God’s Watchman: John Knox’s Faith and Vocation

by Richard G. Kyle

Publisher:

Wipf and Stock

, 2014

Overview

John Knox ranks among the great leaders of the Reformed tradition. In particular, he made significant contributions to this movement as it unfolded in Scotland. In doing so, Knox wore many hats—prophet, pastor, preacher, reformer, statesman, revolutionary, and more. God’s Watchman: John Knox’s Faith and Vocation attempts to connect these aspects of Knox’s life. Being a man of action, these roles come to the forefront. Still, they rest on a particular faith shaped by his interpretation of Scripture, his view of God, and the events of sixteenth-century Europe. Section 1 of this study establishes these beliefs. Part 2 spells out his vocation—namely, functioning as a prophet, pastor, and preacher. All of this—his faith and vocation—culminated in his revolutionary political ideas, which are the subject of section 3.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Examines the life of John Knox
• Discusses Knox’s faith and work and his resulting political ideas
• Places Knox in the context of the Reformation, and Scottish and English history

Contents

• Part One: Historical and Theological Foundations
  • The Reformer in His Context
  • The Word of God and Its Interpretation
  • God and His Work in the World
  • The Path to Salvation
  • The Church and Its Many Faces
  • The Sacraments and the Crusade against Idolatry
• Part Two: Vocational Considerations
  • Thunder from the Pulpit
  • Son of the Prophets
  • The Care of Souls
• Part Three: Political Considerations
  • The Road to Resistance
  • Shocking Politics and Idolatrous Rulers
  • Church-State Patterns
  • A Few Afterthoughts

Praise for the Print Edition

Professor Kyle’s new book on John Knox as ‘God’s watchman’ draws together a lifetime of research and presents the reader with a fresh and perceptive study of this controversial and paradoxical man. He offers a convincing explanation of how the contradictions surrounding the Scottish reformer can be reconciled by examining Knox’s roles as a pastor, as well as a prophet, and preacher.

—Jane Dawson, professor of Reformation history, University of Edinburgh

When an idea enters the fertile mind of Richard Kyle, it is analyzed, developed, cultivated, and nuanced relentlessly. . . . While Knox never wrote a systematic theology, this compilation of essays approaches a public theology. Taken as a whole, it is an intellectual and theological biography placed in historical context. In this anniversary of the Scots reformer, readers will greatly benefit from the mature scholarship of Richard Kyle, the dean of Knox scholars in North America.

—Dale Walden Johnson, professor of church history, Erskine Theological Seminary

Product Details

• Title: God’s Watchman: John Knox’s Faith and Vocation
• Author: Richard G. Kyle
• Publisher: Wipf & Stock
• Publication Date: 2014
• Pages: 298
• Christian Group: Reformed
• Resource Type: Biography
• Topic: Reformation

About Richard G. Kyle

Richard G. Kyle is a professor of history and religion at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. He earned his MDiv from Denver Seminary, his ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary, and his PhD from the University of Mexico. He is the author of eight books and numerous scholarly articles, and was twice a Fulbright Scholar.