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Heroes
The Bible no more knows a separate class of heroes than it does of saints. Because of Jesus Christ, every Christian is extraordinary and attains to glory. Yet grace so shines in some, that it lightens the path of many. As A.W. Tozer could write, 'Next to the Holy Scriptures, the greatest aid to the life of faith may be Christian biographies'. Iain Murray has already written on a number of Christians he specially admires. A few of them return to these pages, but with special reference to their thought- George Whitefield on Christian unity, for example. Most space, however, is given to little-known figures, including Robert Kalley and William Hewitson who shared in 'the greatest happening in modern missions', and to Charles and Mary Colcock Jones who took much-loved slaves with them to heaven. There is much new research in these pages, and reminders of how much is missed by those who fail to read of the work of God in history. Christians who know what Christ did 'yesterday' are energized to trust and serve him today.
303 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2009
8 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Iain H. Murray
60 books240 followersIain Hamish Murray is a British pastor and author. He was educated in the Isle of Man and at the University of Durham before entering ministry in 1955. He served as assistant to Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel (1956–59) and subsequently at Grove Chapel, London (1961–69) and St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia, (1981–84). In 1957 he and Jack Cullum founded the Reformed publishing house, the Banner of Truth Trust, of which he continues to serve as a trustee.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 1, 2023
I can’t read a book by Iain Murray without hearing multiple voices. I hear the voice of the preacher in the pulpit of St Giles Presbyterian Church, the church of my teens in Sydney, Australia. I hear the voice of my pastor, faithfully and genuinely enquiring of my family by name. I hear the voice of a champion of the reformed faith, direct and fearless and doubtless.
But perhaps the strongest voice is the one I was last to hear. It echoes with each of the voices I’ve mentioned. It’s the voice of the historian. I think “Evangelicalism Divided” was the first of Murray’s books I read. I was unsurprised to get a sense of the strong theological convictions of the author. I was pleasantly surprised - nay, delighted - to get caught up in the unfolding historical story before me.
I’m no academic, I’m a pretty much come-as-you-are reader. I wasn’t expecting Iain Murray to lean down and take me by the scruff of the neck and drag me into the ideas, events and characters of history. I willingly blame my ignorance. And I gladly say that all of the handful of historical books by Iain Murray that I’ve read displayed his mastery of the genre.
I think one of the (many) things Iain Murray’s historical writings taught me is that a historian cannot be a silent storyteller. The discovery, processing, reflecting, sifting, retelling and reflection inherent in delivering history becomes embedded in the telling. I think I learnt that historians ought to make peace with and be willing to evidence themselves in their account. Murray is neither flamboyant or subversive - you just get to the end and generally know what he thought in relation to particularly the theology of the events at hand.
Heroes is no exception. In fact, Murray makes it clear in the forward that his aim for this book is not to create a gaggle of potted biographies of Christian greats. He has painted a thematic, theological target on his subjects and each vignette seeks to amplify a particular characteristic of their life and ministry. He has an agenda, shaped by his own convictions and helped by his familiarity with the life and practice of his subjects. And he hits the bullseye.
In that way, Heroes is something of a collision of the various voices of Iain Murray. It is personal, pastoral, theological, historical - and readable. In fact, if you are not familiar with the work of Iain Murray, Heroes would make a perfect starting point. You will encounter the work of a master historian, you’ll encounter aspects of remarkable lives and Murray’s lessons drawn from those lives. Sure, you’ll discover what is important to Iain Murray. But I have no question that, in every respect, he has earned the right to add his own accent to these stories.
Whether you entirely agree or not on where Murray chooses to land these well-crafted biographettes, you will gain a valuable and stimulating insight into the way God worked in and through his faithful servants. By God’s grace, may we treasure humility, kindness, truth, endurance, hope and faithfulness as they did.
But perhaps the strongest voice is the one I was last to hear. It echoes with each of the voices I’ve mentioned. It’s the voice of the historian. I think “Evangelicalism Divided” was the first of Murray’s books I read. I was unsurprised to get a sense of the strong theological convictions of the author. I was pleasantly surprised - nay, delighted - to get caught up in the unfolding historical story before me.
