A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
What a great idea for a book, and this is from our long-time friend and favorite church historian, Dr. Michael Haykin.
Does the study of church history seem too daunting to you? Here’s a great place to begin. Fifty-two weekly, bite-sized reflections from an accomplished church historian. You’ll find your understanding of church history growing and your appreciation for its relevance increasing with each read. Fascinating vignettes, insightful reflections, edifying and enjoyable reading.
Excellent for bedtime reading, and perfect for Christmas giving!
Table of Contents
- “Every Christian ought to be a good historian”
- On papyrus
- A “frantic passion for purple”
- Confessing the deity of the Holy Spirit
- Converted by the Word of God
- Introducing Macarius
- Macarius on being human
- Macarius on the sweetness of being a Christian
- Basil of Caesarea’s friendship with Eusebius of Samosata
- We are all Augustinians
- Augustine on the Bible
- Introducing Bede
- Bede as a model historian
- John of Damascus
- Wisdom from Theodulf of Orléans
- The church and the bubonic plague
- Why we still need to remember the Reformation
- The egg-laying of Erasmus
- Revival at Heidelberg, 1518
- Solo Sancto Spiritu: Luther at Worms in 1521
- To spite the Pope
- The Reformers divided
- The emergence of the Anabaptists
- The best of Anabaptist thought
- William Tyndale’s New Testament
- “The loss of land and life I’ll reckon slight”
- Hugh Latimer: England’s prophet during the Reformation
- “To suffer for God’s holy Word’s sake”
- John Calvin and his Institutes
- John Calvin’s reflections on marriage
- John Calvin and the Servetus affair
- Katherine Willoughby, the Puritan Duchess
- Richard Greenham: architect of Puritan pastoral piety
- Roaring John Rogers
- The church and the bubonic plague in later Stuart England
- Margaret Charlton Baxter: a Puritan wife
- The “coffee-man in Southwark”: James Jones
- The hymns of Watts and the conversion of George Thomson
- John Gill comes to London
- “Moravianism at its loveliest and best”
- Being Anne Steele
- Loving the lost
- Jonathan Edwards: a theologian of love
- “The most pleasing colour”
- Recalling the life and ministry of David Zeisberger
- “Sweet solemnity and ardent love”
- A meeting with John Berridge, the gospel pedlar
- A wee note of Abraham Booth and our need for gentleness
- Remembering Zenas Trivett
- Listening afresh to C.H. Spurgeon
- Remembering H.M. Gwatkin
- Revival and the formation of a Toronto church in 1919
Endorsements
Dustin Benge:
“Historian Michael A.G. Haykin welcomes us into his world of historical peculiarities, fascinating biographies, and intriguing stories. These enriching readings provide a window into divine providence as it unfolds in God’s grand redemptive history. While scholarly in substance, The Weekly Historian is wonderfully readable, carefully accessible, and will no doubt ignite your curiosity for more as you discover your place in God’s story.”
Ray Rhodes:
“The Weekly Historian: 52 Reflections on Christian History is the latest book from the prolific pen of Michael A.G. Haykin. The book is a ‘taster of the riches of the past history of Christianity.’ This ‘taster’ will whet your appetite for more such nourishing food from the banquet table of church history, one covered with scrolls, books, pen, and ink. From papyrus to purple and from Macarius to Spurgeon, you will encounter fascinating subjects and intriguing characters in Weekly. My favorite chapter is ‘A Frantic Passion for Purple.’ Haykin’s interest in color is not the odd curiosity of an out-of-touch historian, but a lesson in the providence of God in the advancement of the gospel. I plan to read The Weekly Historian to my daughters and I anticipate loving every minute of such a happy endeavor. Read this book for the sheer pleasure of the experience but also as a means to better understand the present and to more courageously face the future via these delightful stories of the past.”