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The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin
(The Swans Are Not Silent #1)
by
We admire these men for their greatness, but the truth is Augustine grappled with sexual passions. Martin Luther struggled to control his tongue. John Calvin fought the battle of faith with worldly weapons.
Yet each man will always be remembered for the messages he declared-messages that still resound today. John Piper explores each of these men's lives, integrating Augusti ...more
Yet each man will always be remembered for the messages he declared-messages that still resound today. John Piper explores each of these men's lives, integrating Augusti ...more
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Paperback, 158 pages
Published
August 11th 2006
by Crossway Books
(first published May 1st 2000)
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Start your review of The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin (The Swans Are Not Silent, #1)
I love biographies. I love the ones that point me to Christ even more.
This book contains short biographies on Augustine, Luther and Calvin. The section on Luther was the highlight of the book and pinpoints his devotion to God's Word.
I really wanted to appreciate this book more, but I just did not find it as beneficial. Part of the reason is that Augustine and to a certain extent John Calvin look very much like John Piper after you read their biographical sections. This book contains a lot of focused theological reflection (which is not a bad thing in itself), but ...more
I really wanted to appreciate this book more, but I just did not find it as beneficial. Part of the reason is that Augustine and to a certain extent John Calvin look very much like John Piper after you read their biographical sections. This book contains a lot of focused theological reflection (which is not a bad thing in itself), but ...more
As far as a narrative goes, this is decent. Piper cannot escape his enlightenment presuppositions. He attacks all three on points which aren't really their fault:
Augustine: he attacks Augustine's sexual immorality and notes, "the saints aren't perfect." Well, they are not but this was PRE-CONVERSION.
Calvin: he attacks Calvin on the Servetus episode and sort of ends with a passionate plea for justice for Servetus. Except he doesn't realize Calvin did not put Servetus to death. This is a historica ...more
Augustine: he attacks Augustine's sexual immorality and notes, "the saints aren't perfect." Well, they are not but this was PRE-CONVERSION.
Calvin: he attacks Calvin on the Servetus episode and sort of ends with a passionate plea for justice for Servetus. Except he doesn't realize Calvin did not put Servetus to death. This is a historica ...more
This short book is typical Piper in both its strengths and weaknesses.
John Piper does an excellent job weaving together three short biographies of very different men (Augustine, Luther, and Calvin). He points out one trait from each man and then pulls those three traits together in his conclusion to say that we need the sovereign joy of God (1. Augustine) to surpass all the other joys in our lives. This can come through the Word alone (2. Luther) and so we need to preach the word constantly (3. ...more
John Piper does an excellent job weaving together three short biographies of very different men (Augustine, Luther, and Calvin). He points out one trait from each man and then pulls those three traits together in his conclusion to say that we need the sovereign joy of God (1. Augustine) to surpass all the other joys in our lives. This can come through the Word alone (2. Luther) and so we need to preach the word constantly (3. ...more
A truly great book! The title tells a lot about the book; the book is about how these three men found true joy in seeking God's glory. God is and He is sovereign. The more we know Him and find our joy in Hin the more He is glorified. This is truly what live should be all about. I love this book am looking forward to reading others in the series. I have already read two of them.
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Encouraging.
An accessible look into the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. Looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
An accessible look into the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin. Looking forward to reading the rest in the series.
Piper's passion really showed through in this one and I found it contagious. I think this has been my favorite so far.
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If you like Christian Biographies then this book is a go. The way the author interacts with the stories 0f Augustine, Luther, and Calvin and the way he makes them interact with each other is exciting. One of my favourite parts of the book is the concluding segment where the author draws key lessons from the saints' lives and shows how they can be applied to our lives.
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Piper has a way of magnifying the Lord and stirring the reader's desire to know God more in the triumphs and failures of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. The sovereign power and grace of the Lord is clear in the accounts of each of the men's salvation experiences and their sanctification. This book is helpful for any believer to read at any point in their walk: to encourage the new believer, sustain a believer going through a hard season, or to light a new fire in a believer who has grown numb.
