Book Reviews

Posted: 1/18/08

Book Reviews

Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries by Gerald L. Sittser (IVP Books)

Gerald Sittser, professor of theology at Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash., gives great amounts of information and insight into the lives of men and women of faith, from the time of the early church to the present.

Water from a Deep Well reveals myriad movements within the Christian community. From the early church fathers and the desert saints to present-day evangelicals, Sittser details the actions and commitments of those who lived their lives in devotion to God.

Chapters focus on early-church martys, the organizers of church orders, the significance of cathedral construction and icons, monastries, Christian mysticism, the reformers, conversion, preaching and mission movements. Loaded with many topics that one would expect to study in a church history class, his book is richly documented. But because of its breadth, the book does not go into depth, providing only enough information to offer an overview of the movements and the lives of the people involved. 

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Sittser closes each chapter by relating it to present world events and movements, exercises that require thoughtful consideration.

Presbyterian Sittser spends considerable time focusing on the lives and influence of Martin Luther and John Calvin. His information and insights into these two reformers make the book worth reading. However, very little is mentioned regarding the influence of the Anabaptists of Switzerland and the tremendous price they paid for their stand on believer’s baptism.

While acknowledging each movement and/or tradition cannot be included, and knowing each has its strengths and weaknesses, Sittser reveals the strengths, so the reader can appreciate them. “I have chosen to dwell on the good part of the story, though I could have done the opposite,” he writes. “But I believe that failures and abuses do not nullify the value of these traditions.” He also points out that the motivating force behind each tradition is Jesus Christ.

For the person who loves to read church history, Water from a Deep Well is informative and thought-provoking. For the person who loves to read books that will challenge one’s faith commitment, this is a must-read.

Randall Scott, pastor

Immanuel Baptist Church, Paris

Baptists and Religious Liberty: The Freedom Road by William M. Pinson Jr. (BaptistWay Press)

Baptist polity, practice and doctrine not only find their basis in the Bible, but also relate integrally to religious liberty, Bill Pinson asserts in this thoroughly researched but easy-to-read book.

Baptists historically have remained steadfast defenders of religious liberty for all people because they believe the Bible teaches God created humanity with soul freedom and soul competency. Consequently, they have called for the institutional separation of church and state as the best guarantee to ensure religious freedom.

In an engaging narrative style, Pinson tells the story of a Freedom Road stained with the blood of Christian martyrs—including many Baptists—who remained true to the simple-but-revolutionary idea that God created individuals free to respond in faith, and no human being or man-made entity has any right to stand in their way. That Freedom Road requires constant maintenance, and modern Baptists who either neglect it or detour from it to seek their own shortcuts betray their blood-bought heritage and endanger the free exercise of faith.

Ken Camp, managing editor

Baptist Standard, Dallas