of self-knowledge, self-humbling, and repentance; faith in, and love for, Jesus Christ the Saviour; the necessity of regeneration, and of sanctification (holy living, by God's power) as proof of it; the need of conscientious conformity to all God's law, and for a disciplined use of the means of grace; and the blessedness of the assurance and joy from the Holy Spirit that all faithful believers under ordinary circumstances may know."
EPILOGUE
In the epilogue, Packer poses a sobering question: "Should clergy no longer spend their strength teaching the faith, preaching the gospel, and seeking the salvation of souls; should believing parents no longer labour to share their faith with their children, and believers with their neighbours; should the practice of evangelism be abandoned; should the Bible and Christian books be left around the house unread; and should church people settle for being the nicest persons in the world according to the world's specifications; how long do you think the church would remain a going concern?" Next, he lays out the Puritan pastoral ideal as put forth by John Owen in his "The True Nature of a Gospel Church" and Richard Baxter in his "The Reformed Pastor". The book closes with the reexamination and continuation of the previous question: "can the church survive without pastors of this quality today, fulfilling their ministry according to Puritan specifications?"
I recommend that the contemporary western Christian culture reflect upon this line of questioning and meditate upon what the Scriptures say before answering. I agree with J.I. Packer that we would do well to recover the Puritan pastoral ideal, and I recommend the book "Puritan Portraits" as both a primer for those who are unfamiliar with the Puritans, and a guidebook to Pastoral Theology for those already acquainted with them.
"In former days,preaching and devotion were seen as correlates--faithful Bible teaching fed hearers with truth to trust, digest, and live out,and faithful Christians looked for,and longed for, didactic displays of biblical thought and teaching by which to shape their self-management in both living with God and relating to family, friends, colleagues and other human beings." (J.I. Packer)
It is this truth, set against the backdrop of "the slimmed down, man-centred idea of devotion to God that has currently become all too common," that J.I. Packer seeks to bring to the forefront as he introduces us to the book "Puritan Portraits," a compilation of introductions he wrote for the Christian Heritage editions of some of the most celebrated Puritan classics.
One might ask, "What is appealing about reading a bunch of introductions?" I would reply, "You obviously have not read a book with a J.I. Packer introduction." Many who are familiar with the author and some of his books ("Knowing God," "A Quest for Godliness," "Concise Theology," etc.) will most likely know of his intimate knowledge of the Puritans... and perhaps, in their own reading of the Puritans, they have come across an introduction written by Packer (many will be familiar with his introduction to John Owen's "Death of Death in the Death of Christ").
Packer,in the book "Puritan Portraits," introduces us to:
Henry Scougal, "The Life of God in the Soul of Man" Stephen Charnock, "Christ Crucified" John Bunyan, "The Heavenly Footman" Matthew Henry, "The Pleasantness of a Religious Life" John Owen, "The Mortification of Sin" John Flavel, "Keeping the Heart" Thomas Boston, "The Art of Manfishing," "The Crook in the Lot," and "Repentance"
...and gives us an in-depth look at two giants of the Puritan era: William Perkins and Richard Baxter.
PART 1
"Puritan Pastors at Work," Packer shares the rich pastoral legacy of the Puritans, complete with a strong emphasis on the historical context in which these men served. In the midst of the persecution that arose from The 1662 Act of Uniformity, many of these men stayed the course and dedicated their lives to shepherding God's flock. He writes, "They put their preaching of the gospel first, because they believed that in God's economy this was the prime means of the grace by which God saves souls; but they buttressed their preaching ministry with catechizing on the one hand and counseling on the other, and thus made it immeasurably stronger in its impact." This threefold trajectory of gospel ministry was the Puritan standard, a methodology that is (unfortunately) vastly missing from the modern evangelical landscape.
PART 2
"Puritan Pastors in Profile" is the second part of the book, in which Packer's biographical introductions are showcased...
Henry Scougal
Scougal (a favorite of George Whitefield), according to Packer, was "a holy man excelling as a preacher, catechist, and worship leader." In "The Life of God in the Soul of Man," Packer celebrates the fact that he "never loses sight of the inwardness of true religion, as a state of being that starts in our hearts, nor of the fact that it is a supernatural product, 'having God for its author,and being wrought in the souls of men by the power of the Holy Spirit'... we do not find him slipping into the self-reliant, performance-oriented, surface-level,ego-focused, living-by-numbers type of instruction that is all too common among Christians today."
Stephen Charnock
This ministry partner of Thomas Watson, was "intensely analytical," and the author has no qualms about pointing out some of his quixotic quirks. Of Charnock, Packer writes, "his power of boiling down and compressing... can leave the wisdom and truth he sets forth... at a distance from our inner being... his writing reveals him as a man of bony thoughts who sees it as our part rather than his to put flesh on the bones and warm up the thoughts so that they gain heart-piercing power... Evidently, he thought that the dramatising and interiorising of gospel truth was for his hearers to do by personal meditation, rather than for him to attempt by pulpit rhetoric." Nonetheless, in his book "Christ Crucified," the "Reformed and Puritan understanding of penal substitution at Calvary is expressed with plain and simple precision."
John Bunyan
Packer writes of Bunyan's conversion (for more on this, see "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners") and call to ministry (pulpit and pen), and then mentions his incarceration for nonconformity before closing the biographical portion by mentioning his "years of distinction" as a powerful preacher and accomplished author (it was during this time that he authored "The Pilgrim's Progress"). "The Heavenly Footman," the author explains, "is a single sustained exhortation to run, to run hard, and to keep running, along the path of life." He continues,"Bunyan assumes that his readers already know the objective truths of the gospel... and now concentrates on raising consciousness and generating commitment with regard to gaining heaven and escaping hell... his intensity almost overwhelms you."
Matthew Henry
This "precocious, bright, lively and Bible-loving" man, explains Packer,was grounded in "Puritan beliefs and behaviour patterns (daily prayer,Bible reading, self-watch, and self-examination; journal keeping, and practice of the presence of God; scrupulous morality and generous philanthropy, thorough-going Sabbatarianism, and hard work for the other six days of the week." Shortly after he died, "The Pleasantness of a Religious Life" (a compilation of six sermons he preached on the Christian life) was released. In this book, "Henry's aim is to make us see that real Christianity is a journey into joy, always moving us on from one joy to another, and that this is one of many good and strong reasons for being excited and wholehearted in our discipleship."
John Owen
Of Owen and his classic book, "The Mortification of Sin," Packer says: "I owe more... to John Owen, than to any other theologian, ancient or modern... [he] has contributed more than anyone else to make me as much of a moral, spiritual, and theological realist as I have so far become. He searched me to the root of my being. He taught me the nature of sin, the need to fight it and the method of doing so. He made me see the importance of the thoughts of the heart in one's spiritual life, He made clear to me the real nature of the Holy Spirit's ministry in and to the believer,and of spiritual growth and progress and of faith's victory. He showed me how to understand myself as a Christian and live before God humbly and honestly, without pretending either to be what I am not or not to be what I am." Coming from a man like J.I. Packer, this is noteworthy... we would do well to follow suit and seek counsel from the pen of John Owen. After rightly affirming Owen's status as "the weightiest Puritan theologian," the author proceeds to describe his ministry. The literary audience of this brilliant Puritan were "readers who, once they take up a subject, cannot rest till they see to the bottom of it..." those who consider "exhaustiveness of coverage and presentation of the same truths from many different angles not exhausting, but refreshing." In preaching, he "bowed before his own maxim, that 'a man preacheth that sermon only well unto others which preacheth itself in his own soul.'" The classic work on killing sin (a set of sermons on Romans 8:13) entitled "The Mortification of Sin" helps the reader to understand what sin is in order to put it to death. "Mortification is Owen's subject, and he is resolved to explain from Scripture the theology of it-that is, God's will, wisdom, work and ways regarding it-as fully as he can."
