My exposure to Andrew Fuller has been pretty minimal. Thankfully, Paul Brewster joins a host of others that are contributing to the rise of study of Andrew Fuller. Hopefully, through these efforts many others will not be left in the darkness on the life of this great man.
Brewster’s work is an attempt to show Fuller as a prototypical Pastor-Theologian. He explores Fuller’s methods of theological study and how this relates to his pastoral practice. There is also an entire chapter dedicated to Fuller’s soteriology (which is a prominent part of the life and thought of Fuller). Throughout Brewster attempts to apply Fuller’s theology and methods to contemporary situations such as the decline of doctrine in Baptist churches.
You do not have to be a Southern Baptist to learn and benefit from Fuller. In fact there is little here that is unique to Southern Baptists. It is part of our history but Fuller shaped far more than merely Baptists.
As stated earlier I am new to the study of Andrew Fuller, so I have little prior knowledge of Fuller to compare this work to. This work, however, served as a wonderful introduction to this great man, and has encouraged me to open up my Works of Andrew Fuller that I purchased a little over a year ago.
There is much that we can learn from Andrew Fuller. In fact I wish that Brewster would have added a little more biographical information. The first part of the book was dedicated to his “story”, but the person of Fuller does not shine through much of the rest of the book. We explore much about his doctrine and theology and application of such, but there is little about the man himself. Maybe that is because you really cannot separate the two.
Nonetheless, this book is a worthwhile introduction to Fuller. Interacting with his soteriology was extremely helpful for me as a Calvinist (and one that is probably closer to Fuller in soteriology). It would be helpful as well for a non-Calvinist to read as well because the lines between Calvinism and Hyper-Calvinism are seen more fully in the life and work of Fuller.
The book is well-written and engaging, and you would benefit from reading it. I wish it were a little less expensive. At 18.99
Rating 4 out of 5 stars.
