Ryken's Worldly Saints offers a fine introduction to seventeenth-century Puritanism in its English and American contexts. The work is rich in quotations from Puritan worthies and is ideally suited to general readers who have not delved widely into Puritan literature. It will also be a source of information and inspiration to those who seek a clearer understanding of the Puritan roots of American Christianity. -Harry Stout; Yale University "…the typical Puritans were not wild men; fierce and freaky; religious fanatics and social extremists; but sober; conscientious; and cultured citizens; persons of principle; determined and disciplined excelling in the domestic virtues; and with no obvious shortcomings save a tendency to run to words when saying anything important; whether to God or to a man. At last the record has been put straight." -J.I. Packer; Regent College "Worldly Saints provides a revealing treasury of primary and secondary evidence for understanding the Puritans; who they were; what they believed; and how they acted. This is a book of value and interest for scholars and students; clergy and laity alike." -Roland Mushat Frye; University of Pennsylvania "A very persuasive...most interesting book...stuffed with quotations from Puritan sources; almost to the point of making it a mini-anthology." -Publishers Weekly "With Worldly Saints; Christians of all persuasions have a tool that provides ready access to the vast treasures of Puritan thought." -Christianity Today "Ryken writes with a vigor and enthusiasm that makes delightful reading-never a dull moment." -Fides et Historia "Worldly Saints provides a valuable picture of Puritan life and values. It should be useful for general readers as well as for students of history and literature." -Christianity and Literature
#328797 in Books 2012-01-03 2012-01-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.98 x .91 x 5.15l; .93 #File Name: 0307947084464 pages
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is a grand summary of the battle of Gettysburg ...By Rand WhitneyThis is a grand summary of the battle of Gettysburg! I have read much on Gettysburg yet got so many new facts and insights to this epic event. I had it on my bucket list to stand on Little Round Top and imagine what the men there faced. Now that has been superseded by the desire to see another spot; just as dramatic yet more tragic - the place where the 262 men of the 1st Minnesota charged into 1500 Confederates threatening to break the union line thus saving the day and probably the battle. I now understand how haphazard war/combat was/is. Very sobering account - well written; concise; informative; inspiring. You can knock it out in a short 2 evenings reading.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Catton is still the bestBy Glenn A RobertsDespite being nearly 60 years old; this is still one of the best popular histories of the Civil War available. In great part; that's due to the timeless; masterful writing style of Bruce Catton. His use of language to paint a picture or evoke an intellectual and emotional response from the reader is unmatched (though Shelby Foote and James McPherson come remarkably close.) This book describes battles; but if you're looking for battle-action reports detailing the movements of the Iron Brigade or Stonewall Brigade; or the heroic stand of the 20th Maine at Little Round Top; you won't find them here. Instead; Catton puts the battles into the perspective of an entire campaign; and discusses not only the campaigns; but the social; political and economic environments in which they occurred. As a result; many decisions that; by themselves; appear ill-considered are suddenly understandable when placed in the overall context of the conflict. I have always been a particular fan of Catton's way of describing how slavery is inextricably woven into the fabric of the war: it may not have been the direct; overt; stand-alone cause of the war; but it was at the root of all the other causes: preserving a way of life that at its root was stained with immorality; states rights (in the South Carolina declaration of secession; they gave as a justification New York's exercise of state's rights when it refused to enforce the fugitive slave act - South Carolina felt the federal government should force the state to enforce it); and the collision of the agrarian economy with the industrial economy. He then links this complex national tragedy into the civil rights struggles of the 1950's and 1960's; since the book was written in the midst of these struggles; their outcome was not yet certain - and; as he explains; may not be certain for several more generations. He succeeds; as no other writer on the Civil War has; in lifting the story of the conflict from something consigned to the dusty halls of history; into a living; breathing part of the modern American experience.When you're ready for more detail; Catton wrote other books; including a trilogy about the Army of the Potomac; a trilogy about the entire Civil War; and a masterful trilogy about Ulysses S. Grant (he assisted Lloyd Lewis with the first volumen; then wrote the remaining two volumes himself - I believe Mr. Lewis may have died shortly after the first volume was finished?) All of his writing rises to the same level of quality.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Thrice read -- thrice enjoyedBy JosephWonderful to have This Hallowed Ground in Kindle; my old paperback was crumbling away and losing pages all over the place.Bruce Catton gives us in this book the Union side of the Civil War; and makes the reader deeply reverent for all (on both sides) who fought and lost their lives in this great war of the American People. No way to run from the impact of the campaigns; and the maturing of the American mind set from Kansas to Appomattox. Grateful for having this book in my archive. In a few years I'll read it again; enjoying and learning more each time through.
