Samuel Rutherford: A New Biogarphy of the Man and His Ministry

by Kingsley G. Rendell

Rutherford played a major role as a reformer at the Westminster Assembly and was also a crucial figure in the establishment of Presbyterianism for Scotland in 1689. Rutherford's 'Lex Rex' heavily influenced John Locke and in turn, the framers of the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Thus Jefferson, Franklin, Madison and Hamilton discussed and formulated their work in the light of the work and opinions of Samuel Rutherford. Several biographies have been written to eulogise Samuel Rutherford but little has been done to consider the man and his work critically. Kingsley Rendell uses Rutherford's writings and contemporary material to present a comprehensive picture of him from his student days to his death in 1661. Usually described as a model preacher and pastor, Rendell shows he had an even greater ability as an apologist and propagandist.

Genres: Church History, Biography

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful and definitely not hagiography, but a little dry in places.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good biography of what has become one of my favorite puritans. If you have read his letters, you can plainly see Rutherford's pastoral heart towards those experiencing the results of the fall. But what this biography shows is how he came to that state - it wasn't overnight. Rutherford was tossed around like a rag doll in his hometown, from church to church, town to town, and was a pretty restless wanderer for some time. He was looked down on for a variety of reasons, notwithstanding a couple accusations of incest and adultery. Nevertheless, he overcame these things to become one of the most influential puritans of his day. This biography showed the bad and the good of his life, a mixture that we are all familiar with in our own lives. It ends with a list of all known published writings of Rutherford which I found particularly helpful.

[Cheyenne Langevelde · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good biography and gives a lot of insight into this man and how he affected Protestantism, especially Presbyterianism. However, it was very dry and factual, and at times I struggled to follow all the information given.