The Irish Puritans: James Ussher and the Reformation of the Church

Beginning in medieval times the author takes the reader on a fascinating journey examining key events that have shaped religious life in Ireland with special emphasis on the Puritan era and the leadership of the church exercised by Archbishop James Ussher. Richard Baxter once said If all the Episcopalians had been like Archbishop Ussher all the Presbyterians like Mr. Stephen Marshall and all the Independents like Jeremiah Burroughs the breaches of the church would soon have healed. When this fine study first appeared it filled a great lacuna and still does. I know of nothing like it for the subject: a concise overview that is clearly rooted in an extensive knowledge of the primary sources and that abounds in wise historical reflection. A gem and highly recommended. -Michael Haykin Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville KY The history of Irish Protestantism was by no means tranquil or magnificent. Nevertheless as Crawford Gribben shows in this highly readable and thoughtful book the Reformation took root in Ireland in ways that were important not just for Irish Protestantism but also for Protestant churches in England Scotland and eventually the United States. For readers who want to understand the course and accomplishments of the Reformation in Ireland The Irish Puritans is the place to go. -Darryl Hart Hillsdale College MI In this work Crawford Gribben offers a succinct much-needed history of Archbishop James Ussher and the Irish Puritans and by extension Irish Christianity. This colorful and at times sad history is explained along with major events transpiring simultaneously in England and Scotland. It shows the insights and flaws of some of the great church leaders in Ireland and provides valuable lessons for the worldwide church today. A compelling and informative read this book convinces us that God is not done with Ireland. - Joel R. Beeke President and Professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary Crawford Gribben is professor of Early Modern British History at Queens University Belfast and is the author of numerous books including Gods Irishmen: Theological Debates in Cromwellian Ireland (2007) Writing the Rapture: Prophecy Fiction in Evangelical America (2009) and Evangelical Millennialism in the Trans-Atlantic World 1500-2000 (2011).