J. I. Packer

An Evangelical Life

Leland Ryken

WHEATON, ILLINOIS

J. I. Packer: An Evangelical Life

Copyright © 2015 by Leland Ryken

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover image & design: Josh Dennis

First printing 2015

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.tm Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-4252-7

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-4255-8

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-4253-4

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-4254-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ryken, Leland.

J. I. Packer: an evangelical life / Leland Ryken.

pages cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-4252-7 (hc)

1. Packer, J. I. (James Innell) 2. Church of England—Biography. 3. Evangelists—Biography. I. Title.

BX5199.P22R95 2015

283.092—dc23 [B]

2015001676

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

For Crossway editors,

past and present

Contents

List of Photographs

Introduction

PART 1: THE LIFE

Early Life and College (1926–1948)

1 Childhood and Teen Years (1926–1944)

2 The College Years (1944–1948)

Theological Education and Ministry (1948–1954)

3 The Post-College Year (1948–1949)

4 Graduate Student in Oxford (1949–1952)

5 Ministry (1952–1954)

6 Courtship and Marriage (1952–1954)

Professional Life in England (1955–1979)

7 Tyndale Hall, Bristol (1955–1961)

8 Latimer House, Oxford (1961–1970)

9 Return to the Academic Life (1970–1972)

10 Trinity College, Bristol (1972–1979)

Professional Life in North America (1979 to the Present)

11 From England to Canada (1978–1979)

12 Regent College (1979 to the Present)

13 Christianity Today (1958 to the Present)

PART 2: THE MAN

14 A Portrait of the Man

15 The Little-Known Packer

16 What Packer’s Style and Rhetoric Tell Us about Him

PART 3: LIFELONG THEMES

17 The Bible

18 The Puritans

19 Writing

20 Anglicanism

21 Theology

22 Preaching and the Minister’s Calling

23 Controversy

Afterword: J. I. Packer Reflects on His Life

Sources

Index