Spurgeon: A Life by Alex DiPrima | Biography of Charles Haddon Spurgeon—London’s ‘Prince of Preachers’ | Reformation Heritage Biography & Church History Hardcover

by Alex DiPrima

Description

In this biography Alex DiPrima paints a fresh portrait of Charles Haddon Spurgeon—the most well-known minster of the gospel in the nineteenth century. As DiPrima traces Spurgeon’s life from the famous “boy preacher of the fens” to the mature pastor of later years, readers will marvel at his extraordinary speaking abilities, his genius for administration, and his massive global influence, which set him apart as a leader of rare brilliance. Yet by presenting Spurgeon in his social, historical, and religious contexts, DiPrima helps us comprehend the whole of Spurgeon’s ministry in metropolitan London. Combining academic expertise with popular presentation, this short biography of the famed Prince of Preachers will be the go-to introduction on Spurgeon for years to come.

Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Essex Lad“Look and Live”A Preacher Is BornThe Call to LondonOpposition and CriticismLove and MarriageThe Metropolitan TabernacleThe Prince of PreachersThe Pastors’ CollegeWielding the SwordFinding Strength amid WeaknessIn Labors More AbundantThe Downgrade ControversyFinal DaysTimeline
Bibliography

Genres: Biography, Church History, Christian, History

300 pages, Hardcover

Published August 9, 2024

About the author

Alex DiPrima is senior pastor of Emmanuel Church in Winston Salem, North Carolina. He holds a PhD from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in historical theology with a focus on the ministry of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. He is the author of Spurgeon and the Poor and has published several articles with 9Marks ministries, the Spurgeon Center, and the Gospel Coalition.

From a book description

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buy this book

DiPrima is an excellent writer. He is succinct and clear. Most importantly, he has the spiritual benefit of the reader in mind as he draws out lessons and implications from Spurgeon’s life and ministry.

I have never read a book about Spurgeon so it was a great introduction.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Darlene Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspiring biography. Spurgeon stood firm in his beliefs and articulated his convictions with clarity and strength. His deep commitment to studying Scripture and thoughtfully reflecting on spiritual matters is evident throughout his life. I was especially moved by how he handled criticism, with grace and humility, while still being open about how deeply some of it affected him. This biography is both encouraging and challenging, displaying Spurgeon’s strong faith and genuine honesty.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having never read a biography on the Prince of Preachers, this was an excellent introduction to Spurgeon. Alex DiPrima is an engaging writer, and Spurgeon’s life is an amazing testament to the LORD. I highly recommend this book!

[Pig Rieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I only listened to this one on Hoopla.

It is really hard to find a well rounded biography of anyone. Let alone a man of the physical and metaphysical immensities of Charles Spurgeon. In the book, Alex manages to capture not only the events of the Spurgeon’s life, but the man in his personality, convictions, marriage, ministry, and more. The author’s work is accessible for any interested in the Prince of Preachers, and yet thorough enough to not leave out significant aspects of the man and his life. Without being hagiographical, Alex commends Spurgeon as an example of godliness and faithfulness to Christ. For anyone interested in Spurgeon, this book wonderfully captures the man who so loved to tell others to look unto Christ.

[Samuel Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speaking some years later to his students with the pedigree of long experience, Spurgeon said,
“Public men must expect public criticism, and as the public cannot be regarded as infallible, public men may expect to be criticised in a way which is neither fair nor pleasant. To all honest and just remarks we are bound to give due measure of heed, but to the bitter verdict of prejudice, the frivolous faultfinding of men of fashion, the stupid utterances of the ignorant, and the fierce denunciations of opponents, we may very safely turn a deaf ear. “
Alex DiPrima
Spurgeon: A Life

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If a half-star could be given, I’d probably go with 4.5 stars. I mean, the account of Spurgeon’s life and ministry…beyond 5-stars! What an inspiring testimony to the riches of Christ!

I just thought the presentation left a little bit to be desired, in terms of prose and writing style. Nevertheless, still a very good book and excellent introduction to the life of an incredibly effectual and impactful minister of the gospel!

[Camden Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm humbled and motivated by the zeal Spurgeon felt for the proclamation of the Gospel. Praise the Lord for such an eloquent, humble, Spirit-empowered saint! Spurgeon's words, especially for those suffering, bring comfort and light. I hope to be more like Spurgeon who imitated Christ well.

[Caroline McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, accessible, enjoyable, and balanced overview of Spurgeon’s life.

[Mattie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always blessed and amazed to learn more about Spurgeon and all God did through him. “He was, indeed, a burning and shining lamp.”

[William Beckham · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you only read one biography of Spurgeon, I happily recommend this one. It is thorough and informative, yet accessible and brief. It touches on virtually every aspect of his life and deeply encourages the reader!

