Benedict Tan's Reviews > J. I. Packer: An Evangelical Life

One of the first Christian books I read was J. I. Packer’s Knowing God. He has always been a highly recommend author in the Christian circles I’ve in and has made a big impact on Evangelical Christianity, especially in the 20th Century.

Leland Ryken structures this biography in three parts:

Part 1: The Life
Part 2: The Man
Part 3: Lifelong themes

Part 1 is a chronology of Packer’s life. Thankfully, Ryken filters out plenty of material so that readers are not overwhelmed with details. The portrait that Ryken paints is nuanced. Although he writes with deep respect towards Packer, he doesn’t descend into hero-worship and doesn’t gloss over aspects of Packer’s ministry which divided the evangelical world.

Part 2 is the shortest section and explores lesser-known aspects of Packer’s personality and interests.

Part 3 considers how Packer’s ministry developed, identifying seven of what Ryken calls “lifelong themes” in the British-Canadian theologian’s life: the Bible, the Puritans, writing, Anglicanism, theology, preaching and the minister’s calling, and various controversies.

Ryken’s prose is readable and I found the pace just right. He doesn’t delve into too much detail (that’s not the purpose of this biography), but gives readers enough to understand this giant of the Christian faith. His tone is sympathetic, especially because of their shared interest in the Puritan’s and shared love for the art of writing.

This is the first longer-form biography I’ve read and it was illuminating. It was an easy read and gave context to the man I didn’t know personally, but encountered through his writing. Reading this biography gave me a deeper appreciation for his work. This is a highly recommended biography – maybe not the most extensive (Ryken references’ Alister McGrath’s biography on many occasions). It distills the major events and themes that have shaped or been shaped by J. I. Packer.