Training Disciplined Soldiers of Christ
by
Tim W. Callaway
Published
by West Bow Press (2013)
Cost: $25 (Approx)
Reviewed
by Mike Jones
As
a student of Canadian history I find myself reading and discovering a number of
surprising things about our nation's past.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises I've experienced in recent years
has been the place of Prairie Bible Institute in world affairs. Since the 1920's Prairie Bible Institute (Or
P.B.I.) has graduated missionaries who have touched the lives of countless
people in many nations around the world.
For the longest time when people in places near and far heard that a
visitor was from Canada their first thoughts were of P.B.I. They would ask how things were in Three
Hills.
In
writing Training Disciplined Soldiers for
Christ Tim Callaway describes how things have been in Three Hills. He offers a detailed account of P.B.I.'s history
and its influence on the people who went to the distant corners of the planet
in an effort to live out God's calling upon their lives. Callaway writes about the overall vision of
P.B.I. and the people who helped fulfill this vision. He also describes how American fundamentalism
inspired and influenced much of P.B.I.'s work.
Even
though he spent much of his early life at P.B.I. and qualifies as somewhat of
an "insider" Callaway doesn't pull any punches and this is perhaps
one of the main strengths of Training
Disciplined Soldiers for Christ. Whether
it's evaluating the work of Leslie Maxwell or critiquing the scholarly efforts
of folks such as John Stackhouse Callaway is structured, thorough and
clear. His material is grounded in
extensive research and this is evident in the extensive footnotes on almost each
and every page.
While
we may be tempted to skip the footnotes I would encourage readers to check out
each and every one. If I have one
concern about the book it's that much of the most important material Callaway
has to offer is in the footnotes. There
are some insightful quotes and observations at the bottom of each page and well
worth the read in and of themselves.
In
terms of Training Disciplined Soldiers
for Christ's overall structure Callaway was wise to include chapters
offering definitions to important terms such as evangelicalism and
fundamentalism. He introduces us to the
key players and leaders behind the creation of P.B.I. and it's life throughout
the better part of this past century. He
reviews the literature that fed and inspired both the leadership at P.B.I. and
the Christian community that supported them.
He also introduces us to the key theological ideas that helped form the
message graduates would take to their mission stations.
This
is a thoughtful and accessible book that will be enjoyed by a wide variety of
readers. Students and instructors will
find Training Disciplined Soldiers for
Christ and important contribution to the history of Canada. Church leaders and lay people will all find
the material an informative, inspiring and challenging to church history here
in western Canada. Readers will also
discover how people affected by one small Bible college in a remote prairie
town could have such an influence over much of a planet.
I
commend it to each and every one.
