This new work on Arthur Hildersham is superb in every aspect and is a must read for anyone with an interest in 17th century Puritanism or in the doctrines that the Puritans believed and taught.
Hildersham lived from 1563 to 1632. His name is less well known than that of John Owen, Richard Sibbes and others whose works were reprinted in the 19thand 20th centuries and which continue to be available in various formats today. In his day, however, Hildersham was a leader of the Puritans and deserves to be better known than he is.
The book is a beautifully produced 210 page, Bible-black, gold-embossed hardback. The glossy black dust wrapper features a colour portrait of the man in question; the clear white pages, the simply drawn maps on the endpapers and the who's who, bibliography and index all add to the book’s attractiveness. The author is well qualified to write this biography which is clearly the fruit of countless hours of careful research. Not only is she a professional historian, currently based at Warwick University, but she is also very sympathetic to her subject while never abandoning her critical faculty.
The book is made up of 14 fully footnoted and well written chapters, largely following a chronological order. The chapters not only provide an intimate portrait of a hero of the faith but also, as the title intimates, give an idea of the times in which Hildersham lived, thus providing a useful tool for the study of the period as well as the man. The book charts Hildersham's life from his birth to his death taking in his education, call to ministry, arrival in Ashby de la Zouch, his message and circumstances, his suspension, suffering and years of enforced silence and his final years. A final chapter suggests ten lessons that can be learned from this quite remarkable life.
(This review also appears here)
The book is a beautifully produced 210 page, Bible-black, gold-embossed hardback. The glossy black dust wrapper features a colour portrait of the man in question; the clear white pages, the simply drawn maps on the endpapers and the who's who, bibliography and index all add to the book’s attractiveness. The author is well qualified to write this biography which is clearly the fruit of countless hours of careful research. Not only is she a professional historian, currently based at Warwick University, but she is also very sympathetic to her subject while never abandoning her critical faculty.
The book is made up of 14 fully footnoted and well written chapters, largely following a chronological order. The chapters not only provide an intimate portrait of a hero of the faith but also, as the title intimates, give an idea of the times in which Hildersham lived, thus providing a useful tool for the study of the period as well as the man. The book charts Hildersham's life from his birth to his death taking in his education, call to ministry, arrival in Ashby de la Zouch, his message and circumstances, his suspension, suffering and years of enforced silence and his final years. A final chapter suggests ten lessons that can be learned from this quite remarkable life.
(This review also appears here)
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