The life of J.C. Ryle included remarkable contrasts - the promise of a fortune, then the poverty of a bankrupt; a Suffolk country pastor, then bishop of the leading seaport of the British Empire. But there was a still greater change - from the youth at Eton and Oxford, who did not pray or read his Bible till he was 21, to become a Christian 'bold as a lion for the truth of God's Word and his Gospel'. He believed in definite doctrine - a message which does not adjust to the changing times.
Although one of the most widely read evangelical authors of the nineteenth century, Ryle's writings lost influence after his death. The world had moved on, as was supposed. Then, fifty years later, a 'rediscovery' began. Research on his life was accomplished by able authors, and from a new wealth of material Iain Murray has put together a compelling biography.
"A single-minded Christian communicator of profound biblical, theological and pastoral wisdom, a man and minister of giant personal stature and electric force."? - J.I. Packer