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What a joy it is to behold God's triumphant grace in the lives of these "flawed saints"! How God rescued Augustine from sexual promiscuity is such a powerful testimony of the God we serve - the God who persistently seeks His own! Augustine, Luther and Calvin were weak in themselves but they were strong in the might of our God. Glory be to Him! Piper doesn't hide their faults, and displays how the majesty of God revealed through the Word of God awakened in them "sovereign joy" and so helped them
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Excellent writing and very encouraging. All the focus of this book is on God and God alone. It barely mentions man and his needs. Man is only a vessel, and our lives are a means by which to glorify God. God is the central focus.
I loved the stories of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. They were not portrayed as heroes, but as normal men with flaws whom God used mightily, so that the glory is always God's.
Fantastic stuff. ...more
I loved the stories of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. They were not portrayed as heroes, but as normal men with flaws whom God used mightily, so that the glory is always God's.
Fantastic stuff. ...more
As Piper reveals, Augustine, Luther and Calvin had one significant thing in common: a nearly insane single-mindedness to know, enjoy, study and preach God. That, by far, is the biggest encouragement this book offers. It's difficult to even imagine a person being that focused on one thing in today's world. But it is interesting to consider what that would look like.
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All of Piper's biographical sketches are pearl. The conference version is available for streaming or download as MP3 for free at the Desiring God website.
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I enjoyed this more than I expected. His intro chapter was very fitting and summative, and then he cleverly focused on one unique thing for each of these three men which then all weaved together. For Augustine, the focus was on the power of a sovereign joy to surpass all other joys. For Luther, the focus was on the importance of studying and sticking to the Word alone. For Calvin, the emphasis was on his consistent proclaiming of the Word. As a result, he summed it all up in the short conclusion
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Piper does a great job detailing intriguing events in the lives of these three church fathers (Augustine, Luther, and Calvin), finding interesting similarities between them, and drawing our hearts to the absolute glory and magnificence of God through their ministries. I was deeply impressed with the astounding amount of preaching, teaching, ministering, and writing they each did, often in the midst of strong threat of persecution. He highlights some glaring flaws in the lives of each of these me
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They are the alleged titans of reformation. But
This book is a compilation of these great people who did pave the way for a particular form of theology and are revered for. that is reformed theology. Though it is biographical in its intention but forces the reformed framework. by saying that it is not justified if they have to remain there.
When Swans are not silent, they make horrible noises ( literally) but their lives are beautifully portrayed. its a good read if you don't have any other biog ...more
This book is a compilation of these great people who did pave the way for a particular form of theology and are revered for. that is reformed theology. Though it is biographical in its intention but forces the reformed framework. by saying that it is not justified if they have to remain there.
When Swans are not silent, they make horrible noises ( literally) but their lives are beautifully portrayed. its a good read if you don't have any other biog ...more
Piper: If a worshiping heart and a holy life are the fruit of sovereign joy, and if the written Word of God is the deposit of historical truth where the glory of Christ wakens this joy, then let us pray that God would raise up generations of preachers who give themselves, with Calvin-like devotion, to expository exultation over the glory of Jesus Christ for the joy of all peoples.
Even from flawed saints like Augustine, Luther and Calvin, we can learn something, and several of them may be very tr ...more
Even from flawed saints like Augustine, Luther and Calvin, we can learn something, and several of them may be very tr ...more
Audiobook Review:
I enjoyed this book, and am pleased to have discovered this series.
The heroes of faith, features in this book, were only names to me. I had briefly heard of them.
I really enjoyed and was very much inspired in their relentless persistence in the discipline of prayer, Bible study and worship. And yes, I heartily agree that the more we get to know God - which comes from those disciplines, the more His joy and delight pours into us!
Thank you to both author and narrator for bringing ...more
I enjoyed this book, and am pleased to have discovered this series.
The heroes of faith, features in this book, were only names to me. I had briefly heard of them.
I really enjoyed and was very much inspired in their relentless persistence in the discipline of prayer, Bible study and worship. And yes, I heartily agree that the more we get to know God - which comes from those disciplines, the more His joy and delight pours into us!
Thank you to both author and narrator for bringing ...more
Found the historical data regarding these three giants of the Christian religion to be informative. However, I found the author's style of writing cumbersome and, at times, quite difficult to follow. Pastor Piper finally and clearly summarizes his four key points in the last chapter. The book has "hidden diamonds" but you have to slog through quite a bit until you stumble upon them here and there.
