Book Review: J.I. Packer - Puritan Portraits

The Puritans have always had a bad rap. When we think of them, we tend to think of bitter, somber, witch-hunters. Nothing can be farther from the truth. They were strict in some ways but they were great Christian leaders who had a zeal for the Lord. There writings are packed full of theology and Devotional material.

Here Packer has collected a series of introductions to some of the best puritan works. J.I. is known for some of the best forwards to the Puritans. His intro to Owen's "Death of Death" is a classic.

This book was started when he was asked to write introductions for a group of puritan devotional books published by Christian Focus. These intros were collected into this book. It is sort of a companion to "A Quest for Godliness", a previous book about the Puritans from Packer.

I enjoyed this book, being a fan of the Puritans, it is nice to read a small summation of what each of these works are about. The added bonus is the summations are written by one of the best experts concerning the Puritans. Packer and a few others have helped to reawaken interest in puritan writings.

Each chapter takes a work, summarizes it, gives you important things to look for, and even contains criticism for the weaknesses.

Packer does not worship the Puritans, he only worships their God. He considers them as brothers in the Lord, but not infallible. He shows us how to learn from the good, but throw out the bad.

I highly recommend this book. If you have never read the Puritans, grab a copy of this book and a copy of any of the works that are summarized and get ready for a treat.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

*I received this book, free of charge, from Christian Focus in exchange for an honest review.