John Flavel
After describing the Puritan (and biblical) understanding of the heart, Packer chronicles the ministry of John Flavel. During his first six years of pastoral ministry, Flavel "gained distinction as a preacher of the classic Puritan type,expository, analytical, didactic, applicatory, searching, converting and edifying, with divine unction regularly empowering his pulpit work. His writings reveal him as clear-headed and eloquent in the plain Puritan style, orthodox, Christ-focused and life-centered in his subject-matter, with his mind always set on advancing true godliness, with peace and joy in the Lord." Like many of the other Puritans written about in this book, Flavel endured persecution after he was forcibly removed from his pulpit due to the Act of Uniformity, but pressed on with a type of "renegade ministry" (like any nonconformist would). In his book, "Keeping the Heart," "Flavel leads us into... the most basic of all the disciplines of the Christian's inner life-basic to worship and prayer; basic to faith, hope and love; basic to humility, peace and joy; basic to pure-heartedness and steady obedience."
Thomas Boston
"As Boston had a sensitive spirit," says Packer, "so he had a first-class mind, a retentive memory, and a way with words... He had matured early; his theological convictions were clear, his sense of call to a preaching and shepherding ministry was strong, and his insight into the vistas opened by biblical texts was already deep." J.I. Packer does an excellent job of prefacing Boston's views on "the call of God to shepherd His flock" (a concise summary of "The Art of Manfishing" full of sound biblical wisdom for the pastor) with Westminster (as in The Westminster Assembly) theology and Puritan evangelism and catechesis. Of "The Crook and the Lot," Packer says, "along with his permanent purpose of leading the unconverted to faith and the new birth, his clear purpose is to discipline Christ's disciples in reverent, realistic, hope-filled humility, as they face up to the inescapable imperfections of life in general and their own lives in particular." In the third section of Packer's biographical sketch of Thomas Boston, he lays out the biblical view of repentance (contrasted with the unbiblical view held by many in the Middle Ages), before introducing us to Boston's own treatise, "Repentance". In it, he writes of "the necessity,nature, and urgency of repentance, and the folly of ignoring or postponing this life-and-death issue" and "explains that repentance is a matter of the heart, a lifetime's task, a gift of God's Spirit through God's Word, a change involving conviction, distress, faith in Christ, humiliation of heart, 'holy shame' and violent self-dislike, a confessing,renouncing, and turning from all one's sins as one knows them and a sincere,whole-hearted turning to God in total commitment to obedience henceforth and forever."
PART 3
In "Puritan Paragons," the author takes a closer look at two eminent Puritan pastor-theologians [on the eve of publishing this review, my computer crashed... this section of my review has been limited to a set of quotes from the book that pertain to these men]...
William Perkins
"At first Perkins ran wild, but then was converted (details not known); a passion for theology now replaced the devotion to astrological studies that had marked him hitherto, and he impressed his peers by the thoroughness and speed with which he mastered the things of God."
"During the years that Perkins preached his pen was busy and he left behind him almost fifty separate treatises of various kinds, covering the whole range of theology, spirituality and ethics, and including several major pieces of biblical exposition. Perkins's special strength both in preaching and on paper was to be systematic, scholarly,solid and simple at the same time. No one else in world Protestantism had hitherto produced material of Perkins's type and range, at Perkins's level of lucidity"
"in daily life he was a man of peace, studied moderation, and a personal sanctity that impressed everyone. He was faithful in fulfilling his role as a professional academic and a college tutor, but it is clear that his wider ministry at Great St Andrews, and the popular writing that went with it, were his chief concerns."
"Perkins gave prime attention throughout his ministry to the religious concerns already indicated--each person's need of regeneration; the quest for the peace and joy of assurance; the duty and discipline of self-examination to uncover one's sins, and of invoking Christ constantly by faith to cover them by His blood; the experience of flesh-spirit conflict; the reality of falls and recoveries as one travels the path of obedience; battles against doubts, discouragements and depression; the practice of lifelong repentance, and conscientious avoidance of wrongdoing."
"Basic too to all Perkins's work was his insistence that Holy Scripture must be received as the teaching and testimony of God, and that interpretation must take the form of applying biblical principles to the interpreter's own times and needs."