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I was pretty let down by this book. When I learned that it was going to be about joy experienced in the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin I was excited and looking forward to learning new facts and truths lived and taught by these men. Unfortunately, only the chapter on Augustine I found to be quality. Piper is not he usual “quotable” self and anything he shares about the lives of the men is general knowledge.
This is not John Piper's best book. But if it had come from any of several dozen authors I can think of and do gladly read, it would be among their best.
The introductory section read a bit dry to me, but the main course of the book - being the discourses on Augustine, Luther and Calvin - ended that.
To anyone interested in the history of the church, the foundations of the reform or the message of sovereign joy I heartily recommend this book. ...more
The introductory section read a bit dry to me, but the main course of the book - being the discourses on Augustine, Luther and Calvin - ended that.
To anyone interested in the history of the church, the foundations of the reform or the message of sovereign joy I heartily recommend this book. ...more
Read as part of 21 Servants of Sovereign Joy
Short biographies of Faithful, Flawed, and Fruitful Christians throughout church history. Wonderful theological and practical reflections. Highly recommend!
Reading this has convinced me to strive to always be reading a Christian biography. It has been so helpful to my worship of the Lord, and as examples worth learning from both from the good and the bad.
Short biographies of Faithful, Flawed, and Fruitful Christians throughout church history. Wonderful theological and practical reflections. Highly recommend!
Reading this has convinced me to strive to always be reading a Christian biography. It has been so helpful to my worship of the Lord, and as examples worth learning from both from the good and the bad.
Augustine- sovereign joy displaces all human enjoyment- you have made us for yourself nor can we be at rest til we find rest in thee...
Luther- primacy of the Word of God to change a life and to change the world. Everything and everyone else is a secondary study... flawed but faithful
Calvin- the expositor of God’s Word. Institutes was written during the persecution and martyrdom of the saints in France while he was exiled in Geneva
Luther- primacy of the Word of God to change a life and to change the world. Everything and everyone else is a secondary study... flawed but faithful
Calvin- the expositor of God’s Word. Institutes was written during the persecution and martyrdom of the saints in France while he was exiled in Geneva
Only joy in God can satisfy our innermost desires.
May God give us this gift of sovereign joy in the death and resurrection of Jesus that nothing in this world can compare.
“How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose..! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place.... O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation.”
Augustine
May God give us this gift of sovereign joy in the death and resurrection of Jesus that nothing in this world can compare.
“How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose..! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place.... O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation.”
Augustine
"How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose! . . . You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure. . . . O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation." Augustine
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I was encouraged by the snippets of history that revealed the humanity and sometimes sinfulness of these giants of the Christian faith. Luther did more than wrestle with the text of Scripture: he "beat importunately on Paul" as he fought to understand. In contrast, he also confessed to avoiding the text and prayer for days at a time.
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Great introduction to the lives of Augustine, Calvin, and Luther. Ever the pastor and teacher, Piper draws out the lessons to be learned from these men and applies them to the Christian life today. I highly recommend this book.
Just like all John Piper's books, this one was filled with scholarly research and how these men of God each acted on their calling. This is another good reference book on the lives of the fathers of the Church.
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One of the best in this series, Piper looks at three of the most influential Theologians in the context of the doctrines of Grace. A lot of information was familiar, some was new, and all of it was helpful.
Terminei de ler: "The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin by John Piper".
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John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel Co ...more
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel Co ...more
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“After escaping from Paris and finally leaving France entirely, Calvin spent his exile in Basel, Switzerland, between 1534 and 1536. To redeem the time, “he devoted himself to the study of Hebrew.” (Imagine such a thing! Would any pastor today, exiled from his church and country, and living in mortal danger, study Hebrew? What has become of the vision of ministry that such a thing seems unthinkable today?)”
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“So when you hold the “Institutes” of John Calvin in your hand, remember that theology, for John Calvin, was forged in the furnace of burning flesh, and that Calvin could not sit idly by without some effort to vindicate the faithful and the God for whom they suffered. I think we would, perhaps, do our theology better today if more were at stake in what we said.”
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