J. I. Packer and the Evangelical Future

The Impact of His Life and Thought

Edited by

Timothy George

Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 2009 by Timothy George

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

J. I. Packer and the evangelical future: the impact of his life and thought / edited by Timothy George.

p. cm.—(Beeson divinity studies)

Chiefly proceedings of a conference held Sept. 25–27, 2006 at Beeson Divinity School.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.

ISBN 978-0-8010-3387-2 (pbk.)

1. Packer, J. I. (James Innell)—Congresses. 2. Evangelicalism—Congresses. I. George, Timothy.

BX5199.P22J26 2009

270.8′2092—dc22

2009022735

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled TNIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. TNIV®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Sacred to the memory

of

Father Richard John Neuhaus

(1936–2009)

We travel together still

Contents

Preface

Timothy George

List of Contributors

1. The Great Tradition: J. I. Packer on Engaging with the Past to Enrich the Present

Alister E. McGrath

2. The Gifts of J. I. Packer: A Cool Head, a Warm Heart, and the Great Tradition

Edith M. Humphrey

3. Pumping Truth: J. I. Packer’s Journalism, Theology, and the Thirst for Truth

David Neff

4. J. I. Packer’s Theological Method

Donald J. Payne

5. God Has Spoken: The Primacy of Scripture in J. I. Packer’s Ministry

Paul R. House

6. J. I. Packer and Pastoral Wisdom from the Puritans

Mark E. Dever

7. Retrieval and Renewal: A Model for Evangelical Spiritual Vitality

D. Bruce Hindmarsh

8. J. I. Packer: An English Nonconformist Perspective

Carl R. Trueman

9. Packer, Puritans, and Postmoderns

Charles W. Colson

10. Christ without Culture

Richard John Neuhaus

11. On ...