"Majestic and magisterial,expository and evangelical, informal and applicatory, Perkins's preaching set standards for the whole Puritan movement thereafter, just as it brought benefit to great numbers in the Cambridge of his own day."
"...we should call William Perkins the Father of Puritanism, for it was he more than anyone else who crystallised and delimited the essence of mainstream Puritan Christianity for the next hundred years."
Richard Baxter
"Though he was, as we would say, ecumenically oriented, sympathetically alert to all the main Christian traditions and happy to learn from them all, he constantly equated the Puritan ideal with Christianity... and all his writings display him as the classic mainstream Puritan that he ever sought to be."
"Baxter appears throughout his ministry as the very epitome of single-minded ardour in seeking the glory of God through the salvation of souls and the sanctification of the church."
"The quiet peace and joy that shine through these almost clinical observations on himself are truly impressive; here is an endlessly active man whose soul is at rest in God all the time as he labours in prayer Godward and in persuasion manward."
"Puritanism, as Baxter understood it and as modern scholarship, correcting centuries of caricature,now depicts it, was a total view of Christianity, Bible-based, church-centred, God-honouring, literate, orthodox, pastoral, and Reformational, that saw personal, domestic, professional,political, churchly, and economic existence as aspects of a single whole, and that called on everybody to order every department and every relationship of their life according to the Word of God, so that all would be sanctified and become `holiness to the Lord'.
"Puritanism's spearhead activity was pastoral evangelism and nurture through preaching,catechizing, and counselling (which the Puritans themselves called casuistry), and Puritan teaching harped constantly on the themes of self-knowledge, self-humbling, and repentance; faith in, and love for, Jesus Christ the Saviour; the necessity of regeneration, and of sanctification (holy living, by God's power) as proof of it; the need of conscientious conformity to all God's law, and for a disciplined use of the means of grace; and the blessedness of the assurance and joy from the Holy Spirit that all faithful believers under ordinary circumstances may know."
EPILOGUE
In the epilogue, Packer poses a sobering question: "Should clergy no longer spend their strength teaching the faith, preaching the gospel, and seeking the salvation of souls; should believing parents no longer labour to share their faith with their children, and believers with their neighbours; should the practice of evangelism be abandoned; should the Bible and Christian books be left around the house unread; and should church people settle for being the nicest persons in the world according to the world's specifications; how long do you think the church would remain a going concern?" Next, he lays out the Puritan pastoral ideal as put forth by John Owen in his "The True Nature of a Gospel Church" and Richard Baxter in his "The Reformed Pastor". The book closes with the reexamination and continuation of the previous question: "can the church survive without pastors of this quality today, fulfilling their ministry according to Puritan specifications?"
I recommend that the contemporary western Christian culture reflect upon this line of questioning and meditate upon what the Scriptures say before answering. I agree with J.I. Packer that we would do well to recover the Puritan pastoral ideal, and I recommend the book "Puritan Portraits" as both a primer for those who are unfamiliar with the Puritans, and a guidebook to Pastoral Theology for those already acquainted with them.
August 20, 2017
I love Packer and I love Packer's love of the Puritans, so I really wanted to like this book. It wasn't what I expected, however, and turned out to be a disappointment.
The book is mainly a collection of mini profiles on particular writings of seven Puritans. The profiles were originally printed separately as the preface to the Puritan writings in the Christian Heritage paperback series. They're collected in full here.
I was hoping for a rich window into the lives of these founding fathers whom I've grown to know and love. But I found the profiles to be too brief (nine pages apiece) to be of much benefit.
Even the selections of each Puritan (which Packer admits were not the selections he himself would have chosen) seemed odd. Bunyan, for example, is not profiled on the famed Pilgrim's Progress or on his Grace Abounding but rather on the more obscure The Heavenly Footman. Charnock also is with his Christ Crucified and not his Attributes. A few of the selections I'd already read, though most I hadn't, so I hoped this would offer insight and anticipation as a launchpad into new works. Instead, I found myself just wanting to read the original works instead of the brief comments on them here.