[Nick Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The man, 5 stars. The book, 3 stars.

[Brandon H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Spurgeon occupies a wholly unique place among ministers of the gospel. He stands apart as a burning and shining lamp whose light has gone out across the world, blessing literally millions of people. His extraordinary biography, his incomparable preaching, his massive corpus, and his scores of devoted followers who continue to promote his ministry place him in a class of his own."- Alex Diprima

A lot of ink has been spilled on this incredible preacher of 19th century Britain. This biography is an excellent offering to the many contributions that are available. The author provides a satisfying overview of Spurgeon's life and ministry as well as his sundry accomplishments. Spurgeon, like Churchill, was a brilliant workhorse of a man. It is truly amazing how much this man did. He was also a man who loved people deeply and had great compassion for his fellow man. He was an outstanding saint. And as saintly as he was, he wasn't perfect. The author pointed out some of his weaknesses in the book which I appreciated because it made him more relatable. As the old saying goes, "It has been said that the best of men are men at best." Spurgeon truly was the best of Christian men.

I'm glad I read this one. And would recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about this unforgettable figure.


"As long as his name remains in living memory , Charles Haddon Spurgeon will be honored as a preacher utterly devoted to one essential message—the good news of salvation for sinners through the blood of the Lord Jesus. He was determined to publish this news as widely as possible and to invite men and women wherever he found them to come to the Savior in repentance and faith. Spurgeon was altogether absorbed in the person and work of Christ. He was a dedicated preacher of the old evangelical gospel, and his one great passion was the proclamation of the truth of the abiding and enduring word of God. Throughout the generations of the church, many Christians will highly esteem him for his searching and penetrating preaching, for his evangelistic zeal, for his earnest devotion, for his vigorous experimental piety, for his pastoral tenderness, for his compassionate benevolence, for his moral courage, for his undaunted leadership, for his unflagging integrity, for his unshaking conviction, for his evangelical catholicity, for his warm love for family, and for his faithful witness to the end. He was, indeed, a burning and shining lamp. May many more come to rejoice in his light."

[Benjamin Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Audiobook] The Lord used an ordinary man in extraordinary ways for His Kingdom. He wasn’t born to posh parents, he wasn’t raised in the bustle of the city, and he didn’t pursue a formal theological education, yet he would become one of the most recognizable names in one of the biggest cities in the world, fighting for doctrinal orthodoxy.
The author tells the story in a very clear and enjoyable manner, highlighting the major events that formed the Spurgeon that’s read and talked about today.
What I noticed is that Spurgeon served where he was (chastising drunks at his grandfathers church before he was even a believer, pastoring a small country church as a teen, accepting a call to a historical church before he was “settled down,” aiding orphanages, and starting a magazine). He didn’t use excuses to get out of service. We need more of that service for our King.

[Cameron Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic biography. Super informative and the author stayed faithful to the research, unlike some biographers who take far too many creative liberties. Spurgeon’s life is a testimony of Gods Grace and faithfulness. He was a man of deep conviction and love for the gospel to spread around the world. I only wish I could see a tenth of a percent of what Spurgeon experienced as a preacher and pastor.

[Jack Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have grown more and more familiar with Spurgeon over the year but had never read a book length biography before this one. Seems it was a good choice to start with! Spurgeon was a man who loved God, his family, his church, and his neighbors very well. Lots of lessons big and small to learn from him. What I found particularly helpful was that the author did not shy away from providing observations and applications from a Christian world view. Biographies are hard to write impartially regardless so I am thankful for how the author owned that and sought to provide such insights for the reader.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spurgeon a life is right!! Just amazing.but the best part is Jesus was everything to him.leaving reading this book w renewed heart of the primacy and wholeness of the gospel- Jesus the most life worthy message.such a good read.highly recommend

[Brent Osterberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, this surpasses Dallimore's biography on Spurgeon as my favorite on the prince of preachers.

[Abby Krasselt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not naturally drawn to a biography but this was certainly written well and offered to me frequent encouragement.

[Josh G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, inspiring, excellent.

[Jonah Chitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable biography of Spurgeon! Very accessible and easy read. Hard to put this one down.

[Vasek Andrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good new biography of Spurgeon, although not much that is not said in his other biographies.

[Ewan Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed reading this. A good synthesis of all the other biographies out there - see the many many footnotes. Very much appreciated the author’s focus on takeaways and lessons for our own life & ministry, particularly the ones from The Downgrade Controversy chapter.

A tiny wee bit repetitive at points which made some of those facts a bit less punchy when they popped up again - although… I guess you could dip right in to any chapter and enjoy it from there without missing out!

[Bill Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a number of biographies of the great English preacher Charles Spurgeon. I would count this new book among the best of them.
The author tells us that Spurgeon accepted a call to pastor one of the most historic churches in the middle of London, what at that time was the largest city in the world, at age nineteen. He had never gone to college and had received no formal seminary training. He would minister in London for thirty-eight years as the pastor of the largest Protestant church in in the world until his death in 1892.
The author shares some amazing facts about Spurgeon, such as:
• Spurgeon was estimated to have preached to over ten million people.
• He helped to start nearly two hundred new churches in Britain alone.
• By his death in 1892, over 20 percent of all Baptist ministers serving in England and Wales had been trained by Spurgeon.
• He published more words in English than any other Christian ever.
• He wrote approximately five hundred letters per week.
• He founded a Pastor’s College, a monthly magazine, The Sword & Trowel, and an orphanage.
Part of the reason for Spurgeon’s premature death at age 57, was his immense workload. From 1867 on, he was seldom well physically and rarely got through a year without having to spend significant time away from the pulpit because of sickness and poor health.
In this book, intended to be an introduction to Spurgeon’s life, the author looks at Spurgeon’s life chronologically. Spurgeon was born in Kelvedon, Essex on June 19, 1834. His grandfather was a major influence on the young Spurgeon. It was as a young boy that Spurgeon began to develop an admiration for Puritan authors.
Spurgeon was fifteen years old when he turned from his sin and believed the gospel. Though he grew up in a Congregationalist family and had been baptized as an infant, he had come to Baptist convictions while still a boy through his reading of the New Testament. In the days following his baptism, Spurgeon began to give himself to two ministries that would thereafter remain close to his heart. First, Spurgeon started to teach Sunday school regularly at his local church. The second ministry that began to occupy a special place in Spurgeon’s life at this time was prayer.
Over the next three and half years, before his arrival in London, Spurgeon would preach over six hundred sermons. He regarded George Whitefield as his primary model.
On October 3, 1851, Spurgeon filled the pulpit of Waterbeach Baptist Chapel. They extended a formal call to Spurgeon to become their pastor though he was only seventeen, which he accepted.
New Park Street Chapel extended a formal call to Spurgeon to come and fill the pulpit on a six-month trial basis. Just two months after he arrived, the church unanimously voted at a specially called meeting to invite Spurgeon to be their permanent pastor.
Spurgeon was known as a preacher who spoke directly to the average person on the street in plain English that anyone could understand.
His future wife Susie was not impressed with Spurgeon the first time she saw him. He would give her a copy of Bunyan’s classic A Pilgrim’s Progress, which he read more than one hundred times throughout his life. That book, and Spurgeon’s preaching had the effect of reviving Susie’s faith and helping her make her way in her own spiritual pilgrimage.
Charles and Susie would have twin sons, Charles and Thomas, born on September 20, 1856. Health problems would prevent her from having additional children. Both Charles and Susie would endure severe tests of ill health throughout virtually the entirety of their adult lives. Susie eventually became a functional invalid. She was largely confined to the home for much of the rest of her life.
Charles suffered most of his adult life with rheumatic gout along with chronic kidney problems (later diagnosed as Bright’s disease).
A low point in Spurgeon’s ministry was a disaster at Surrey Gardens Music Hall, in which seven died and twenty-eight more were seriously injured. The event plunged him into the deepest depression of his life.
The church would eventually build what became known as the Metropolitan Tabernacle, where Spurgeon would become known as the Prince of Preachers. When he was healthy, Spurgeon never preached fewer than three sermons a week, often preached seven sermons a week, and occasionally preached more than ten sermons a week. Collections of his sermons fill roughly seventy published volumes. He published about seventy-five other books on a broad array of Christian subjects. His body of work earned Spurgeon the distinction of publishing more words in the English language than any other Christian author in history.
For Spurgeon, nothing he did in his life was more important to him than preaching. His published sermons sold twenty-five thousand copies per week and well over one million per year.
Susie Spurgeon, though limited physically, started Mrs. Spurgeon’s Book Fund, a ministry whose sole design was to supply poor pastors with excellent literature entirely free of charge. This became one of the most successful and celebrated ministries of the Metropolitan Tabernacle.
The author tells us that the Downgrade Controversy defined the final years of Spurgeon’s life and in many ways still shapes his legacy today. In the Downgrade Controversy, Spurgeon sought to defend orthodox Christianity against what he regarded as serious doctrinal error in the Baptist Union and evangelical circles more broadly. The Downgrade Controversy was a debate not over obscure theological matters but over the very heart of orthodox Christianity.
On October 29, 1887, Spurgeon officially resigned from the Baptist Union. The Baptist Union Council, would later pass a resolution known thereafter as the “vote of censure,” which publicly reprimanded Spurgeon for what they regarded as divisive conduct and unfounded allegations. Spurgeon would never fully recover from his treatment during the Downgrade Controversy, and some even testified that his health suffered as a result. This was without question the greatest sorrow of his life.
On June 7, 1891, Spurgeon preached his final sermon in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, though he did not know then that it would be his last. In the final years of Spurgeon’s life, he made more frequent trips to Menton, France, which had become to him a quiet refuge and a home away from home. He would die there with Susie January 31, 1892.
The author tells us that Charles Haddon Spurgeon was without question the greatest preacher of the nineteenth century, and some would argue, of any century. His extraordinary preaching abilities, his genius for administration, and his massive global influence set him apart as a leader of rare brilliance.

