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The Swans Are Not Silent #1
The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin
We admire these men for their greatness, but the truth is Augustine grappled with sexual passions. Martin Luther struggled to control his tongue. John Calvin fought the battle of faith with worldly weapons. Yet each man will always be remembered for the messages he declared-messages that still resound today. John Piper explores each of these men's lives, integrating Augustine's delight in God with Luther's emphasis on the Word and Calvin's exposition of Scripture. Through their strengths and struggles we can learn how to live better today. When we consider their lives, we behold the glory and majesty of God and find power to overcome our weaknesses. If ever you are complacent about sin, if ever you lose the joy of Jesus Christ, if ever you are dulled by the world's influence, let the lives of these men help you recapture the wonder of God. Book 1 in The Swans Are Not Silent series.
160 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2000
72 people are currently reading
1505 people want to read
About the author
John Piper
609 books4,580 followersJohn Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.
John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.
John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
January 31, 2022
I first read this in 2001, when I was pretty newly reformed, and wrote this hymn based on it:
I enjoyed the reread, though no bursting into song this time. 😉 I'm ever so grateful for how God has given men like Augustine, Luther, and Calvin to the church. He doesn't just give gifts to the saints, He gives the saints themselves as gifts. I'm reminded to give myself because He has given me. Calvin was about six weeks shy of his fifty-fifth birthday when he died. I'm seven months shy of my fifty-fifth birthday. 'Scuse me while I go whip out some institutes and a few kajillion sermons...
Verse 1
O Sovereign Joy that with a sweeter pow’r
Drives out all lesser loves and takes their place
O God, my true salvation, wealth and light
Let all my life be captive to Your grace.
Verse 2
O Sovereign Grace that with a boundless strength
Makes naught of all the work of human hands,
Freely You grant me righteousness by faith
Through Christ my Lord, who met Your laws demands.
Verse 3
O Sovereign Truth that with a doubtless ray
Outshines the dimness of all fainter lights,
Here may I see Your glory and Your grace
Here clearly read Your majesty and might.
Verse 4
O Sovereign God, who with triumphant grace
Breaks all the fetters of my guilt and shame,
O God of mercy, holiness and life,
I now exalt the glory of Your Name.
I enjoyed the reread, though no bursting into song this time. 😉 I'm ever so grateful for how God has given men like Augustine, Luther, and Calvin to the church. He doesn't just give gifts to the saints, He gives the saints themselves as gifts. I'm reminded to give myself because He has given me. Calvin was about six weeks shy of his fifty-fifth birthday when he died. I'm seven months shy of my fifty-fifth birthday. 'Scuse me while I go whip out some institutes and a few kajillion sermons...
June 25, 2019
I love biographies. I love the ones that point me to Christ even more.
November 13, 2021
I read this book in high school. It (along with other Piper books) shaped how I viewed ministry, preaching, and the sovereignty of God.
January 5, 2015
As far as a narrative goes, this is decent. Piper cannot escape his enlightenment presuppositions. He attacks all three on points which aren't really their fault:
Augustine: he attacks Augustine's sexual immorality and notes, "the saints aren't perfect." Well, they are not but this was PRE-CONVERSION.
Calvin: he attacks Calvin on the Servetus episode and sort of ends with a passionate plea for justice for Servetus. Except he doesn't realize Calvin did not put Servetus to death. This is a historical faux pax.
Augustine: he attacks Augustine's sexual immorality and notes, "the saints aren't perfect." Well, they are not but this was PRE-CONVERSION.
Calvin: he attacks Calvin on the Servetus episode and sort of ends with a passionate plea for justice for Servetus. Except he doesn't realize Calvin did not put Servetus to death. This is a historical faux pax.
January 25, 2019
This book contains short biographies on Augustine, Luther and Calvin. The section on Luther was the highlight of the book and pinpoints his devotion to God's Word.
I really wanted to appreciate this book more, but I just did not find it as beneficial. Part of the reason is that Augustine and to a certain extent John Calvin look very much like John Piper after you read their biographical sections. This book contains a lot of focused theological reflection (which is not a bad thing in itself), but this narrow focus coupled with the excessive use of extreme adjectives (such as majestic, sovereign, omnipotent etc) weighs heavily on the reader if disagreements exist. Two areas where this excess causes misrepresentation:
1) Theological reflection emphasizes aspects of grace beyond the scope of emphasis of the scriptures
2) That God cannot be pursued as the greatest good, that His grace is diminished and that Pelagianism is perpetuated if the reader does not agree with Piper's conviction on what sovereign grace is.
Despite these drawbacks, the book is full of valuable insights. Piper's passion for the beauty and glory of God bleeds through the pages and his reflections on similar aspects in the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. My admiration for these men has deepened, my pursuit of God in his beauty and for His glory has been rekindled and I have been reminded by my own criticisms of Piper that I should not mistake theological language for biblical language.
I really wanted to appreciate this book more, but I just did not find it as beneficial. Part of the reason is that Augustine and to a certain extent John Calvin look very much like John Piper after you read their biographical sections. This book contains a lot of focused theological reflection (which is not a bad thing in itself), but this narrow focus coupled with the excessive use of extreme adjectives (such as majestic, sovereign, omnipotent etc) weighs heavily on the reader if disagreements exist. Two areas where this excess causes misrepresentation:
1) Theological reflection emphasizes aspects of grace beyond the scope of emphasis of the scriptures
2) That God cannot be pursued as the greatest good, that His grace is diminished and that Pelagianism is perpetuated if the reader does not agree with Piper's conviction on what sovereign grace is.
Despite these drawbacks, the book is full of valuable insights. Piper's passion for the beauty and glory of God bleeds through the pages and his reflections on similar aspects in the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. My admiration for these men has deepened, my pursuit of God in his beauty and for His glory has been rekindled and I have been reminded by my own criticisms of Piper that I should not mistake theological language for biblical language.
July 15, 2024
“I testify and declare that I trust to no other security for my salvation than this, and this only, that as God is the Father of mercy, he will show himself such a Father to me, who acknowledge myself to be a miserable sinner.” - John Calvin
November 23, 2022
Wonderful!
September 1, 2024
A short yet encouraging biographical look into 3 foundational theologians for the Reformed tradition: Luther, Calvin and Augustine.
February 15, 2015
Excellent writing and very encouraging. All the focus of this book is on God and God alone. It barely mentions man and his needs. Man is only a vessel, and our lives are a means by which to glorify God. God is the central focus.
I loved the stories of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. They were not portrayed as heroes, but as normal men with flaws whom God used mightily, so that the glory is always God's.
Fantastic stuff.
I loved the stories of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. They were not portrayed as heroes, but as normal men with flaws whom God used mightily, so that the glory is always God's.
Fantastic stuff.
July 25, 2011
Encouraging, bite sized, theological biograpies (of Augustine, Luther and Calvin). The chapter on Augustine made me very keen to read his Confessions. The chapter on Luther was really inspiring, lots of stuff to spur me on in ministry. I also liked the honest examination of their faults. These are not neutral accounts of their lives, they are themed around Piper's own theological passions. I quite enjoy this, because Piper's aim is to encourage, not just to recount history.
October 30, 2019
Read as part of 21 Servants of Sovereign Joy
Short biographies of Faithful, Flawed, and Fruitful Christians throughout church history. Wonderful theological and practical reflections. Highly recommend!
Reading this has convinced me to strive to always be reading a Christian biography. It has been so helpful to my worship of the Lord, and as examples worth learning from both from the good and the bad.
Short biographies of Faithful, Flawed, and Fruitful Christians throughout church history. Wonderful theological and practical reflections. Highly recommend!
Reading this has convinced me to strive to always be reading a Christian biography. It has been so helpful to my worship of the Lord, and as examples worth learning from both from the good and the bad.
September 9, 2020
Piper has a way of magnifying the Lord and stirring the reader's desire to know God more in the triumphs and failures of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. The sovereign power and grace of the Lord is clear in the accounts of each of the men's salvation experiences and their sanctification. This book is helpful for any believer to read at any point in their walk: to encourage the new believer, sustain a believer going through a hard season, or to light a new fire in a believer who has grown numb.
November 10, 2019
A truly great book! The title tells a lot about the book; the book is about how these three men found true joy in seeking God's glory. God is and He is sovereign. The more we know Him and find our joy in Hin the more He is glorified. This is truly what live should be all about. I love this book am looking forward to reading others in the series. I have already read two of them.
August 29, 2020
If you like Christian Biographies then this book is a go. The way the author interacts with the stories 0f Augustine, Luther, and Calvin and the way he makes them interact with each other is exciting. One of my favourite parts of the book is the concluding segment where the author draws key lessons from the saints' lives and shows how they can be applied to our lives.
November 16, 2017
Encouraging.
An accessible look into the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. Looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
An accessible look into the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. Looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
June 5, 2020
Piper's passion really showed through in this one and I found it contagious. I think this has been my favorite so far.
October 31, 2021
Audible.com 3 hours 9 min. Narrated by Bob Souer (A)
In substitute for a review, I refer the reader back to the second paragraph of the book description. This is the most profound and helpful of the books IMO in Piper's series, and happens to be the first. I did not listen to them in order as written.
In substitute for a review, I refer the reader back to the second paragraph of the book description. This is the most profound and helpful of the books IMO in Piper's series, and happens to be the first. I did not listen to them in order as written.
December 8, 2021
I didn't really think this was about "joy." It was good historical info about Augustine, Luther, and Calvin and the Reformation. Thanks to R C Sproul, I've heard a lot about Luther, but I knew very little about Calvin and almost nothing about Augustine. I enjoyed this as a "book about church history."
September 9, 2022
"The conviction behind this book is that the glory of God, however dimly, is mirrored in the flawed lives of his faithful servants. God means for us to consider their lives and peer through the imperfections of their faith and behold the beauty of their God."- J.Piper
A quick look at three of the most significant early church fathers - Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. A decent introduction to all three men, including their strengths and weaknesses.
A quick look at three of the most significant early church fathers - Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. A decent introduction to all three men, including their strengths and weaknesses.
September 13, 2024
Pretty good, my only gripe is that I felt his portrayal of the Servetus incident was unfair to Calvin. To compare it to David and Uriah was a bit overdramatic, even for me
August 20, 2021
Excellent
August 20, 2018
This short book is typical Piper in both its strengths and weaknesses.
John Piper does an excellent job weaving together three short biographies of very different men (Augustine, Luther, and Calvin). He points out one trait from each man and then pulls those three traits together in his conclusion to say that we need the sovereign joy of God (1. Augustine) to surpass all the other joys in our lives. This can come through the Word alone (2. Luther) and so we need to preach the word constantly (3. Calvin)
The biographies themselves are very short and thus he cherry picks only those highlights of their lives that flow with his theme. That is fine with me because this book clearly is more his sharing a message through the lives of these three men than straight up biographies. I mean, who would really expect to get a comprehensive biography on three different giants in the church all in less than 150 pages? No, this is more an extended sermon than a book of history and that is fine. It is John Piper at his best.
Where I am not as big a fan is how he leans so heavy on his TULIP. When Piper is talking about the glory and greatness of God, nobody can wax more eloquently than Piper. When he gets going on his hardline Calvinism, I simply need to roll my eyes again. So I would recommend this book while reminding the reader that there might be some chaff we have to separate from the wheat.
John Piper does an excellent job weaving together three short biographies of very different men (Augustine, Luther, and Calvin). He points out one trait from each man and then pulls those three traits together in his conclusion to say that we need the sovereign joy of God (1. Augustine) to surpass all the other joys in our lives. This can come through the Word alone (2. Luther) and so we need to preach the word constantly (3. Calvin)
The biographies themselves are very short and thus he cherry picks only those highlights of their lives that flow with his theme. That is fine with me because this book clearly is more his sharing a message through the lives of these three men than straight up biographies. I mean, who would really expect to get a comprehensive biography on three different giants in the church all in less than 150 pages? No, this is more an extended sermon than a book of history and that is fine. It is John Piper at his best.
Where I am not as big a fan is how he leans so heavy on his TULIP. When Piper is talking about the glory and greatness of God, nobody can wax more eloquently than Piper. When he gets going on his hardline Calvinism, I simply need to roll my eyes again. So I would recommend this book while reminding the reader that there might be some chaff we have to separate from the wheat.