Perhaps the primary audience of this book consists of people who aren't already exposed to the Puritan writers. But even then, the original writings (with Packer's introductions included) would give a much better flavor. This book doesn't serve well to whet the appetite or even to give enough of a taste.
The book is mainly a collection of mini profiles on particular writings of seven Puritans. The profiles were originally printed separately as the preface to the Puritan writings in the Christian Heritage paperback series. They're collected in full here.
I was hoping for a rich window into the lives of these founding fathers whom I've grown to know and love. But I found the profiles to be too brief (nine pages apiece) to be of much benefit.
Even the selections of each Puritan (which Packer admits were not the selections he himself would have chosen) seemed odd. Bunyan, for example, is not profiled on the famed Pilgrim's Progress or on his Grace Abounding but rather on the more obscure The Heavenly Footman. Charnock also is with his Christ Crucified and not his Attributes. A few of the selections I'd already read, though most I hadn't, so I hoped this would offer insight and anticipation as a launchpad into new works. Instead, I found myself just wanting to read the original works instead of the brief comments on them here.
Perhaps the primary audience of this book consists of people who aren't already exposed to the Puritan writers. But even then, the original writings (with Packer's introductions included) would give a much better flavor. This book doesn't serve well to whet the appetite or even to give enough of a taste.
March 1, 2020
From the online blurb about the book:
Here one of the leading authorities on the Puritans, J. I. Packer introduces us to their rich theology and deep spirituality. Packer gives us profiles of John Flavel, Thomas Boston, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, Henry Scougal, John Owen and Stephen Charnock and two closer portraits of William Perkins and Richard Baxter. The writings of the Puritans continue to profoundly reward readers and here J. I. Packer brings them alive in an inspiring way to encourage a new generation to experience their delights.
I liked this book because I like Packer, the way he writes and the subjects he writes about.
In this book he helps to clarify the Puritan greats, their interest and writings, the times they lived in.
Packer organizes Puritans and their works this way in his mind:
Giants Among Giants: William Perkins, Richard Baxter, John Owen, John Bunyan
The other Puritan authors written about have great Biblical messages and methods in living the Christian life and Packer has deep appreciation for. He contends that the current Christian culture would do well to be as Bible driven as they were, to avoid the adulterated drift of Western Christianity. After reading this book I can better understand his point.
I found much in this book to want to further understand and apply in this season of my life, in my family's life, in my church's life.
Here one of the leading authorities on the Puritans, J. I. Packer introduces us to their rich theology and deep spirituality. Packer gives us profiles of John Flavel, Thomas Boston, John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, Henry Scougal, John Owen and Stephen Charnock and two closer portraits of William Perkins and Richard Baxter. The writings of the Puritans continue to profoundly reward readers and here J. I. Packer brings them alive in an inspiring way to encourage a new generation to experience their delights.
I liked this book because I like Packer, the way he writes and the subjects he writes about.
In this book he helps to clarify the Puritan greats, their interest and writings, the times they lived in.
Packer organizes Puritans and their works this way in his mind:
Giants Among Giants: William Perkins, Richard Baxter, John Owen, John Bunyan
The other Puritan authors written about have great Biblical messages and methods in living the Christian life and Packer has deep appreciation for. He contends that the current Christian culture would do well to be as Bible driven as they were, to avoid the adulterated drift of Western Christianity. After reading this book I can better understand his point.
I found much in this book to want to further understand and apply in this season of my life, in my family's life, in my church's life.
May 11, 2022
Really solid piece of pastoral/historical theology from J.I. Packer. Packer is an awesome guide to the Puritans, introducing us to key figures like Scougal, Bunyan, Perkins, Owen, Henry etc., drawing out theological insights, fair criticisms, and pastoral hacks along the way. I'm itching to read some more Puritans. So much insight for our day. I was surprised by Packer's comments on Baxter: I do know that Packer did his PhD on Baxter and is clearly a fan, but was surprised to see that he didn't really address some of Baxter's distinctives around sola fide and the role of obedience in the Christian life (he hints that Baxter had differences with Owen on "the exact stating of the doctrine of God's grace," but even here says it merely a "secondary matter.") Packer says in his chapter on Baxter that his understanding in this area is the standard Protestant position. This surprises me, given that thoughtful guys I respect (Schreiner, for example in his book on Sola Fide) argue that Baxter denied sola fide altogether. Will have to do some more exploring on that one.
