Meet the Puritans: A Guide to Their Lives and Books, 2nd Edition

“An invaluable resource. It ought to be on the shelf of every Christian who loves the Puritans and wants to learn from them and about them.”

“The student of Puritanism will often reach for it, and yet the bedtime reader will be enthralled by it. It will persuade you that giants for Christ did once exist. Here are their stories.”

“Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson have given us a priceless treasure in this introduction to the Puritans and Puritan literature. I have often wished for just such a resource. An encyclopedic wealth of biographical and bibliographical information has been distilled here in a simple, readable, understandable, and wonderfully useful compendium. For the novice lay person who wants a reliable introduction to the Puritans, this is the perfect handbook. And for the seasoned scholar seeking a catalogue of the best available Puritan literature, this is also an indispensable tool. My prayer is that it will help spark a new wave of interest in the Puritans, a new appreciation for their theology, and especially a revival of their passion for careful biblical exposition.”

“The recent revival in interest in and commitment to the truths of Reformed theology is due in large measure to the rediscovery of Puritan literature. The Puritans of old have become the prophets for our time. This volume is a treasure for the church.”

“As furnaces burn with ancient coal and not with the leaves that fall from today’s trees, so my heart is kindled with the fiery substance I find in the old Scripture–steeped sermons of Puritan pastors. A warm thanks to the authors of Meet the Puritans for all the labor to make them known.”

“The Puritans—English, Scottish, American, and Dutch—are being read again! In an era of superficial discipleship and erratic, impotent, ailing, and dying churches, this is indeed a hopeful sign. And this wide–ranging handbook of backup information about the writers themselves, their special strengths, and modern reprints of their books, is another hopeful sign. Meet the Puritans is a fascinating compendium, scholarly yet popular and accessible, that Puritan–lovers will value very highly—and justly so.”

“Finally, the resource we’ve always needed! Meet the Puritans is one of those books that raises the question: Why has this not been done before now? We are in Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson’s debt for giving us the best introductory book on the Puritans ever made available. Meet the Puritans is nothing less than a who’s–who of the Puritan tradition.”

“Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson have produced a tremendous gift to and resource for all who want an entryway into the study of the Puritans. They not only provide accurate biographical and theological introduction to every Puritan whose works have been reprinted in the last fifty years, but also combine with their helpful summaries an insightful analysis. If this were not enough, they've added major appendices that include the so–called ‘Scottish Puritans’ (that is, the great Scottish theologians who were contemporaries of and like–minded brethren in doctrine and piety with the English Puritans) as well as the Dutch Further Reformation divines. Meet the Puritans, With a Guide to Modern Reprints is a must have. I know of nothing like it. If you are looking for a reliable window into the life, theology, piety and ministry of the Puritans, this is it.”

“Whether a newcomer to the Puritans or a scholar, Meet the Puritans is a much needed resource. In fact, it’s one of those works that, when it arrives, leads one to ask why it has not appeared before now. Of course, there are biographies and histories, but Meet the Puritans offers the main details of leading Puritans in one volume. Handy and accessible while being backed by first–rate scholarly research, you will not find a better volume of its kind in print.”

“Everything you ever wanted to know about the Puritans and Puritanism form the pens of two distinguished scholars who have given their lives to making them known and accessible to the present generation. Similar works exist, but nothing as thourough or comprehensive as this. This now marks the gold standard in Puritan biographical sketches. An absolutely splendid achievement!”

“For the novice layperson who wants a reliable introduction to the Puritans, this is the perfect handbook. And for the seasoned scholar seeking a catalog of the best available Puritan literature, this is also an indispensable tool.”