By the twentieth century, Reformed Protestantism was on the decline. The previous century's frontier revivals in America and the rise of liberalism there and in England directed attention away from the doctrinal precision of post-Reformation scholars. But the theologians and other writers in this section helped preserve the teaching of Luther, Calvin, and Knox. Contemporary Reformed writers owe them a great debt of gratitude.
Berkhof, Lloyd-Jones, Mächen, and Warfield represent the best of Presbyterian thought here. Also good are Pink and Robertson among Baptists, and the Anglican J. C. Ryle.
Roland Allen (1869-1947) - Reformed Anglican missionary to China. He advocated tentmaking ministry (sustaining one's self through a secular vocation), volunteerism, sacrifice, and assimilation into the target culture. This was an entirely new strategy compared to the paternalism that had characterized much of African missions. Titles: The Case for Voluntary Clergy; Mission Activities; Missionary Methods: St. Paul's or Ours?; Missionary Principles; Non-Professional Missionaries; Pentecost and the World; The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church. Not to be confused with Old Testament scholar Ronald Allen or historian Roland Bainton.Roland Bainton (1894-1984) - Reformed Congregational professor of church history at Yale for forty-two years. Bainton revolutionized Christians' understanding of the Reformation with his biography, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther. Other titles: Behold the Christ; Christian Attitudes Toward War and Peace; The Church of Our Fathers; Early Christianity; The Medieval Church; The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century; They Built for Eternity; Women of the Reformation in Germany and Italy; Yesterday, Today, and What Next?.
Louis Berkhof (1873-1957) - Dutch Reformed scholar and former president of Calvin Theological Seminary. A well-read master of many disciplines, he is best remembered for his eloquent and insightful defenses of orthodox theology in the face of liberalism. His work is quoted by systematic theologians even outside Reformed circles. Titles: The Assurance of Faith; Foundations of Christian Education (w/ Cornelius Van Til); History of Christian Doctrines; I Believe Because...; Introduction to Christian Doctrine; Introduction to the New Testament; Manual of Christian Doctrine; Manual of Reformed Doctrine; Principles of Biblical Interpretation; Summary of Christian Doctrine; Systematic Theology.
Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) - Reformed Baptist missionary to India whose poetry stressed the necessity of love, sacrifice, and abandonment in the Christian life. Titles: Edges of His Ways; God's Missionary; Gold by Moonlight; Gold Cord; His Thoughts Said...His Father Said; If; Mimosa; Mountain Breezes; Rose from Brier; Thou Givest, They Gather; Toward Jerusalem; A Very Present Help; Whispers of His Power; You Are My Hiding Place.
B. H. Carroll (1843-1914) - 29-year pastor of First Baptist Waco and first president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Carroll was soft-spoken about his Calvinism but vocally opposed evolution and the influence of modernism among Baptists. He is remembered for helping preserve the conservative theology of the American South. Titles: An Interpretation of the English Bible; River of Pearls; and a number of brief New Testament commentaries that have recently been reprinted. The brother of J. M. Carroll.
J. M. Carroll (1852-1931) - Reformed historian, first president of Oklahoma Baptist University, and founder of the Education Commission in Texas. Carroll's Trail of Blood pamphlet helped popularize the Landmark movement in the Southwest. Other titles: B. H. Carroll: A Colossus of Baptist History; A History of Texas Baptists; Texas Baptist Statistics..Floyd Hamilton (1890-19??) - Reformed evangelical whose The Basis of Christian Faith was one of the leading defenses of Christianity in the early 20th century. Comprehensive but not too technical, Hamilton was one of the more scholarly of the early fundamentalists. His amillennial views and advocacy of theistic evolution would place him well outside the fundamentalist camp today. Other titles: The Basis of Evolutionary Faith; The Basis of Millennial Faith.
Grace Livingston Hill (1865-1947) - Reformed Presbyterian poet and writer of Christian fiction. Her influence is visible in the works of most modern Christian novelists. The author of over 100 books, she was known for her deep devotion to the glory of God. Much of her work has been collected in paperback volumes. Titles: All Through the Night; Ariel Cluster; The Big Blue Soldier; Bright Arrows; By Way of the Silverthorns; Girl to Come Home To; The Head of the House; In Tune with Wedding Bells; Out of the Storm; Story of the Lost Star; Stranger Within the Gates; Where Two Ways Met; The White Flower.
Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920) - Reformed evangelical founder of the Free University of Amsterdam and prime minister of the Netherlands. Kuyper was a first-rate scholar who wrote for the common people. He challenged liberalism and presented Christianity as an entire worldview, showing how Christians should function in a democratic, pluralistic society. Titles: Lectures on Calvinism; To Be Near unto God; The Work of the Holy Spirit.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) - Reformed evangelical minister of Westminster Chapel in London from 1938 to 1968. Considered one of the finest British preachers of the twentieth century. A strong defender of biblical authority and proud amillennialist. Titles: Authentic Christianity; Authority; Be Still My Soul; The Church and the Last Things; Enjoying the Presence of God; Heirs of Salvation; I Am Not Ashamed; Joy Unspeakable; Love So Amazing; The Plight of Man and the Power of God; Preaching and Preachers; The Sovereign Spirit; Truth Unchanged, Unchanging; What Is an Evangelical?; Why Does God Allow War?; the Life in Christ series; and multi-volume commentaries on Romans and Ephesians..Herbert Lockyer (1886-1984) - Reformed scholar and pastor who was popular in Scotland, England, and the US. His primary lasting impact is an impressive number of comprehensive indexes for various biblical categories. Titles: All the Apostles of the Bible; All the Divine Names and Titles of the Bible; All the Doctrines of the Bible; All the Men of the Bible; All the Miracles of the Bible; All the Parables of the Bible; All the Prayers of the Bible; All the Promises of the Bible; All the Teachings of Jesus; All the Women of the Bible; Last Words of Saints and Sinners.
J. Gresham Mächen (1881-1937) - Reformed evangelical founder of Westminster Theological Seminary. When this Princeton professor opposed liberalism in the Presbyterian churches, he was defrocked and dismissed from his position. His firing led to the founding of the Presbyterian Church of America (and later the Orthodox Presbyterian Church). Mächen also contributed to The Fundamentals as one of the leading non-premillennial fundamentalists. Other titles: The Christian View of Man; Christianity and Liberalism; New Testament Greek for Beginners; What Is Faith?. 
G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945) - Reformed evangelical Congregationalist and one of the most popular preachers of the early 20th century. He began preaching at the age of 12, taught in the US and England, was pastor at Westminster Chapel, and was the mentor of Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Morgan spoke much about spiritual warfare and the Holy Spirit but opposed the Pentecostal movement. He wrote over sixty books of biblical commentary. Titles: The Crises of the Christ; God's Last Word to Man; Hosea: The Heart and Holiness of God; Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible; Parables and Metaphors of Our Lord; Parables of the Kingdom; and commentaries on Acts and Romans.
E. Y. Mullins (1860-1928) - Reformed evangelical who served as president of both the Southern Baptist Convention and its Southern Seminary. He resisted fundamentalist efforts to split the SBC and, to preserve unity, re-fashioned the New Hampshire Confession into the Baptist Faith and Message in 1925. Mullins wrote against "creedalism" and saw experience as vital for confirming faith and thus unwittingly paved the way for neo-orthodoxy and liberalism among Baptists. Titles: The Axioms of Religion; Baptist Beliefs; The Christian Religion in Its Doctrinal Expression.
Andrew Murray (1828-1917) - moderately Reformed evangelical who briefly entertained Pentecostal views of healing but later repudiated them. His writings are primarily devotional and, while convicting, have a broad appeal among all conservative Christians. Titles: Abide in Christ; Absolute Surrender; Experiencing the Holy Spirit; Divine Healing; Holiest of All; Humility; The Ministry of Intercession; The Power of the Blood of Jesus; The Practice of God's Presence; Raising Your Children for Christ; Waiting on God; With Christ in the School of Prayer. Not to be confused with TV Bible teacher a href="etc.html#murray">Arnold Murray or theologian John Murray.
John Murray (1898-1975) - Reformed evangelical professor of theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. A man of prayer known for his reverence and zeal for God's glory, he gave what is considered the definitive modern treatment of substitutionary atonement in the book Redemption Accomplished and Applied. Titles: Calvin on Scripture and Divine Sovereignty; The Covenant of Grace; The Imputation of Adam's Sin; The Pilgrimage of the Soul; and a commentary on Romans. There is also a four-volume collection of his writings.Orville Nave (1841-1917) - Reformed evangelical chaplain for the US Army who spent twenty years compiling an arrangement of the Scriptures grouped by topic. The information exists today as Nave's Topical Bible, available in print and as software from a number of publishers. He also produced Nave's Study Bible.