December 31, 2021
This book is a little odd in that it is a bunch of summaries/reviews of books written by other people. I think I would rather go and read the books themselves.
But in what this book sets out to do, it accomplishes. While I don't appreciate Packer's ecumenism (which goes too far in his case), he writes littles histories of these Puritan men which whet your appetite for your own personal exploration of these Puritan works. It was wonderful to learn about the godliness of these men. Their strivings in regards to intimacy with God are inspiring. I now see why Joel Beeke says that people who begin to get involved with the Puritans also get involved with revival. This work, commenting on other works, stirred my affections for Christ and made me want to learn more about how to stir those affections more and how to live more for Him.
But in what this book sets out to do, it accomplishes. While I don't appreciate Packer's ecumenism (which goes too far in his case), he writes littles histories of these Puritan men which whet your appetite for your own personal exploration of these Puritan works. It was wonderful to learn about the godliness of these men. Their strivings in regards to intimacy with God are inspiring. I now see why Joel Beeke says that people who begin to get involved with the Puritans also get involved with revival. This work, commenting on other works, stirred my affections for Christ and made me want to learn more about how to stir those affections more and how to live more for Him.
August 7, 2025
3.5stars. I forced this read but I’m somewhat glad I did. It was a good introduction to a few of the well-known puritans but it was more focused on their literary works than their own life events, which was probably the point of the book. I, however, picked it up thinking it would be more about their personal lives and was a bit disappointed. But I came to realize, for most puritans their privates lives were not as easily know as much as their doctrine and works.
Fair warning: He does sympathize with Richard Baxter in the last chapter.
Fair warning: He does sympathize with Richard Baxter in the last chapter.
April 29, 2026
When I bought this book, I didn't understand what it was. Reading the introduction, I realized that it was a whole book of introductions. Interesting, but what value could it be?
And so I gave it a shot, not really expecting much. I was way off! This little book of introductions (and a couple of solid bios) was eye-opening in so many ways. A great primer of the Puritan theology and way of life.
There are so many takeaways and so much great advice. The list of 'Practical Rules for Godly Living', by William Perkins, alone is a treasure.
And so I gave it a shot, not really expecting much. I was way off! This little book of introductions (and a couple of solid bios) was eye-opening in so many ways. A great primer of the Puritan theology and way of life.
There are so many takeaways and so much great advice. The list of 'Practical Rules for Godly Living', by William Perkins, alone is a treasure.
February 20, 2020
You simply can never go wrong with any of Packer’s writings. If you would like to be more familiar with some of the Puritan ‘giants’ this book is a super helpful primer. I also appreciate that Packer provides many, many references to further collected works by these Puritans for digging deeper into their lives and their ministries.
The only downside to reading this book is now I have another 20 books added to my ‘want to read’ list!
The only downside to reading this book is now I have another 20 books added to my ‘want to read’ list!
October 4, 2024
Overall this was a great book, but I did not realize that it was *largely* an advertisement for a bunch of other books! I greatly enjoyed the large amount of history sprinkled in among the practical Puritans theology. After reading about The Mortification of Sin by Owen in this book, I promptly ordered it to read for myself.
As always, JI Packer makes reading enjoyable and hard to put books down.
As always, JI Packer makes reading enjoyable and hard to put books down.
February 17, 2018
This was an excellent introduction to a small number of puritan authors. The author, J.I. Packer is passionate about the subject and his enthusiasm rubbed off on me more than I expected. As a result, I am tempted to dig deeper into some of their writings – the very thing the book is trying to accomplish.
July 5, 2023
Excelente obra sobre os puritanos. Packer apresenta a relevância do estilo de vida puritano para o ministério pastoral e para uma melhor compreensão e prática de igreja, hoje. O forte do livro é apresentar puritanos menos conhecidos atualmente, como Flavel, Perkins e Boston, por exemplo. Recomendo.
