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The Mighty Weakness Of John Knox (2011)

by Douglas Bond(Favorite Author)

3.9 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1567692559 (ISBN13: 9781567692556)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Reformation Trust Publishing

review 1: When thinking about the great men who were responsible for the lasting effects of the Reformation, usually it is Calvin and Luther that come to mind first and foremost. But if not for John Knox, the post-Reformation world would have been a very different place. Indeed, many thanks are in order for the heroic courage displayed by Knox and the valiant burden he had for lost souls to be reached with the Gospel. While The Mighty Weakness of John Knox is not an exhaustive look at the life of this Reformer, what is brought out in Douglas Bond’s biography will be not be merely helpful head knowledge, but truly edifying knowledge to the heart.What was the strength to the successful ministry of John Knox? Bond is convinced that his strength was his weakness. The words of 2 Corin... morethians 12:10 parallel the success of Knox: For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hard- ships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I was not aware of the fact that Knox suffered so dearly. A not simply was his suffering of physical discomfort, but he was also virtually a man to be hunted down – by a lot of people. Nevertheless, Knox was almost outrageously firm against the elitist, anti-Protestant members of society. He didn’t have an axe to grind; he had a Gospel to defend. And Knox did so fearlessly. Douglas Bond’s biography dives deep into the depths of John Knox’s greatness: his weaknesses. It is a highly recommendable book for historical understanding, for Christian edification, and for reason to praise a God who is mighty enough to use the weak for His glory.
review 2: John Knox was an absolute giant of the Reformation, and a staple of Reformed thought. Surprisingly, this is the first direct interaction I’ve had with Knox, beyond the occasional quote or reference in another work. In this short work, Douglas Bond explores the life and contribution of John Knox as the catalyst and driving figure of the Scottish Reformation.This book was all that you would expect from Reformation Trust’s Long Line of Godly Men series. It begins with a short biographical chapter, and then highlights a specific aspect or contribution in each subsequent chapter. It is written in a popular and approachable style, with a heavy dose of primary source quotes to demonstrate the point being made regarding Knox.Having not read any other of the Long Line of Godly Men series books, I cannot speak of its writing style in light of the other entries. However, the common critique that this book has a dry and somewhat off-putting style seems to be apt. I found myself a bit glazed over in various places, and the long primary texts sometimes fell by the wayside as I rushed to the end of the chapter. Beyond the writing style, the text takes on an almost hagiographical tone as it seems to brush away any critique of Knox as a misunderstanding by critical opponents. While I understand that a critique of Knox is not the purpose of the text, the lauding of Knox combined with the dismissal of any critique was a bit overwhelming.In addition, and this is more of a critique of popular writing in general, the usage of end notes rather than foot notes makes it tedious to observe the sources used. For someone looking for a book that serves as an entry into Knox studies, this book is not the place to look. Although there is an abundance of sources and citations, it is tedious to retrieve them for follow up. For someone looking for a general overview but is not planning on following up with further study this is a decent place to go. less

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