[Daniel Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an encouragement to my soul. God was so gracious to give us such a godly man who preached one message and lived one message alone: the gospel of Jesus Christ. Well written Biography and short which makes it more accessible to ordinary readers. Definitely recommend this to any who desire to start learning about the Prince of Preachers.

[Jenna DiPrima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a joy to read. This is not dry or academic as some biographies tend to be. It is thoroughly researched but also warmly pastoral and incredibly edifying. This is a must read.

[Ellie DiPrima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, thorough introduction to a pastor that every Christian can draw inspiration from.

[April Corlew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed reading biographies/autobiographies of well known Christian theologians, and missionaries, and this book on Charles Spurgeon did not disappoint! The first 10 chapters of the book cover his life and accomplishments in ministry and can easily intimidate, but at the same time create awe and wonder at how God used this humble man in the 57 years of his life. It was a joy to read how grounded in scripture he was, though uneducated in Bible theology, and how bold he was in sharing the gospel to thousands in his care. But it was chapter 11 that struck my heart to read how much he suffered physically and mentally in his earthly life and yet used those times of weakness as his most teachable opportunities. Several quotes from the book capture this well, and I would like to share just a few to give just a taste of this man’s ministry. “ To understand Spurgeon, we must recognize that although he suffered greatly, he suffered successfully as a child of God. Much of his piety as a Christian, and as a minister was forged in the fires of distress and affliction. Moreover, perseverance through suffering, became a part of the savor of his ministry, and a major motif in his preaching. Sufferers went to hear Spurgeon because they recognized in him, a fellow traveler who understood them and could show them the way through their sorrows to Christ…. millions have found in Spurgeon consolation for their sorrows and have been led by him to better appreciate and trust the promises of God‘s word for those who suffer. Spurgeon was like a person who plunged into caves of deep darkness and returned with priceless treasures to share with suffering Christians everywhere.” Spurgeon is quoted countless times by other preachers as he is one of the greatest preachers of all time, but it is not only his words from the pulpit that challenge our spiritual lives, but the way that he shepherded his flock is to be imitated as well. I cannot say enough how this book stimulated my thoughts on ministry and caring for God’s people!

[Zachary Bemrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex DiPrima’s Spurgeon: A Life offers a concise, engaging overview of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the renowned “Prince of Preachers.” At just under 300 pages, this brisk biography introduces readers to the country boy who became London’s most celebrated preacher. DiPrima’s clear aim is a high-level portrait, making it an accessible entry point for those new to Spurgeon’s legacy, though it leaves readers feeling only somewhat acquainted with the man.

DiPrima’s writing shines with clarity and ease, guiding readers smoothly through Spurgeon’s life. His vivid storytelling brings key moments to life, and he thoughtfully includes recommendations for deeper reading, pointing readers to more comprehensive works. The book also excels in highlighting Spurgeon’s cultural and spiritual impact, capturing his charisma and dedication to ministry.

However, the biography sidesteps deeper exploration of Spurgeon’s controversies and theological nuances, particularly his Calvinist beliefs, which are touched on lightly. While DiPrima is upfront about his high-level approach, the title Spurgeon: A Life suggests a depth that isn’t fully delivered, leaving readers wanting more substance.

Conclusion: Spurgeon: A Life is a well-crafted, approachable introduction to an iconic figure, perfect for newcomers. While it lacks the depth some might expect, DiPrima’s engaging style and clear focus make it a compelling starting point for exploring the Prince of Preachers’ remarkable life and impact.

[Josh Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An immensely readable, intimate retelling of potentially the greatest pastor of all time.

Spurgeon’s life is surprisingly interesting from start to finish. From a non traditional route to pastoral ministry to his meteoric rise to prominence in London, C.H. Spurgeon is an incredibly moving figure and wonderful man of God.

As a biography, this book is short and to the point. It navigates his life and highlights the important points, while makes note of some of the smaller details that made him who he was as well.

In addition, this book explains his theology in a way that is helpful and insightful.

This is a great book and I would recommend for those trying to learn who Spurgeon was for the first time.