Faith in the Time of Plague

Faith in the Time of PlagueWe often hear the Covid 19 pandemic described as unprecedented, yet for Christians of earlier times, plague was nothing new. For generations, Church leaders regularly faced the sorts of ethical questions that still prove divisive today. Selecting from the great plague writings of the historic church, Todd M. Rester and Stephen M. Coleman have translated and assembled a one of a kind anthology. The wisdom of the past collected in this book offers much

We often hear the Covid-19 pandemic described as “unprecedented”, yet for Christians of earlier times, plague was nothing new. For generations, Church leaders regularly faced the sorts of ethical questions that still prove divisive today. Selecting from the great “plague writings” of the historic church, Todd M. Rester and Stephen M. Coleman have translated and assembled a one-of-a-kind anthology. The wisdom of the past collected in this book offers much needed and trustworthy illumination for pastors, leaders, and laypeople in times of crisis and uncertainty. Many of the works appearing in Faith in the Time of Plague have never been available in English until now. Included in this volume are the writings of Martin Luther, Theodore Beza, Ulrich Zwingli, Cyprian of Carthage, Zacharias Ursinus, Gijsbert Voetius, and many more. Introduced by Peter A. Lillback, Faith in the Time of Plague also includes a Foreword from Mayo Clinic Virologist, Dr. Gregory A. Poland.

Publisher: Westminster Seminary Press
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781733627252

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Stephen M. Coleman (PhD, The Catholic University of America) is assistant professor of Old Testament and biblical languages at Westminster Theological Seminary, co-editor of the Westminster Theological Journal, and senior research fellow at the J. Alan Groves Center for Advanced Biblical Research. Todd M.Rester (PhD, Calvin Theological Seminary) is associate professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Rester is a post-doctoral research fellow at Queen’s University Belfast (September 2016–present). During his time as a research fellow at Queen’s University Belfast, Dr. Rester has served the institution as a guest lecturer in the Master of Arts, History of Religion department as well as various undergraduate history courses. In addition to his time at Queen’s University Belfast, Dr. Rester has taught as an adjunct professor at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (2010–2016), Kuyper College (2013–2015), and Calvin Theological Seminary (2011–2015). He also works as a translator for the Dutch Reformed Translation Society (2009–present).

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“Faith in the Time of Plague: Selected Writings from the Reformation and Post-Reformation could, I suppose, be read as a scholars’ inquiry into classic Protestant writings. But that misses the real point: this is serious theology for serious times—for our times—tightly reasoned, and balm for the soul. All the great voices of classical Reformed thought are here: Beza, Voetius, Rivet’s plea against recklessness, Ursinus on mortality, the prayers of the Reformed English Church. And there is even Luther, reminding everyone caught up in pandemics that ‘God himself shall be his attendant and his physician, too.’ Here is sane advice which, although hundreds of years old, we could wish some modern authorities had heeded. Bounty, indeed, in time of need, and a book for the bedside and chairside.” Allen C. Guelzo, Senior Research Scholar in the Council of the Humanities at Princeton University, Director of the James Madison Program Initiative on Politics and Statesmanship