The word ‘Puritan’ was originally coined as a smear word implying, “peevishness, censoriousness, conceit, and a measure of hypocrisy…it’s primary reference…was…to what was seen as odd, furious, and ugly form of Protestant religion” (21). To some, this description of the Puritans sounds exaggerated and contrived a depiction not even close to the original. In an earlier chapter, Packer compares the Puritans to giant Redwoods.Īs Redwoods attract the eye, because they overtop other trees, so the mature holiness and seasoned fortitude of the great Puritans shine before us as a kind of beacon light, overtopping the stature of the majority of Christians in most eras, and certainly so in this age of crushing urban collectivism, when Western Christians sometimes feel and often look like ants on an anthill and puppets on a string (12) The Puritans exemplified maturity we don’t. Maturity is a compound of wisdom, goodwill, resilience, and creativity. In an introductory chapter, Packer explains why we need the Puritans his reason is clear and unmistakable. Packer insists that an encounter like this with the Puritans is essential for Christians today who have all but lost any true sense of what Puritans believed, lived for, and sought to give to the church. In 336 densely packed pages and over several chapters, Packer, in his book, A Quest for Godliness, brings the reader face to face with many different facets of Puritan life and ministry with historical precision and keen theological insight.
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