I’m no academic, I’m a pretty much come-as-you-are reader. I wasn’t expecting Iain Murray to lean down and take me by the scruff of the neck and drag me into the ideas, events and characters of history. I willingly blame my ignorance. And I gladly say that all of the handful of historical books by Iain Murray that I’ve read displayed his mastery of the genre.
I think one of the (many) things Iain Murray’s historical writings taught me is that a historian cannot be a silent storyteller. The discovery, processing, reflecting, sifting, retelling and reflection inherent in delivering history becomes embedded in the telling. I think I learnt that historians ought to make peace with and be willing to evidence themselves in their account. Murray is neither flamboyant or subversive - you just get to the end and generally know what he thought in relation to particularly the theology of the events at hand.
Heroes is no exception. In fact, Murray makes it clear in the forward that his aim for this book is not to create a gaggle of potted biographies of Christian greats. He has painted a thematic, theological target on his subjects and each vignette seeks to amplify a particular characteristic of their life and ministry. He has an agenda, shaped by his own convictions and helped by his familiarity with the life and practice of his subjects. And he hits the bullseye.
In that way, Heroes is something of a collision of the various voices of Iain Murray. It is personal, pastoral, theological, historical - and readable. In fact, if you are not familiar with the work of Iain Murray, Heroes would make a perfect starting point. You will encounter the work of a master historian, you’ll encounter aspects of remarkable lives and Murray’s lessons drawn from those lives. Sure, you’ll discover what is important to Iain Murray. But I have no question that, in every respect, he has earned the right to add his own accent to these stories.
Whether you entirely agree or not on where Murray chooses to land these well-crafted biographettes, you will gain a valuable and stimulating insight into the way God worked in and through his faithful servants. By God’s grace, may we treasure humility, kindness, truth, endurance, hope and faithfulness as they did.
January 11, 2024
I'm a sucker for Christian Biographies. Iain Murray is a brilliant writer and among the best in class on Christian Biography. He pulls out the heart and practical takeaways with precision for the reader. The reader is left both knowing the one described and encouraged in following Jesus well. In this book specifically, I was extraordinarily encouraged. Although I've read biographies on Whitefield, Edwards, and others he described I thought the angle he took was fresh and had a purpose. It was hard to put down and easy to turn the pages. My three favorites in the book were Whitefield on Christian unity, Newton on the importance of books, and Charles of Bala. The reason I grabbed the book was because of the emphasis he placed on rather unknown believers who lived well. However, the reason I give the book four stars instead of five was the amount of attention devoted to Mary and Charles Jones. While their lives were interesting and thought provoking I found their lives not worth taking up nearly 1/3 of the book. Additionally, while it was helpful to think through their approach to slavery and Murray did a good job inviting the reader into the context, I found their stance against slavery lacking in backbone. Thus, while he was admirable I wasn't as inspired as I was by the other examples in a book titled Heroes. All in all it was a great read and I would thoroughly encourage anyone interested to dive in.
January 17, 2018
I especially enjoyed reading the chapter on George Whitefield and Christian Unity. A few quotes from this chapter:
"Catholicity is the feeling generated in every true believer; it is seen in a readiness to love and embrace all who belong to Jesus Christ." (unity of believers)
"Catholicity means that loyalty to the gospel will always take precedence over loyalty to my denomination."
"....a mark of the new birth is the special love that a believer has for all believers."
"I exhorted them to love and unity, and not to let a little difference about a few externals occasion any narrow-spiritedness to arise in their hearts." (direct quote of George Whitefield)
"Let us see other believers first as Christians. As Christ indwells all his people, we are to treat fellow Christians as we would treat Him.........Bigotry and narrowness find an entrance among us as Christians when we forget how much fellow believers mean to our Saviour."
"Let us desist as far as possible from controversies on secondary issues. Controversies commonly distract us and rob us of greater achievements."
"Let us be sure to recognize our own failures in this grace."
"Though I am apt sometimes to think highly of my catholicism (unity), I cannot but confess to much bigotry and spiritual pride remaining in me. Oh that my censures might be more directed to my own faults." (John Newton quote)
"Catholicity is the feeling generated in every true believer; it is seen in a readiness to love and embrace all who belong to Jesus Christ." (unity of believers)
"Catholicity means that loyalty to the gospel will always take precedence over loyalty to my denomination."
