J. I. Packer remains one of the most widely-read and widely-respected evangelical writers of our time, and has had a highly significant impact on the shaping of contemporary evangelical thought in general, as well as giving sense of theological direction to many individuals. It is entirely appropriate that this book should engage with his theology of the Christian life, as this has arguably been one of Packer’s major concerns ever since his conversion at Oxford University in the 1940s. Readers will gain much from this work, which sets Packer’s approach to this question against the background of his interest in Puritan spirituality, and his Reformed understanding of human nature and the nature of sanctification. It is richly informed by an engagement with Packer’s writings, including many pieces that have not secured a wider readership.

The book opens by setting the context for appreciating Packer, locating him within the general development of evangelicalism in Britain (and to a lesser extent the United States). After a conventional biographical account of Packer’s career, Payne moves on to provide a very rigorous and thorough account, spread over three chapters, of the concept of ‘piety’: what it is, how it is to be developed, and how it is to be experienced. Payne shows convincingly how Packer’s insistence upon the experiential aspects of the Christian life is consistent with his Reformed vision of the Christian life—a point which needs to be heard by those who confuse a proper interest in experience for some kind of ‘emotionalism’. This is followed by two concluding chapters, which offer an account of Packer’s doctrine of human nature, and his general approach to theology.

The arrangement of the work caused me a little puzzlement. The flow of the argument of the book, in my view, could have been significantly improved through a reordering of the material, moving from the opening biographical and historical sections to a discussion of theological method, followed by its application in Packer’s theological anthropology, and finally leading into the major discussion of piety. I was also disappointed with the lack of analytical detail in Payne’s engagement with certain themes—for example, the concept of the ‘image of God’, which has been the subject of intense scholarly activity in recent years. From a scholarly perspective. Packer’s account of the imago Dei is of intrinsic interest, and I would have expected a more historically rigorous account of the matter. But I do not regard either of these concerns as significantly detracting from the value of this book.

I would judge this book to be essential to those wanting to understand the deeper theological currents that provide both the foundation and the substance of Packer’s classic work, Knowing God. Although Payne does not make those connections quite as explicitly and as extensively as some would like, readers can easily work them out for themselves. Payne’s study also serves a secondary purpose, which I also commend—demonstrating the importance of theology in laying a foundation for pastoral ministry and spiritual formation. In an age when many find their approaches in these areas driven by techniques. Payne’s analysis reminds us of the importance of having a solid theological foundation for every aspect of Christian ministry. It should find its way onto the desk and into the soul of every ‘Reformed Pastor’ (Baxter).

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