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Profiles in Reformed Spirituality
Christ Is All: The Piety of Horatius Bonar
Christ is All highlights the life and work of the Scottish minister and poet, Horatius Bonar (1808-1889). Haykin and Brooker provide a biographical sketch and excerpts from 65 of Bonar's writings that demonstrate his devotion to the Glory of Christ.
226 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Michael A.G. Haykin
221 books75 followersDr. Michael A.G. Haykin is the Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality and Director of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He is also the editor of Eusebeia: The Bulletin of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. His present areas of research include 18th-century British Baptist life and thought, as well as Patristic Trinitarianism and Baptist piety.
Haykin is a prolific writer having authored numerous books, over 250 articles and over 150 book reviews. He is also an accomplished editor with numerous editorial credits.
He is also the editor of Eusebeia: The Bulletin of The Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies. His present areas of research include 18th-century British Baptist life and thought, as well as Patristic Trinitarianism and Baptist piety.
Haykin is a prolific writer having authored numerous books, over 250 articles and over 150 book reviews. He is also an accomplished editor with numerous editorial credits.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 25, 2025
“Christ is All: The Piety of Horatius Bonar” was such a delightful little read. I originally picked it up thinking it would be one of those “early days of Lochlan’s birth” books…but, I couldn’t help myself and jumped the gun. (Send more book recs, please! My entire TBR was gone before he even showed up.)
I went in expecting a straight-up biography of Bonar, but it turned out to be more of an anthology containing sermons, tracts, essays, and articles. Its basically a sampler platter of his work. And honestly, I loved it. It gave me a great snapshot of who he was. And thanks to this, I am actually planning to read some of his longer works.
Bonar’s heart for the communion of saints really shines through. Every page pulls the reader deeper into Christ, and I was especially struck by how much weight he placed on the Eucharist in the life of the church. His writing aches for the kingdom to flourish, and that longing is contagious.
One essay reflected on revival efforts at St. Peter’s Church in Dundee, which, as someone at New St. Peter’s in Dallas, felt like opening an old family scrapbook. Two hundred years later, we’re still wrestling with some of the same joys and challenges. Another essay, “On Our Beloved France”, grieved the fall of Protestantism there and prayed for the revival of Reformed theology in Calvin’s homeland. Reading that while thinking about the decline of Reformed faith in the American Northeast hit hard. What do we do when it feels like God has abandoned our cause? That tension feels as relevant now as it did then.
It’s tempting to read guys from the 1800s and think, “Well, we’ve evolved past their struggles, we’ve got air conditioning, indoor plumbing, and cable news!” But honestly, I was floored by how familiar Bonar’s emotions felt. His deep grief over lost ground, his urgency for union with Christ, his insistence on the Eucharist as central to the life of the church, his wistful longing for the day Christ makes all things new. These felt so similar to me because they are my feelings too, just 200 years and a continent removed.
It actually reminded me of one of my favorite films, “Babette’s Feast”. In it, a French woman flees to Denmark amidst the Nazi invasion of France, and lands in a pietistic Reformed community that’s suspicious of beauty and joy. But through her cooking, Babette teaches them that beauty itself can point us to the Divine. They end up better for having known her. Reformed theology can sometimes lean toward withdrawal, toward mind over heart. As one writer put it, “It’s easy to love God with our minds but not our hearts.” In this way, Bonar is like Babette. He shows us that we don’t have to compromise conviction to embrace beauty and emotion. That doctrinal precision doesn’t have to kill wonder. That piety shouldn’t cut us off from our friends, and our views of soteriology shouldn't make us fatalistic but rather send us out on mission.
Read Bonar. Then reread Bonar. And maybe reread him again. Because he might just be Reformed theology at its best. Deeply rooted in the historic faith, yet alive with emotion, beauty, and a heart that longs for Christ’s kingdom to come.
I went in expecting a straight-up biography of Bonar, but it turned out to be more of an anthology containing sermons, tracts, essays, and articles. Its basically a sampler platter of his work. And honestly, I loved it. It gave me a great snapshot of who he was. And thanks to this, I am actually planning to read some of his longer works.
Bonar’s heart for the communion of saints really shines through. Every page pulls the reader deeper into Christ, and I was especially struck by how much weight he placed on the Eucharist in the life of the church. His writing aches for the kingdom to flourish, and that longing is contagious.
One essay reflected on revival efforts at St. Peter’s Church in Dundee, which, as someone at New St. Peter’s in Dallas, felt like opening an old family scrapbook. Two hundred years later, we’re still wrestling with some of the same joys and challenges. Another essay, “On Our Beloved France”, grieved the fall of Protestantism there and prayed for the revival of Reformed theology in Calvin’s homeland. Reading that while thinking about the decline of Reformed faith in the American Northeast hit hard. What do we do when it feels like God has abandoned our cause? That tension feels as relevant now as it did then.
It’s tempting to read guys from the 1800s and think, “Well, we’ve evolved past their struggles, we’ve got air conditioning, indoor plumbing, and cable news!” But honestly, I was floored by how familiar Bonar’s emotions felt. His deep grief over lost ground, his urgency for union with Christ, his insistence on the Eucharist as central to the life of the church, his wistful longing for the day Christ makes all things new. These felt so similar to me because they are my feelings too, just 200 years and a continent removed.
It actually reminded me of one of my favorite films, “Babette’s Feast”. In it, a French woman flees to Denmark amidst the Nazi invasion of France, and lands in a pietistic Reformed community that’s suspicious of beauty and joy. But through her cooking, Babette teaches them that beauty itself can point us to the Divine. They end up better for having known her. Reformed theology can sometimes lean toward withdrawal, toward mind over heart. As one writer put it, “It’s easy to love God with our minds but not our hearts.” In this way, Bonar is like Babette. He shows us that we don’t have to compromise conviction to embrace beauty and emotion. That doctrinal precision doesn’t have to kill wonder. That piety shouldn’t cut us off from our friends, and our views of soteriology shouldn't make us fatalistic but rather send us out on mission.
Read Bonar. Then reread Bonar. And maybe reread him again. Because he might just be Reformed theology at its best. Deeply rooted in the historic faith, yet alive with emotion, beauty, and a heart that longs for Christ’s kingdom to come.
October 7, 2019
This is an excellent little volume. Dr. Haykin introduces us to one of the great theologians and preachers of Scotland and then allows Bonar to speak to us through a series of select topics gleaned from his many books.
September 23, 2021
This is a short, but wonderful book edited by Michael Haykin and Darrin Brooker. After an opening discussion of Bonar's spirituality it then gives us 65 quotes from various writing of Horatius Bonar which reflect his rich devotional life. This is a great book to add to your devotional reading.
Want to Read
April 18, 2008All I currently know of Bonar is through his hymns, and that he is the brother of Andrew (of M'cheyne Memoirs fame). I look forward to learning more.
from Band of Bloggers (Mar. 31, 08):
This book is the latest release in the “Profiles in Reformed Spirituality” and includes 65 excerpts from Bonar’s writings that capture his ardent devotion to the glory of Christ. Readers will also be interested in Haykin’s biographical introduction to Bonar, an eminent Scottish minister and poet.
from Band of Bloggers (Mar. 31, 08):
This book is the latest release in the “Profiles in Reformed Spirituality” and includes 65 excerpts from Bonar’s writings that capture his ardent devotion to the glory of Christ. Readers will also be interested in Haykin’s biographical introduction to Bonar, an eminent Scottish minister and poet.
Read
November 1, 2014This is a very good introduction to the writings and life of Horatius Bonar. Read it and be challenged from your lethargy and comfort levels!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews