http://www.bookcrash.com/2014/01/would-you-do-what-they-did-great-christian-leaders-from-our-past/
Would You Do What They Did? by William Dean Hamilton
Would You Do What They
Did? By William Dean Hamilton
Chronicling the life of John Wesley, Martin Luther, St.
Francis of Assisi and martyr Thomas Becket, this new book entitled Would You Do
What They Did? By William Dean Hamilton weaves together biography, story, and
encouragement for today’s believer. You
get a sense of the interior life of the people listed above in these pages
alongside the people that knew them best. Taken from letters, writings, and
other written work, Hamilton puts together very artful stories that speak about
the truth of faith throughout life.
In the chapter on John Wesley, Susannah, John’s mother says
something extraordinary after John tells his mother that him and his brother
are going to be missionaries in Georgia.
She says, “I didn’t teach you about the Bible, theology, and the
classics from the time you were five so you could sit around and watch my
wrinkles grow larger. I did it so you
could go and fight the Devil.” (225) We
get that a sense of Susannah’s vibrant faith and love for her sons in this
quote that is remarkable. Hamilton also
has a way of seeing the drama of history that always makes for a good story as
well. In his look into the life of
Martin Luther’s life, there is an exchange between Vicar Staupitz and Martin
that is worth repeating. After being
recommended for a teaching position in theology, Staupitz says, “Oh, dear
Martin, do you not think I know what I am doing? Sometimes there are lessons that we learn the
best while teaching others. I think this
is one of those times.” (262) The genius
of this statement lies in its application for Martin’s life. As he lectured on Romans and Galatians, he
began to see the scaffolding of his former beliefs come toppling down and his
new belief emerge as he engaged his students with the biblical text.
I enjoyed reading this book because it gave you an in-depth
look in to the lives of these famous Christians. Yet, I think what was apparent in reading
these pages is that these men were not much different than you and I, they had
to deal with turmoil, fear, and failure like us all. I hope this book will be an encouragement to
others.
Thanks to BookCrash for the copy of this book in exchange
for review.
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