August 7, 2025
This was like an hors d'oeuvre that made me want to read more Puritans – especially Charnock! Honestly though it’d be better just to buy all the volumes these essays were originally published in and, after reading the Packer essay, read the work he introduces.
February 19, 2024
A summary of the big #puritan names - #Packer intros the historical context & some of the pivotal works. Left wanting to read more! Would recommend.
January 26, 2013
For those who are familiar with the life of J.I. Packer, publishing another book on Puritanism should not surprise. In my opinion, the greatest impact of this English theologian’s life has not been his works, but rather his relentless desire to reintroduce this generation to the Puritans.
With this emphasis established, Puritan Portraits is out of the same mold. In the prologue, Packer states clearly the authorial intent of this 192 page book, stating, “I ask my readers to think from the outset of the Puritans as writers of devotionals, and I hope by the end of the book to have convinced you that is truly so.”
Packer’s latest literary work is broken into three parts: Puritan Pastors at Work, Puritan Pastors in Profile and Two Puritan Paragons. The first section contains a brief history of Puritanism and a few words about common misconceptions, which has tremendous value, especially for those who enter the gates of Puritanism with a skewed view of their activities and place in church history.
The next section is simply a sketch of the person and works of seven Puritans. Each chapter contains a brief biography and practical interaction with the Puritan’s most important work. Though the author has without question a magnanimous view of the Puritans, Packer is not afraid to attack certain weakness or inconsistencies in the works of our spiritual forefathers. Here, the struggling (or even skeptical) reader will find Packer honest and a realist. For example, in his literary portrait on Henry Scorgal, he admits, “One could wish, however, that his exposition had been more explicitly and emphatically Christ-centered.” On the other hand, while granting the difficult for the 21st century Christian, he offers practical help, stating, “Before you start to read Stephen Charnock (chpt. 2), spend time with the three following lyrics (of which he provides)” and then concludes, “This is only a suggestion, and you are free to ignore it. But please don’t accuse Charnock of being dry till you tried it!” The sustaining zeal of this 86 year old is truly remarkable.
As a lover of church history, this reviewer enjoyed Packer’s choice of biographical facts to place before his audience. Whether sharing the ecstatic experience of John Flavel or the reality of Thomas Boston’s wife debilitating bouts of depression, the reader is only allowed a “peephole” look at these men, but it is enough to satisfy both the pastor and the parishioner alike.
The final section deals with the founders of Puritanism, William Perkins and Richard Baxter. Again, Packer’s expertise of Puritanism is clearly evident. He profoundly asserts that these two men encompasses the golden era (I.e. the era when the pioneers do the creative work) and regarding Perkins, “no Puritan thinker ever did more to shape and solidify historic Puritanism itself.”
Criticism
I have little to say in this segment, but there are a few queer moments in Packer’s book. Any student of the English theologian will be aware of his recent sympathies to Roman Catholicism and in two brief statements Packer seems to both criticize Protestantism and applaud those within the Mother Church. To be clear, it is insignificant with regards to the purpose of the book, but still strange nevertheless.
Conclusion
In the opinion of this reviewer, this book is a treasure. The humor of the 86 year-old theologian comes through as he paints nine wonderful portraits of key Puritan figures. Furthermore, I believe this work is an important corrector to those critics of the Puritan era. As I mentioned in the review above, the author is a realist, discerning the cultural distance of the Puritans to American evangelicalism. This will undoubtedly help the virgin reader who is visiting the Puritans for the first time.
With this emphasis established, Puritan Portraits is out of the same mold. In the prologue, Packer states clearly the authorial intent of this 192 page book, stating, “I ask my readers to think from the outset of the Puritans as writers of devotionals, and I hope by the end of the book to have convinced you that is truly so.”
