The Pure Flame of Devotion: The History of Christian Spirituality

Essays in honor of Michael A.G. Haykin.

Since the time of Christ, the church has known men and women renowned for their devotion, spiritual insight and piety. Collectively their lives portray a broad history of Christian spirituality. This volume is meant to ignite your interest and understanding of key time periods and pivotal people from various eras of church history. Instead of exploring the overall spiritual perspective of a person or period, only certain aspects of thought are dealt with.

This is an approach to church history with an eye to issues of spirituality that emphasizes how today's Christians can cull ancient sources for their spiritual enrichment and encouragement as they seek to live their lives under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Each of the exceptional contributors is knowledgeable in their particular subject area. Through extensive original research they skillfully expound the vitality and richness of the spirituality of their subjects. Introduced to these historical figures who walked closely with God, Christians will find rich application and benefit for their souls. May this book stir up many more men and women to pursue intimate communion and fellowship with God, turning from all that distracts and devoting heart and soul to loving God and living for his glory and the spread of the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

1. Michael A.G. Haykin: a Biographical Sketch

2. Church History as a Pastoral Discipline

Patristics - Medieval

3. The Spirit "worshipped and glorified" as the Perfecting Cause of our Worship in Basil of Caesarea's De Spiritu Sancto

4. Gregory's Doxological Theology

5. The Christological Center of Piety in the Prayers of Anselm of Canterbury

6. Apocalyptic Spirituality in the Early Middle Ages: Hope for Escaping the Fire of Doomsday Through a Pre-Conflagration Rapture

Reformation - Puritans

7. Martin Luther: Preaching and Protestant Spirituality

8. Calvin and his Puritan heirs on Christ's Humanity in Hebrews

9. Anabaptist Spirituality

10. William Perkins: Application in Preaching

11. Poetry and Piety: John Owen, Faithful Teate and Communion with God

Evangelicalism - Modern

12. A Resolved Piety: Living in Light of Eternity with Jonathan Edwards

13. Response to Nineteenth-Century Holiness Teaching: Two Case Studies

14. "Gentleman, I like the Supernatural!": the Spirituality of B.B. Warfield

15. Accelerating the Rhythm: Two Eighteenth-Century Presbyterians on the Frequency of the Lord's Supper

Baptists

16. Bunyan's Perseverance

17. The Spirituality of Edmund Ludlow: The Religious Convictions of a Regicide

18. Benjamin Keach: Cultivating Corporate Spirituality and Church Covenants

19: Andrew Fuller's Edwardsean Spirituality

20. The Piety of James Petigru Boyce

21. A Gregatious Spirituality: The Personal Piety of Charles H. Spurgeon

22. Thomas Todhunter Shields: The Spirituality of Separation

In Honor

23. Michael A.G. Haykin: Historian of the Spirit

Editors

G. Stephen Weaver Jr. and Ian Hugh Clary

Contributors 

Douglas Adams, Peter Beck, Joel R. Beeke, Nathan A. Finn, Keith Goad, Crawford Gribben, Francis X. Gumerlock, David S. Hogg, Erroll Hulse, Clint Humfrey, Sharon James, Mark Jones, Sean Michael Lucas, Tom J. Nettles, Dennis Ngien, Robert W. Oliver, Kenneth J. Stewart, Carl R. Trueman, Austin R. Walker, Donald S. Whitney, Malcolm B. Yarnell, Fred G. Zaspel.

Endorsements 

"This volume is a treasure trove of rich, theological, biblical, devotional, gospel truth." - Ligon Duncan

"...[this] team of qualified authors...demonstrate how solid scholarship can be made relevant and stimulating." - Herman Selderhuis

"This excellent book serves as a double gift. First, it fulfills the biblical injunction to give honor where honor is due, and it is a fitting thing to honor a man like Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin, a Spirit-filled polymath who uses his considerable gifts to serve the church with tireless devotion. Second, it is a gift to the church, as several of Dr. Haykin's colleagues and friends demonstrate what he models: a Christian approach to the history of Christian spirituality. The result is a volume that should find its way on to our shelves, then on to our desks, and then into our hearts and minds." - Justin Taylor