History

At one of the most unlikely places, I met one of the most unlikely T4G attendees. While waiting for the seminary shuttles on the morning of the conference’s second day, I met Damien, a native of Krakow, Poland, making his first visit to the United States. According to official numbers, Damien was the only Polish…

Now on display at the James P. Boyce Centennial Library is a sample of a newly acquired collection of Charles Haddon Spurgeon books. Spurgeon (June 19, 1834 – January 31, 1892) became England’s most famous Baptist preacher of the 19th century, pastoring London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle for over 30 years. Spurgeon edited The Sword and the…

Schreiner discusses new book and relevance of Reformation doctrine

EDITOR’S NOTE: In what follows, Shawn D. Wright, associate professor of church history at Southern Seminary, talks about his new book, Theodore Beza: The Man and the Myth, with Towers writer Andrew J.W. Smith. AJWS: What can seminary students learn from Theodore Beza? SW: I think it’s always helpful to learn from a man who lives in a very…

Theodore Beza: The Man and the Myth, Shawn D. Wright (Christian Focus 2016, $14.99)  Despite being one of the great figures of the Protestant Reformation, not much is known about Theodore Beza, French theologian and acolyte of the more famous John Calvin. In fact, what is known is often mythical and exaggerated, such as the erroneous perception…

Among Protestant practitioners of spiritual disciplines, the Oxford Holy Club developed one of the most famed regimens. The group, initiated by Charles Wesley in 1728 and supported by his brother John, included other luminaries like George Whitefield, John Clayton, and Benjamin Ingham. This society — also dubbed “the Methodists” — encouraged pious acts such as…

How did star pupil and popular professor Crawford Howell Toy embrace heresy and leave the Christian faith?

When John R. Sampey was named president of Southern Seminary in 1929, he inherited a brand new Lexington Road campus with $992,000 in related debt (about $13 million in today’s money).1 Only a few months later, a stock market crash initiated the Great Depression. Fortunately for the seminary and the denomination, Sampey was a capable…

Sir Winston Churchill is widely regarded as the greatest leader of the 20th century. Born in the splendor of Blenheim Palace on Nov. 30, 1874, Churchill’s life would span the most decisive years of the transition into the modern world. Though faced with great adversity — and driven by a titanic self-confidence — he would…

Fifty years after his death, Winston Churchill remains the epitome of a bold and successful leader. Co-author of the recent God & Churchill, the British Prime Minister’s great-grandson Jonathan Sandys discusses the marks of Churchill’s leadership and why he provides hope for leaders today, especially those who fail. CS: What defined Churchill’s leadership? JS: When…

Winston Churchill is one of the most quoted leaders of all time, yet many modern citations put words in the lion’s mouth. You’ve probably heard this one: “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen” (looking at you, RG3). As Churchill himself…