J. Gresham Machen: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought

by Stephen J. Nichols

J. Gresham Machen (1881–—1937) taught New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1906 to 1929, when he founded Westminster Theological Seminary.

Following three chapters devoted to Machen’'s life, Nichols examines Machen’'s writings on theology and the Bible, on culture, and on the church (including several sermons). A select guide to books by and about Machen, a bibliography, and indexes conclude this accessible introduction to one of the twentieth- century’'s most important theologians.

Genres: Biography, Church History, History, Theology, American History, Philosophy, Christian

252 pages, Paperback

First published September 3, 2004

About the author

Stephen J. Nichols (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer of Ligonier Ministries. Previously, he served as research professor of Christianity and culture at Lancaster Bible College. He is an editor (with Justin Taylor) of the Theologians on the Christian Life series and is the author of several books, including The Reformation, For Us and for Our Salvation, The Church History ABCs, and Bonhoeffer on the Christian Life.

Reviews

[Erik Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my preparation to read his classic "Christianity and Liberalism," I read as many secondary sources widely available on Machen. Having thumbed through the magisterial treatment of Machen by Stonehouse and Hart, this introductory volume serves to bridge the gap between seeing the trees and not missing the forest at the same time.

As noted above, this book is largely an introduction to the thought and life of Machen. Although Hart and Stonehouse have done masterful jobs at covering Machen, Nichols offers a birds-eye-view picture of this great Princeton theologian. What I found particularly useful was his "suggested reading" section at the end of every chapter providing additional resources to round out one's view of Machen.

A quick reading, this book is a great addition to one's Machen shelf.

[David Smithey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book.
Machen's life serves as a reminder that we must always contend for the Faith. It Never stops this side of Heaven!

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Overview of Machen's Life and Thought

In this world where "progressive Christianity" and traditional Christianity still clash, it's good to know that the debate has been going on for awhile. Machen fought tirelessly for the true gospel, as this book chronicles. Only God knows what would have happened if Machen's had not been cut short in 1937. Still his legacy continues and are blessed to have been pointed back to the truth by Machen's life and writing

[Greg Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice, short, little introduction to the life, works, and legacy of J. Gresham Machen. The author states "If [the book] serves to prompt further reading and exploration, then it has fulfilled its purpose" (p.239). This book definitely fulfilled its purpose with me. I hope to investigate Machen even more after reading this.

[Caleb Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

An expected, conservative and easy read by Nichols, but nonetheless a wonderful biography! The first 80ish pages are a biographical sketch, then chapters follow his thought by his famous contributions, his ethic, view of missions, and more. Brings to life a great example not many have read and writes on a controversy that is incredibly relevant today. A must read Christian biography.

[Wes Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the life and thought of Machen.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to Gresham Machen and an overview of his writings. Very readable.

[Harrison Staab · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I grow up I want to be as bold and unapologetically on the side of Christ and his word as Machen.

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Machen had a reputation for being divisive. He believed that "controversy of the right sort is good" -- that is, he believed that it is always right to fight for truth, and that the result of such fights is often the salvation of souls. As Stephen Nichols reviews what Machen fought for, it is easy to see that he was standing for important doctrines, such as the divinity of Christ and the virgin birth. These were not hairsplitting, secondary matters, but doctrines of central importance to Christian faith. Even so, he was called a bigot (p. 56) for taking the stand that he did. Some things never change.

Most impressive to me was the way Machen was able to distance himself (p. 73) from the fundamentalists, who were not taken seriously by scholars, and the modernists, who had fallen so deeply into error that their views could not even be called Christian (as Machen discusses in more detail in his classic book, "Christianity and Liberalism"). Machen was a conservative, orthodox Christian of the highest academic caliber. We certainly need more like him today.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting hybrid of biography and general non-fiction, in that it went through Machen's life and quoted from sermons and writings, tying them to certain periods in his life. The positive part: I was able to learn about his life and also read some of his own words. The negative: I didn't get as much information as a traditional biography would provide, and I would prefer to read things in context rather than brief excerpts.

The best thing about this book was the reminder that man does not change. Machen stood for truth then just as it is necessary for us to do so now. Reading about the liberals and their lack of belief in the Bible's inerrancy and the need to preach the Gospel sounded just like today's world. Maybe that isn't comforting, but I'm reminded that God is in control and He is ruling and reigning no matter what man may say. And I am thankful for those who stand for His truth!

[John]

Great book. I'm happy to suggest it as a good introduction to the life of Machen and his work. Not as thorough as D.G. Hart's or Stonehouses' bios, but Nichols makes good use of his space and probably gives a better introduction to his Machen's work than most. The select guide to books by and on Machen is particularly helpful. Nichols is a good writer, so it's also an enjoyable book.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, it gave me a better understanding of Machen and his motivations during the later portion of his life. It also impressed upon me the history of the challenges of liberalization within the church, the Presbyterian church in particular.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book on a great man of the faith. For more details on this book see my blog.

[Dayo Adewoye · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and helpful introduction to the life and thought of a great man, it was a great read.