A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
by Fred G. Zaspel
We’re all familiar with the successes of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, the Netherlands, and in Great Britain. But we are not very well acquainted with the story of the Reformed faith in France. At one time it flourished, and though it met with brutal suppression a rich tradition emerged that is largely unknown to most today.
Our friend Steve Davis joins with Martin Klauber and Michael Haykin to retell the story of French Calvinism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and they do so through the lives of fifteen remarkable figures of the Huguenot movement. Part biography, part historical narrative, highlighting wars, synods, edicts, assassinations, exiles, and faithful witness, their new book offers light into a world that deserves to be remembered.
Highly recommended.
Endorsement from Joel Beeke:
“The Huguenot movement has been neglected for too long in historical-theological reflection. While the Protestant Reformation took deep root over several generations in such nations as Germany, the Netherlands, and Britain, Reformed theology initially flourished but was ultimately suppressed—if rather brutally—in the Kingdom of France, particularly after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. As such, the lives and writings of Huguenot theologians have not been as widely discussed or disseminated as those of the magisterial Reformers and Puritans. Written by three seasoned church historians, this book makes progress in resolving that problem. By introducing a veritable who’s who of French Huguenots, these scholars revive the legacies of these men, share them with a wider audience, and bring their theological contributions back into the mainstream of post-Reformation Reformed studies. You will find here a mixture of theological reflection—such as our heroes’ debates over Arminianism, Arnyraldianism, and the Lord’s Supper—and the drama of the rather complex socioeconomic and religious milieu of pre-Revolution France, with its wars, synods, exiles, edicts, and assassinations. You will be introduced to fifteen Huguenots and will learn the history of the French Reformed movement through the valuable lens of their lives and stories. This book is a fascinating testament to the providence of God in the French Reformation and, I trust, will encourage revival of interest in a much-neglected field of study in church history. Prendre et lire!”