Chief Scottish Man (Paperback) by

Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) stood at the centre of events that would change the face of the church in Scotland. Without his vision, organizational skills, and his ability to mobilize opinion, it is unlikely that the Free Church would have come into existence. Through his preaching, the light of the gospel shone forth and through his schools and work for the poor, lives were changed.

This new and updated biography tells the story of visionary thinker, minister, and preacher Thomas Chalmers and the many years of struggle for the spiritual independence of the Church of Scotland. It traces his journey from his childhood in a small fishing community to his academic prowess and calling into active gospel ministry. Discover the unforgettable story of the man who Thomas Carlyle called the “chief Scottish man of his time”.

This volume contains most of the material that appeared in the original Bitesize Biographies, but with additional details to flesh out some areas Thomas Chalmers life and an entirely new chapter on his preaching and pastoral leadership.

“Clear, concise and accessible.”
– Rev. Dr. Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Biblical and Religious Studies, Grove City College

“This volume will inform, encourage, and equip you to grow in your effectiveness as a shepherd of God’s flock.”
– Rev. Dr. Timothy Witmer, Professor, Westminster Theological Seminary

“A thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring read.”
– Rev. Iver Martin, Principal, Edinburgh Theological Seminary

"Sandy Finlayson has written a clear, judicious, and lively biography of Victorian Scotland’s Chief Man. I learned from it, was inspired by it, and highly recommend it.”

– Dr. Timothy Larsen, author, A People of One Book: The Bible and the Victorians.

Title

Chief Scottish Man
Author(s)

Sandy Finlayson
ISBN

9781783972975
Format

Paperback
Publisher

Evangelical Press
Audience

Adults
Pages

176
Published

01/02/2021

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Sandy Finlayson

Alexander (Sandy) Finlayson (MTS, Tyndale Seminary) is library director and professor of theological bibliography at Westminster Theological Seminary. Sandy holds degrees from the University of Toronto and Tyndale Theological Seminary in Canada, where he was also library director for eleven years. His academic interests include Scottish Presbyterianism and theological libraries. You can read more of his content at faculty.wts.edu.

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Overall rating

5.0 based on 2 reviews

Chief Scottish Man

The housing scheme in which my wife grew up has a church named Chalmers Parish Church. It was built in the nineteenth century as part of Thomas Chalmers’s (1780–1847) vision to reach the poor and uneducated working classes of Scotland with the gospel. Who was Thomas Chalmers? Though virtually unknown today, Chalmers was renowned as one of the greatest preachers and orators of Scotland whose sympathies turned to improving the social conditions that resulted from Scottish industrialisation. He knew from personal experience, however, that moral change could only come about through lives transformed by Christ. Chalmers’s great vision, evangelical passion, and tireless energy renovated Scotland so that Karl Marx even named him as the “arch parson.” Sandy Finlayson’s wee biography gives a brief but excellent sketch of this man whom Thomas Carlyle called “the chief Scotsman of his age” (from whence came the title of the book). Finlayson’s biography is both engaging and instructive. He tells the story of this great man with wonderful fluidity. The 152 pages of the book read very quickly. With each page turned, the reader’s understanding of the importance of this man will grow. This biography will cause the reader to deeply respect the man and to the love the gospel he lived for. Review published in New Horizons in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church July 2021

Michael L. Babcock

Reading biographies is like travelling at different altitudes. Some can feel like we are skimming the ground’s surface. They can go into every small detail where you feel trapped in the 17th century. Other biographies go to the other extreme and give an overview where the author covers great distance but at the loss of information about the individual. Sandy Finlayson’s book on Thomas Chalmers, Chief Scottish Man, finds a sweet spot of detail and distance. As you read this book, you get a sense of what formed Thomas Chalmers without being stuck in one period of his life for too long. So if you are interested in a neat, compact, but rich, biography with the right attitude to keep you engaged, the Chief Scottish Man is it.

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