Reforming Culture: J.W. Alexander's Christian Approach to Social Reform

Endorsements:

"In the past few years there has been something of a renaissance in the study of Old Princeton. Much of the attention has been on the central figures of the school such as Charles Hodge, Benjamin B. Warfield and J. Gresham Machen. Few of the lesser known figures have yet been touched. In this study we have one of the few scholarly efforts that goes beyond mere biographical detail of one of these figures, namely James W. Alexander. Working largely from Alexander's personal letters, Gary Steward presents a picture not only of a person, but of a place and an age: the northeastern United States at the height of the antebellum era. Moving beyond the immediate theological and ministerial concerns which one would expect to find in someone like Alexander, we learn about his views on slavery, democratic populism, trade unionism and education. Steward gives us an Old Princetonian who, while still sharing in the same theological mindset of his cohorts, is dealing with the "on the ground" social and political issues of his day. In this he shows us an example of Old Princeton theology in practical application. While many may not agree with Alexander's assessment or approach to these issues (some of which linger on in our own contemporary political currents), Steward provides the reader with helpful context and sympathetic consideration. Above all, this book gives us a fascinating study of one Evangelical voice speaking out against the advent of a new and rising secularized American culture, a culture we still very much continue to inhabit."
--Michael J. Plato, Assistant Professor of Intellectual History and Christian Thought, Colorado Christian University

"In Philippians 3:17 Paul instructs the church to 'keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.' There seems to be an encouragement here for believers to read biographies of those who have gone before them in the Lord; and certainly Gary Steward's treatment of J.W. Alexander's life and thought falls within such criteria. Alexander was a 19th-century pastor and teacher whose life reflects how seriously he thought about the Scriptures, society, and the people of God. His genuine conviction was that the Scriptures possessed all the answers to man's problems and that they alone hold true hope for social reform in any era. I commend Steward's book to any Christian who desires to stretch his or her thinking on engaging society today."
--Allen S. Nelson IV, Pastor, Perryville Second Baptist Church; Author, From Death to Life and Before the Throne; Writer and Editor, ThingsAbove.Us and GBTSeminary.org

"Reading books like this one on "old Princeton," I always gain a better understanding of scriptural truths and their application. This is true even when-perhaps especially when-I discover that I disagree fundamentally with certain presuppositions, arguments, or conclusions their subjects advance. Such is the case here. Gary Steward has done a remarkable job providing a clear and sympathetic explanation of Alexander's views on a wide array of important and relevant issues central to society and culture. I heartily commend a careful reading of this book."
--Gregory A. Wills, Research Professor of Church History, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary