New Books by Historian, Michael A.G. Haykin

Credo Magazine contributor, prolific author, and Patristics and Baptist historian, Michael A.G. Haykin, has published several new books of late. Haykin is Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Haykin has a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Toronto (1974), a Master of Religion from Wycliffe College, the University of Toronto (1977), and a Th.D. in Church History from Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto (1982). His is the author of Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church (Crossway, 2011). Haykin is also the director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies.

Don’t miss an opportunity to get your hands on these!

Ardent Love for Jesus: English Baptists and the Experience of Revival in the Long Eighteenth Century

The eighteenth century began with the Calvinistic Baptists in poor condition. Small in number and despised, there seemed to be little hope for the future. Yet as the years passed by remarkable ministries arose and the Lord worked in wonderful ways. Michael Haykin plots the course of events, looking at figures such as Benjamin Francis and Anne Steele, John Sutcliff and the ‘concert of prayer’ and the theology of Andrew Fuller. This is not only history: the experiences of these Baptists has much to teach us today about our need of a work of God.

Travel with Jonathan Edwards: A God Centered Life, An Enduring Legacy

In a world wracked by the clash of European powers, Jonathan Edwards, one of the most extraordinary theologian-pastors in the history of Christianity, sought to express by means of the spoken word and printed text his vision of the glory of God, sovereign over this world’s empires, and its practical implications for humanity. The pursuit of this calling was an instrumental factor in the revivals that reshaped the American spiritual landscape. Throughout all the changes of his life was his beautiful relationship with his wife Sarah, a model of Puritan marital piety and the hidden spring of much of his usefulness as a preacher and theologian.

The Sweetness of God: Poetic Reflections on the Grace and Love of the Triune God

“The poems in this collection were written over a lengthy period of more than thirty-five years, from the mid-1970s to the present day. They seek to express, in ways not accessible to an historian’s prose, my experience of the delights and paradoxes of being a believer in and follower of the Triune God.”

Patrick of Ireland: His Life and Impact (Earl Church Fathers)

Patrick ministered to kings and slaves alike in the culture that had enslaved him. Patrick’s faith and his commitment to the Word of God through hard times is a true example of the way that God calls us to grow and to bless those around us through our suffering. Michael Haykin’s masterful biography of Patrick’s life and faith will show you how you can follow God’s call in your life. Early Church Fathers: this series relates the magnificent impact that these fathers of the early church made for our world today.

Here are commendations:

A fine balance between a biography of an extraordinary servant of Jesus Christ and an explanation of the beliefs that sustained Patrick.

–Michael Ovey ~ Principal, Oak Hill Theological College, London

Michael Haykin paints a compelling portrait of this bibliocentric bishop and earnest evangelist. The dedicated missionary and thoughtful theologian that emerges belongs to the Gospel-loving global church and not just the Emerald Isle.

–Paul Hartog ~ Adjunct Faculty, Biblical Studies, Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary, Ankeny, Iowa

To read this account is to fill us with thankfulness for the Lord’s work in history and with hopefulness for… another era of lost-ness.

–Edward Donnelly ~ Principal, Reformed Theological College, Belfast, Northern Ireland

Judicious… knowledgeable…insightful… Readers will be impressed.

–D. H. Williams ~ Professor of Patristics and Historical Theology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas

Beautifully detailed portrait in miniature… all Christians will benefit from learning more about this mighty figure in the great cloud of witnesses.

–Lewis Ayres ~ Professor of Historical Theology, Durham University, Durham, England

To the Ends of the Earth: Calvin’s Missional Vision and Legacy

Calvinist missionaries.
If you think that sounds like an oxymoron, you’re not alone. Yet a close look at John Calvin’s life, writings, and successors reveals a passion for the spread of the gospel and the salvation of sinners.

From training pastors at his Genevan Academy to sending missionaries to the jungles of Brazil, Calvin consistently sought to encourage and equip Christians to take the good news of salvation to the very ends of the earth. In this carefully researched book, Michael Haykin and Jeffrey Robinson clear away longstanding stereotypes related to the Reformed tradition and Calvin’s theological heirs, highlighting the Reformer’s neglected missional vision and legacy.

Commendations:

“Among the many myths surrounding Calvinism is the idea that it’s anti-missions. Michael Haykin and Jeffrey Robinson draw into one place the many sources that demonstrate the tradition’s missionary passion. They do so without defensive rhetoric—more out of a love for the Great Commission than for any party label. You don’t have to be a Calvinist to find this story inspiring.”
– Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California; author, Calvin on the Christian Life

“The rehabilitation of Calvin (and his robust theology of divine sovereignty) as a leading figure in global missions is overdue, and few authors are qualified to do it with such enthusiasm and expertise as Haykin and Robinson. In To the Ends of the Earth, the perennial assertion that Calvin(ism) is destructive of evangelism and missions is convincingly shown to be entirely false—theologically and historically. Indeed, the very opposite is the case: Geneva proved to be a center of missionary endeavor and expansion. Read this book and then purchase several more copies to give to your friends. I cannot recommend it highly enough.”
– Derek Thomas, Minister of Preaching and Teaching, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC; Professor of Systematic Theology and Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Atlanta

“For all the attention given to John Calvin, it boggles the mind that something so essential to him has gone largely unnoticed and unappreciated. Thank you, Drs. Haykin and Robinson, for introducing us to Calvin’s missionary and evangelistic zeal. Let’s hope it’s contagious.”
– Stephen J. Nichols, President, Reformation Bible College; Chief Academic Officer, Ligonier Ministries

“Haykin and Robinson show convincingly that Calvinist commitment to the gospel of free grace has driven evangelism and missions for five hundred years. Not only does this book provide a much-needed reassessment of Calvin and missions, but it also extends its accounting through the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, and Calvinist Baptists. In doing this, Haykin and Robinson provide a valuable resource for the church and a tract to motivate us to take the gospel to the ends of the earth in our own time as well.”
– Sean Michael Lucas, Senior Minister, The First Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, MS; Associate Professor of Church History, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson

“Evangelism, missions, and prayer for the lost cannot long endure without a foundation in the doctrines of God’s glory and sovereign grace. Michael Haykin and Jeffrey Robinson demonstrate through careful historical research that despite all claims to the contrary, Reformed truth has been a vital root feeding visionary and sacrificial efforts to reach the world with the gospel. May God use these thrilling accounts to magnify the glory of his grace, and to move many Christians to pour out their lives for the sake of Christ’s kingdom in all lands.”
– Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

“Finally a book that not only removes the myth of a lack of mission incentive in the Calvinist tradition, but also solidly and enthusiastically stimulates those inside and outside that tradition to get the message out.”
– Herman Selderhuis, Professor of Church History, Theological University of Apeldoorn; Director, Refo500, The Netherlands

George Whitefield (Bitesize Biographies)

George Whitefield was arguably the greatest evangelist of church history. His passionate love for Christ and ardent zeal for lost souls endowed him with the fervor necessary to span two continents with the powerful message of salvation. In this fresh snap-shot of the life of George Whitefield, Michael Haykin makes it clear that Whitefield was not only a force for God in preaching, but was marked by an intense biblical piety. The humble servant he was on his knees before God shaped him into the roaring lion he became before men. A recognized scholar, Dr. Haykin brings historical clarity and devotional meditation to a virtually unparalleled life, which is, according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, almost forgotten in church history. This is a welcome biographical sketch of George Whitefield from a revered historian whose love is the same as his subject – Jesus Christ.