Christian Book Notes

Haykin, Michael, Roger Duke, and A. James Fuller.  Soldiers of Christ: Selections from the Writings of Basil Manly, Sr. & Basil Manly, Jr. Cape Coral:  Founder’s Press, 2009.  218 pp.  $17.95.  Purchase through Founders Ministries.

As a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, I am thrilled to experience the festivities of the sesquicentennial being celebrated in 2009. As a book reviewer, I have been blessed to read and review many of the books that have been published as a result of this celebration. Some of these include The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary 1859-2009 by Gregory A. Wills, John A. Broadus: A Living Legacy by Dockery and Duke with more to come. Added to this list is Soldiers of Christ, a book dedicated to the life, ministry, and writings of Basil Manly, Sr. & Jr.

The book is separated into four parts. The first section is a short biography of the life of Basil Manly, Sr. written by A. James Fuller. The second section is a biography of Basil Manly, Jr. written by Michael Haykin. Both of these essays offer a much needed context to the selection of letters that follow. For example, when reading about the elder Manly’s treatment of a particular slave, it is important to keep in mind the context of the day.

Manly, Jr. is best known in Baptist life as one of the four founders of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. It is interesting to see how his heart for theological education was rooted in his father’s passion to see a theological institution (pages 97-104) established in the south apart from “those Baptists from the north.” The younger Manly wrote the Abstract of Principles, the creed by which all professors at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary must adhere to. He also wrote the hymn “Soldier’s of Christ, in Truth Arrayed” which became the seminary’s graduation hymn since it was first sung at the 1860 commencement.

Soldiers of Christ is an excellent resource that every Baptist should read. It is abundantly clear through the selected letters (and one can only assume the life) that the piety of Manly, Sr. was passed on to Manly, Jr. To see how the elder Manly handled the death of two infant children or how the younger Manly handled the trials of the founding of the seminary. To see the legacy of Christian piety handed down from generation to generation is needed in the context of today’s church. I commend this book to any student of history or to any minister wanting to see first hand how to live a life of Christian piety amidst much trial. We are indebted to Founders Ministries for publishing this volume.