Chief Scottish Man: The Life & Ministry of Thomas Chalmers

"Thomas Chalmers was a colossal figure who deserves to be far more widely known and studied today. He was in the first-rank of preachers in his era; his social reform and political thought exercised a tremendous influence on Scotland; and his place as a professor and churchman put him at the center of Scottish Church History during one of its most significant eras. If Chalmers is unfamiliar to you, then this is the place to start. Sandy Finlayson's biography is clearly written and accessible, while interacting with the best scholarship and primary sources. It shows an appreciation for the personality and accomplishments of its subject, but it never slips into hagiography or holds back on legitimate criticism. This is a book worthy of your time, and Chalmers is a man worthy of your appreciation."
--Rev. Dr. Jonathan L. Master, President, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

"While little known today, Thomas Chalmers was a colossus in the mid-nineteenth century, of such stature that even Karl Marx felt the need to name and shame him in Das Kapital. A scholar, a philosopher, an economist but, above all a churchman and a Christian, his was a life lived to the full. Here, Sandy Finlayson continues his project of bringing nineteenth century Free Church divines to life for a new day and a new audience by focusing on the greatest of them all. Clear, concise and accessible."
--Rev. Dr. Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College, Grove City, PA

"This revised and expanded portrait of one of Scotland's chief men is written with the best qualities of a sympathetic biography, and readers will find it responsible, engaging, and instructive. Finlayson writes a book which every Christian should read, for it introduces us to a man with godly ambition, a reformer's vision, and a few of the faults sometimes found in great men. The first two we sorely need in the church today. The last we must learn to forgive in others, and see in ourselves, and this life and study of Thomas Chalmers well help us to that end."
--Rev. Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn, Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA

"Don't let the compactness of Professor Finlayson's work on Chalmers deceive you. It is chock full of useful information on the subjects of shepherding strategy, preaching, church history, church and state, mercy ministry, church planting, and pastoral leadership. All of this comes in the context of the life story of a faithful servant of Christ. This volume will inform, encourage, and equip you to grow in your effectiveness as a shepherd of God's flock."
--Rev. Dr. Timothy Witmer, Emeritus Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA, and author of The Shepherd Leader