"....a mark of the new birth is the special love that a believer has for all believers."
"I exhorted them to love and unity, and not to let a little difference about a few externals occasion any narrow-spiritedness to arise in their hearts." (direct quote of George Whitefield)
"Let us see other believers first as Christians. As Christ indwells all his people, we are to treat fellow Christians as we would treat Him.........Bigotry and narrowness find an entrance among us as Christians when we forget how much fellow believers mean to our Saviour."
"Let us desist as far as possible from controversies on secondary issues. Controversies commonly distract us and rob us of greater achievements."
"Let us be sure to recognize our own failures in this grace."
"Though I am apt sometimes to think highly of my catholicism (unity), I cannot but confess to much bigotry and spiritual pride remaining in me. Oh that my censures might be more directed to my own faults." (John Newton quote)
July 6, 2019
This is a collection of seven short biographies of heroes of the Christian faith. Four of the people are well-known and famous, three are not. Murray does this on purpose to show that not all heroes are necessarily as well remembered.
The seven accounts are: 1) Jonathan Edwards, 2) George Whitefield, 3) John Newton, 4) Thomas Charles of Bala, 5) William Hepburn Hewitson & Robert Reid Kalley, 6) Charles and Mary Colcock Jones, and 7) Charles Spurgeon.
Most of the biographies were around 30 or 40 pages, but the longest by far was the amount of Charles and Mary Colcock Jones at 90 pages.
All of them were excellent. Murray has a gift for recounting history coupled with theological and practical insight. In each of these, he does this well.
Now that I’ve read the book as a whole, I will return to each of the biographies from time to time for a reminder and a stirring—a stirring for, for example, Edwards’s devotion and Spurgeon’s gospel- and evangelistic zeal.
A great book I’d recommend. At times it was harder for me to read simply because I find history and biography harder overall. But well worth the time.
The seven accounts are: 1) Jonathan Edwards, 2) George Whitefield, 3) John Newton, 4) Thomas Charles of Bala, 5) William Hepburn Hewitson & Robert Reid Kalley, 6) Charles and Mary Colcock Jones, and 7) Charles Spurgeon.
Most of the biographies were around 30 or 40 pages, but the longest by far was the amount of Charles and Mary Colcock Jones at 90 pages.
All of them were excellent. Murray has a gift for recounting history coupled with theological and practical insight. In each of these, he does this well.
Now that I’ve read the book as a whole, I will return to each of the biographies from time to time for a reminder and a stirring—a stirring for, for example, Edwards’s devotion and Spurgeon’s gospel- and evangelistic zeal.
A great book I’d recommend. At times it was harder for me to read simply because I find history and biography harder overall. But well worth the time.
May 15, 2020
This is a somewhat disjointed series of biographical essays on nine different figures from church history. Some of the essays cover material better treated in Murray’s longer biographies; others bring to light figures much lesser known. I especially appreciated the short biography of John Newton, the emphasis on George Whitefield’s catholicity, and the chapter on Thomas Charles.
November 2, 2021
Iain Murray is a masterful biographer. One of the best books I have read in recent memory. Edwards, Whitefield, Newton, William Hewitson, Robert Kalley, Charles Colcock Jones, Spurgeon - these titans of the faith have really encouraged me to know Jesus more. It is written beautifully, pastorally, and will certainly encourage you as well.
February 3, 2023
If you’re a fan of Iain Murray’s talent for biographies you don’t want to skip this gem. He covers several famous Christians focusing on a particular aspect of their lives. I highly recommend this volume.
April 9, 2019
Accessible, encouraging and uplifting portraits of men and women used mightily by God. Tremendous faith, appreciation and love for the gospel. An enjoyable and edifying read.
October 31, 2021
Murray’s gift for sorting through mountains of details to find the gems shows up in these selective biographies. His accounts of the Lord’s servants are both humbling and enlightening. We’ve read this book aloud two or three times, it’s that good.
July 20, 2014
Outstanding! Iain Murray is quickly becoming my favorite biographer! There are numerous sections of this book I want to remember for my own instruction and edification - but two quick references from his final chapter on Spurgeon, (1) Spurgeon embraced the 'doctrines of grace' as biblically faithful truth, and it is undeniable that these truths set his heart in greater awe of God's mercy and the saving work of Jesus Christ, which underwrote the fervor of his evangelistic passion. However, he recognized the deviation of Hyper-Calvinism, which was gaining popularity among many evangelical churches in the mid-1800s, and which taught, among other things, that the gospel cannot be presented as good news for the acceptance of all because God does not have compassion for all. He openly opposed and confronted the error of such teaching. See pp.272-4. (2) He exhorted his listeners against the dangers of worldliness, and understood the insidiousness by which worldliness can so easily gain entry into the life of a believer and the church. Murray writes, "As Spurgeon saw the direction of church history he gave increasing warnings on the danger of orthodoxy without holiness of life.' See pp.293-4.
February 12, 2019
This book is for those wanting to dip their feet into biographies. It gives a brief look into the lives of a number of saints in the 18th and 19th centuries. Murray’s work in this book makes me want to dig deeper into the lives of the men briefly addressed here.
August 14, 2020
This was such a profitable read, well-focused on describing how each "heroes" life and ministry, reflected the true Hero and His glory! Iain Murray did so well staying on the task as hand: giving glory to God.
I learned quite a bit about Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Newton through the ways Murray chose to focus on different aspects of their lives differently than most authors would (at least that I've read).
Only rating this a four, not for poor quality by any means, but because I felt the life of Charles Colcock Jones did not need to take that many more pages than the others. More of a personal preference than anything.
This was such an enjoyable, soul-stirring, Christ honoring read and I would highly recommend to anyone!
I learned quite a bit about Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Newton through the ways Murray chose to focus on different aspects of their lives differently than most authors would (at least that I've read).
Only rating this a four, not for poor quality by any means, but because I felt the life of Charles Colcock Jones did not need to take that many more pages than the others. More of a personal preference than anything.
This was such an enjoyable, soul-stirring, Christ honoring read and I would highly recommend to anyone!
December 5, 2009
I love Iain Murray's writing . . . . and his choice of subjects. This is a wonderful read, primarily because of his introduction of a few unknown saints, whose impacts for Christ's kingdom were significant. I especially appreciated his account of Charles and Mary Colcock Jones, early missionaries to the black slaves of the South before the Civil War. A fascinating story, that helped me understand the love of the slaves for the "One Who came to serve and give His Life a ransom for many." HIghly recommended!
December 30, 2013
Touching on the lives of eight men God has used powerfully throughout the past, Murray biographically recounts their ministries and spheres of influences in deft manner. Not only are his accounts well-researched, they flow smoothly even when skimming past large periods of time. Also helpful is the way in which Murray uncovers the larger theological frameworks driving these men to serve in the way they did. While not complete biographies, these sketches serve as powerful testimonials.
February 9, 2016
An encouraging and engaging set of historical narratives about famous and not-so-famous heroes of the faith. Obscure saints get a fairly full treatment, while the. More "famous" ones receive a focus on particular aspect of the or lives. For example Spurgeon as an evangelist is the focus, while we get a more full exploration of Charles & Mary Colcock Jones. Well worth the time and money.
January 19, 2020
Absolutely fantastic book. Not sure I agreed completely with his assessment of Charles Jones ministry to American slaves but the book is worth its weight in gold. Pretty much anything from Iain Murray is for that matter.
May 14, 2015
I particularly enjoyed learning about Charles Colcock Jones.
September 26, 2015
EXCELLENT, short stories about people whom the world is not worthy, but whom the world has largely not heard of.
I'll be reading this one again...
I'll be reading this one again...
April 23, 2017
Ian Murray is a master biographer in long or short form. These 7 biographical sketches were no exception. Some better than others. My favorite was a new name to me: Charles Colcock, the white plantation owner who took the Gospel to the slaves.
April 28, 2017
An excellent, power packed book that will be a good introduction to Christian biography or a good refresher/encourager on many of these great Christian saints. Worth your time to read and be challenged by those who have gone before us in faithfulness.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews