The Weekly Historian: 52 Reflections on Church History

by Michael A.G. Haykin

“Every Christian ought to be a good historian, and if his knowledge of history be improved by him as it ought, the better historian he is, the better Christian will he be.” This pithy remark by eighteenth-century Baptist leader, Caleb Evans, was delivered in a sermon calling “ordinary” Christian to read history and remember it, for in truth they were surrounded by its impact day after day. This weekly reader is designed to help you become “a good historian” in the way that Evans desired. These 52 weekly reflections, each of which takes but a few minutes to read, are a reminder of how important history—in this case, actually, church history—is for the believer.

175 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2021

About the author

Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin is the Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality and Director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He is also the editor of Eusebeia: The Bulletin of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. His present areas of research include 18th-century British Baptist life and thought, as well as Patristic Trinitarianism and Baptist piety.

Haykin is a prolific writer having authored numerous books, over 250 articles and over 150 book reviews. He is also an accomplished editor with numerous editorial credits.

Reviews

[Grady Adams]

Great Short Readings on Church History

These are great short devotional stories from the history of the Christian Church. Definitely needed in our age because most Christians don’t know the Holy Scriptures and definitely don’t know how the Church has stood up throughout the ages. I highly recommend these as a starter for looking further into the Kingdom of GOD!

[Christian Barrett]

This 52 week devotional was a sweet introduction to the history of the church. Haykin takes historical figures and draws out practical Christian experience for today’s readers from the lives of the saints of the past. If one is wanting to begin reading church history, this would be a great starting point from a biographical standpoint.

[Brian M.]

Michael Haykin delivers a fantastic, readable volume of snippets of church history through the ages. While designed in 52 essays leaving one for each week of the year, it was too enjoyable a volume for me to spread out so far. I am no church historian, but I do cherish stories of the saints that have gone before, living amongst various challenges and pursuing holiness and service to Christ and his church just as myself. As such, I am grateful for Dr. Haykin's work and for collections of stories such as this one.

[Jeremy Johnston]

This collection of 52 short vignettes from church history is a delight to read. Winsome and clear, Haykin helps his readers discover many forgotten corners of God's kingdom. He deftly weaves primary sources, historical scholarship, and biblical references to produce helpful applications for 21st-century readers. I read one entry a week (usually on Sunday mornings with a cuppa java). I highly recommend this to you!

[Andrew Shrimpton]

Some of the chapters in this book are frustratingly brief and inadequate. However, there many interesting stories, often about lesser-known characters, so the book is well worth obtaining and reading. Unfortunately, it is a very shoddy production. It appears that the publishers have not bothered to use the services of a proofreader.

[Bruce Walker]

52 very brief bios yet filled with fascinating and uplifting history! Designed for 1 bio a week, however, I tried to keep it at a one a day read. Well worth the time and cost.