James Orr (1844-1913) - Reformed evangelical theologian with the Scottish Free Church. A moderateCalvinist, he wrote books against evolution and on the superiority of Christianity as a worldview, and defended biblical inerrancy and the virgin birth and resurrection of Christ. Titles: The Christian View of God and the World; Evangelical Awakenings in America; The Faith of a Modern Christian; God's Image in Man; The Problem of the Old Testament; The Process of Dogma; Revelation and Inspiration. He also contributed to the Fundamentals and was the original general editor for the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Not to be confused with South Carolina governor James Lawrence Orr.
A. W. Pink (1886-1952) - Reformed evangelical, an eloquent and prolific English Baptist preacher and theologian. He was highly evangelistic and produced many tracts focusing on repentance. Pink's eccentric, reclusive personality and outspoken insistence on Calvinism were turn-offs to American audiences, but he was greatly respected in England. Titles: The Attributes of God; The Divine Inspiration of the Bible; The Sovereignty of God; Spiritual Growth; Spiritual Union and Communion; and the Gleanings commentary series..
A. T. Robertson (1863-1934) - Reformed evangelical, perhaps the most famous professor to have taught at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His innovative insights into Greek are followed today by nearly all Baptist Greek scholars. Also an uncompromising adherent to biblical inerrancy, he had a profound influence on W. A. Criswell. Titles: Harmony of the Gospels; Luke the Historian in Light of Research; Word Pictures in the New Testament. Today he is buried in Louisville just a few yards away from Colonel Harland Sanders. Not to be confused with liberal John A. T. Robinson.
J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) - Reformed Anglican evangelical bishop of Liverpool. Ryle defended the mildly Calvinistic 39 Articles that had served as the Church of England's creed in its more conservative days. Ryle's work Holiness is a classic treatise on true saving faith and includes a refutation of the Methodists' two-tiered view of salvation. Other titles: A Call to Prayer; The Christian Leaders of the Last Century; The Christian Race; Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots; Knots Untied; Light from Old Times; Practical Religion; Thoughts for Young Men. Not to be confused with revivalist James Ryle, preacher Philip Graham Ryken, or dispensationalist C. C. Ryrie.
Dorothy Sayers (1893-1957) - traditional Anglican whose emphasis on pure biblical doctrine recalls the Puritans. She had written dramas and detective novels prior to her conversion, and became a student of medieval literature at Oxford. . Sayers was a bold defender of the faith, presenting God as an artist, and human creativity as reflecting the image of God. Titles: Begin Here; Busman's Honeymoon; The Mind of the Maker; The Nine Tailors; Strong Poison; Unnatural Death; The Whimsical Christian.
Sam Shoemaker (1893-1963) - Reformed Episcopal evangelical. He was an evangelist and key figure in the beginnings of Alcoholics Anonymous, whose 12-step program was intended for use by all Protestant denominations. Shoemaker saw submission to the Lordship of Christ as the only solution to addiction. He also founded the magazine Faith at Work to encourage fellowship in small groups within the church as the basis for learning how to pray, read the Bible, and grow as a Christian. Titles: By the Power of God; How to Become a Christian; How You Can Find Happiness; Religion that Works; Steps to a New Beginning.
R. A. Torrey (1856-1928) - Congregational revivalist, superintendent of Moody Bible Institute, and first dean of the Bible Institute Of Los Angeles (Biola). He embraced covenant theology (in contrast to Moody's dispensationalism) and was critical of the emotional and manipulative methods of revivalism. Titles: How to Succeed in the Chrisitan Life; The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit; The Power of Prayer; The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Not to be confused with Bible reference author Merrill Tenney.
B. B. Warfield (1851-1921) - Reformed evangelical, the last of the great Princeton theologians. A staunch inerrantist considered one of the greatest turn-of-the-century evangelical. He was highly critical of Pentecostals and made a cautious attempt at integrating evolution with the Genesis creation account. Titles: Biblical Doctrines; Counterfeit Miracles; Faith and Life; The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible; The Lord of Glory; The Person and Work of Christ; The Plan of Salvation; The Power of God unto Salvation; The Savior of the World.
For a statement of my beliefs, see my Declaration of Faith.
Return to the Christian Authors Database index.
