D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Letters 1919-1981

by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Iain H. Murray (-Editor)

Here, in over one hundred of his personal letters, we encounter Martyn Lloyd-Jones first hand.

Genres: Biography, Theology, Biography Memoir, Nonfiction

270 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London. Lloyd-Jones was strongly opposed to Liberal Christianity, which had become a part of many Christian denominations; he regarded it as aberrant. He disagreed with the broad church approach and encouraged evangelical Christians (particularly Anglicans) to leave their existing denominations. He believed that true Christian fellowship was possible only amongst those who shared common convictions regarding the nature of the faith.

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was married to Bethan Lloyd-Jones

Books about D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: https://www.goodreads.com/characters/...

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always hesitant to read a book of someone’s letters. There is something that feels too intrusive about it. So I tread with a solemn sense of respect even for the most mundane communications to a friend or colleague—and there are quite a few of those included in this book.

Others are to his wife during his travels, church letters to his congregation, advice to those seeking his counsel, and even a few defending against criticisms that were leveled against him.

The time gaps in the letters are large and irregular. MLJ didn't write much, so there wasn't a large sample to draw from. But what is collected here, taken in sum, gives a remarkable dimension to the man.

[Christian Hamaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice look at a dying art -- that of letter writing. Lloyd-Jones was prolific and eloquent. The book can be read front to back with no problem.

[Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book in our library for over twenty years and finally read it. (It was handed down to me from my father-in-law, a mentor I greatly admired.) The letters transcribed here give the reader an intimate glimpse into the life of a much-traveled divine who missed his family sorely whilst on the road, both throughout the UK and in the Colonies across the pond. Dr. Lloyd-Jones could have had a brilliantly rewarding career as a surgeon amongst titled elites of the land but gave it all up to serve our Lord. Thoroughly admirable indeed.

[Martyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange kind of book. As Iain Murray pointed out, Lloyd-Jones wasn't a prolific letter-writer, so Murray was very limited in what material he had to draw on to include in this selection of Lloyd-Jones's letters. Historically and theologically speaking, many of them are of comparatively little worth, but where they come into their own is in revealing something of the character of their author. While the contents of the letters may be rather mundane, their writer is loved and respected and every scrap of his writings is treasured for his sake, and his every word and opinion valued. Iain Murray's footnotes greatly add to the value of the book, putting the letters into context and fleshing out our understanding of the contents with relevant information from other sources where possible or necessary.

This volume provides a brief and general outline of Lloyd-Jones' life and ministry so is perhaps a good introduction to the life and work of Lloyd-Jones from a biographical point of view. I've not yet read Iain Murray's biography of Lloyd-Jones, so I don't know how much this volume adds to the picture revealed there and helps to round out the picture. For me the most exciting thing about the book was seeing that Lloyd-Jones had several volumes of The Works of John Angell James on the shelf behind him in the photograph used on the dust jacket!