Packer’s latest literary work is broken into three parts: Puritan Pastors at Work, Puritan Pastors in Profile and Two Puritan Paragons. The first section contains a brief history of Puritanism and a few words about common misconceptions, which has tremendous value, especially for those who enter the gates of Puritanism with a skewed view of their activities and place in church history.
The next section is simply a sketch of the person and works of seven Puritans. Each chapter contains a brief biography and practical interaction with the Puritan’s most important work. Though the author has without question a magnanimous view of the Puritans, Packer is not afraid to attack certain weakness or inconsistencies in the works of our spiritual forefathers. Here, the struggling (or even skeptical) reader will find Packer honest and a realist. For example, in his literary portrait on Henry Scorgal, he admits, “One could wish, however, that his exposition had been more explicitly and emphatically Christ-centered.” On the other hand, while granting the difficult for the 21st century Christian, he offers practical help, stating, “Before you start to read Stephen Charnock (chpt. 2), spend time with the three following lyrics (of which he provides)” and then concludes, “This is only a suggestion, and you are free to ignore it. But please don’t accuse Charnock of being dry till you tried it!” The sustaining zeal of this 86 year old is truly remarkable.
As a lover of church history, this reviewer enjoyed Packer’s choice of biographical facts to place before his audience. Whether sharing the ecstatic experience of John Flavel or the reality of Thomas Boston’s wife debilitating bouts of depression, the reader is only allowed a “peephole” look at these men, but it is enough to satisfy both the pastor and the parishioner alike.
The final section deals with the founders of Puritanism, William Perkins and Richard Baxter. Again, Packer’s expertise of Puritanism is clearly evident. He profoundly asserts that these two men encompasses the golden era (I.e. the era when the pioneers do the creative work) and regarding Perkins, “no Puritan thinker ever did more to shape and solidify historic Puritanism itself.”
Criticism
I have little to say in this segment, but there are a few queer moments in Packer’s book. Any student of the English theologian will be aware of his recent sympathies to Roman Catholicism and in two brief statements Packer seems to both criticize Protestantism and applaud those within the Mother Church. To be clear, it is insignificant with regards to the purpose of the book, but still strange nevertheless.
Conclusion
In the opinion of this reviewer, this book is a treasure. The humor of the 86 year-old theologian comes through as he paints nine wonderful portraits of key Puritan figures. Furthermore, I believe this work is an important corrector to those critics of the Puritan era. As I mentioned in the review above, the author is a realist, discerning the cultural distance of the Puritans to American evangelicalism. This will undoubtedly help the virgin reader who is visiting the Puritans for the first time.
December 5, 2023
Great book for an overview of the Puritans which provides inspiration to read more
October 19, 2013
Decent intro. Much shorter and easier than his *Quest for Godliness.* The section on Baxter was worth the price of the book. Some of his chapters didn't seem to go anywhere (the one on Matthew Henry) and I never really labeled Thomas Boston as a Puritan.
There was a lot of repetition in the sections on Boston; that's okay, I suppose, since it is good material and it reinforces the content. While Packer really loves Perkins, he wastes no time, and yea, seems to go out of his way in taking pot shots at supralapsarians.
The book is good to give to people new to Reformed theology.
There was a lot of repetition in the sections on Boston; that's okay, I suppose, since it is good material and it reinforces the content. While Packer really loves Perkins, he wastes no time, and yea, seems to go out of his way in taking pot shots at supralapsarians.
The book is good to give to people new to Reformed theology.
August 7, 2013
An excellent book with Packer reviewing 9 books of seven Puritan authors. Plus, Packer writes about two more Puritans, William Perkins and Richard Baxter. A small book that is well worth the read.
January 29, 2015
There's no avoiding Packer's ecumenical leanings in this book as he waffles on the Puritan view of Roman Catholic theology. Thankfully, it's quite brief and his passion for the Puritans and their writings makes this an edifying introduction to godly men like Bunyan, Boston, Baxter, Henry, and more.
July 20, 2015
Not impressed. A random collection of previously written overviews of various puritans. Very little unifying theme. Good information as far as it goes. But seems like a lazy product by the publisher capitalizing on the author's name.
June 15, 2016
Good intro to puritan authors
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