Review: Revival by Michael Haykin
Author: Michael A. G. Azad Haykin
Life: Haykin was born and raised in England to the age of twelve, when he moved with his family to Canada. He was converted at the age of twenty-one and graduated from Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto. The prolific author of numerous books, he has also published over 250 articles and 150 book reviews. He serves as a professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and as the Director of the Andrew Fuller Centre for Baptist Studies in Louisville, KY. He has a wife and one son.
General info about author: Haykin is a writer, editor, scholar, professor, husband, and father.
Overall Summary/review:
When selecting resources for this series, I wanted something that could preface the whole series; a book that would cover all of the ideas lightly without missing out on any of the depth of the concepts. That’s exactly what this book is. It serves as an overview of the topic of Revival without skipping anything of value. (p. Xi, xiii)
The first chapter discusses how the Reformation and English Puritanism began a revival. The point of starting at this time period is to show that revival was heard of and talked about before the great awakening.
After that, the book takes you on a journey through the 18th century showing the need for revival in throughout the world. It then introduces you to primary ministers during the great awakening. (p. Xii)
And, of course, this book primarily looks at Revival through the lens of Reformed Theology and Tradition, (p. 1-2).
This is such an encouraging book to believers today because it reminds us in biographical form just how faulted the men God used in the 18th century revivals were. Haykin doesn’t shy away or sugar-coat the truth to make these figures seem great; rather, he tells us the reality of their fallen nature, and reminds us that God can work through whomever He wills.
Another great aspect of this book is that in introduces us to almost every member of the great awakening revival and puts them in their historical and ministerial contexts and does so without a deeply academic voice, so it is very accessible to any reader.
Haykin also heavily stresses the idea of prayer for revival as a key part of any awakening. He discusses how the Puritans prayed for revival for a hundred years and never saw it come to pass. And later he says (p. 132). And again (p. 143).
Haykin presents a biblical view revival to help form our idea of revival and to give us a correct understanding of how God works through revival.
This is by far one of my favorite books on this time period and topic.
Quotes: p. 2, 14, 22, 90, 127, 69