April 15, 2021
Piper does a great job detailing intriguing events in the lives of these three church fathers (Augustine, Luther, and Calvin), finding interesting similarities between them, and drawing our hearts to the absolute glory and magnificence of God through their ministries. I was deeply impressed with the astounding amount of preaching, teaching, ministering, and writing they each did, often in the midst of strong threat of persecution. He highlights some glaring flaws in the lives of each of these men, emphasizes how God worked mightily through them in spite of these issues, and encourages us to realize God’s grace can also work in each of us, in spite of our own sin natures. One of the strongest purposes in each of their lives was to focus on the reality of God speaking through His Word, the Bible. Man’s opinions and leanings seemed to have no sway in their lives, only the ultimate, all consuming, God-spoken, truth-filled reality of Scripture, and the grace of God that infuses every page. (The Audible.com version is read beautifully by Bob Souer)
November 21, 2025
This little book was a game-changer for me when first read it in 2014. Reading it again was a real treat. Pipers short biographies of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin are a great introduction to some of the greatest thinkers in Church History. Piper does a great job introducing the reader to the world and personality of each theologian. He also does a good job explaining the historical context, personal struggles, and triumphs of grace evident in each of their lives. This little book inspired my soul with fresh passion and reoriented my mind with fresh commitment.
Re-Read: November 2025. So good.
Re-Read: November 2025. So good.
June 25, 2019
They are the alleged titans of reformation. But
This book is a compilation of these great people who did pave the way for a particular form of theology and are revered for. that is reformed theology. Though it is biographical in its intention but forces the reformed framework. by saying that it is not justified if they have to remain there.
When Swans are not silent, they make horrible noises ( literally) but their lives are beautifully portrayed. its a good read if you don't have any other biographies to read.
This book is a compilation of these great people who did pave the way for a particular form of theology and are revered for. that is reformed theology. Though it is biographical in its intention but forces the reformed framework. by saying that it is not justified if they have to remain there.
When Swans are not silent, they make horrible noises ( literally) but their lives are beautifully portrayed. its a good read if you don't have any other biographies to read.
September 1, 2020
Audiobook Review:
I enjoyed this book, and am pleased to have discovered this series.
The heroes of faith, features in this book, were only names to me. I had briefly heard of them.
I really enjoyed and was very much inspired in their relentless persistence in the discipline of prayer, Bible study and worship. And yes, I heartily agree that the more we get to know God - which comes from those disciplines, the more His joy and delight pours into us!
Thank you to both author and narrator for bringing to life the joy and delight of the Father that these heroes show in their lives.
I enjoyed this book, and am pleased to have discovered this series.
The heroes of faith, features in this book, were only names to me. I had briefly heard of them.
I really enjoyed and was very much inspired in their relentless persistence in the discipline of prayer, Bible study and worship. And yes, I heartily agree that the more we get to know God - which comes from those disciplines, the more His joy and delight pours into us!
Thank you to both author and narrator for bringing to life the joy and delight of the Father that these heroes show in their lives.
June 13, 2020
Augustine- sovereign joy displaces all human enjoyment- you have made us for yourself nor can we be at rest til we find rest in thee...
Luther- primacy of the Word of God to change a life and to change the world. Everything and everyone else is a secondary study... flawed but faithful
Calvin- the expositor of God’s Word. Institutes was written during the persecution and martyrdom of the saints in France while he was exiled in Geneva
Luther- primacy of the Word of God to change a life and to change the world. Everything and everyone else is a secondary study... flawed but faithful
Calvin- the expositor of God’s Word. Institutes was written during the persecution and martyrdom of the saints in France while he was exiled in Geneva
June 25, 2020
Only joy in God can satisfy our innermost desires.
May God give us this gift of sovereign joy in the death and resurrection of Jesus that nothing in this world can compare.
“How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose..! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place.... O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation.”
Augustine
May God give us this gift of sovereign joy in the death and resurrection of Jesus that nothing in this world can compare.
“How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose..! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place.... O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation.”
Augustine
January 31, 2016
As Piper reveals, Augustine, Luther and Calvin had one significant thing in common: a nearly insane single-mindedness to know, enjoy, study and preach God. That, by far, is the biggest encouragement this book offers. It's difficult to even imagine a person being that focused on one thing in today's world. But it is interesting to consider what that would look like.
December 5, 2008
All of Piper's biographical sketches are pearl. The conference version is available for streaming or download as MP3 for free at the Desiring God website.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews