A Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity: Abridged

John Gill is arguably the most important theologian of the Baptist tradition. His sizeable Body of Divinity has had an influence not just on the Baptists, but on Reformed Christians of various traditions. In their effort to retrieve Baptist thought for use in the church today, the London Lyceum has done all Protestants a genuine service in giving us this abridgment that is both theologically rich and beautifully produced. The volume highlights areas in Gill’s work that stands firmly in the broader Christian and Reformed tradition on matters like the nature of scripture, the doctrine of God, or the person and work of Christ. It also highlights those aspects of Gill’s thought that mark him out as being distinctly Baptist, namely on ecclesial matters of sacrament and liturgy. As Jonathan Swan’s introduction demonstrates Gill’s historical significance, this volume will, in God’s kindness, continue to commend Gill for use in the church today and into the future.
–Ian Clary, Associate Professor of Historical Theology, Colorado Christian University

John Gill is one of the most important Calvinistic Baptists in all of history—perhaps the most important scholar in this stream of church history. His works, though often forgotten, deserve a wide reading. They are biblical, learned and utterly practical. Hanover Press deserves our thanks for this edifying volume. I pray that God will use it to form more pastor theologians.
–Douglas A. Sweeney, Beeson Divinity School

I sense the historical and doctrinal tragedy for Baptists and sympathetic evangelicals of missing the writing ministry of John Gill. Poorly executed reprints provided content but in such off-putting print and organization that only invincible determination would succeed in reaping the benefits of Gill’s breadth and depth in theology, exegesis, and polemics. Now this format by Hanover presents Gill’s theological gold in an attractive, readable form. Many should now be able to benefit from these bodies of divinity to their edification and the doctrinal maturity of the churches.
–Tom J. Nettles, Senior Professor, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary