R.C. Sproul:  A Life

Reviewed by:

Cathy Askeland, Church Librarian, retired Middle School Librarian, Book Lover, Book Clubber

Title: 

R.C. Sproul:  A Life

Author: 

Stephen J. Nichols

Publisher:

Crossway, Wheaton, IL

https://www.crossway.org/

Date: 

2021

Format:

Book

Length: 

371 pages

OVERVIEW

For those familiar with R.C. Sproul’s books, teaching series, CDs, DVDs, and perhaps conferences, the immediate word associated with Sproul would be “theologian.”

Stephen J. Nichols, professor, historian, Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow, college president, and close friend of R.C. Sproul is his apt biographer. In R.C. Sproul, A Life Nichols presents Dr. Sproul’s life as a writer/teacher/theologian from looking at his works and also through Nichol’s many conversations with his friend R.C. Sproul.

Nichols introduces the readers to the beginnings of Dr. Sproul:  On February 13, 1939 Robert Charles Sproul was born in Pleasant Hill, Pennsylvania, a small borough of Pittsburgh.  It was there that R.C. excelled in sports, met his future wife Vesta (in elementary school!), and attended a liberal church with his family.

In his freshman year at Westminster College in Pennsylvania R.C. joined two upperclassmen having a Bible study.  It was then that he came across Ecclesiastes 11:3 “If a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there it lays.”  This was the verse that God used to call R.C. to Himself in 1957, a unique conversion verse R.C. would later say.  R.C. immediately read through the entire Bible and his lifelong quest of theology, the study of his sovereign Lord began; he became obsessed, Nichols wrote.

R.C. married Vesta before his senior year at Westminster and after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy, R.C. went to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary sitting under Dr. John Gerstner who mentored R.C. then and for years to come.  R.C. wanted to study theology from the best theologian for his PhD. and Gerstner recommended Dr. G.C. Berkouwer at the Free University.  Without speaking a word of Dutch, R.C., Vesta, and their infant daughter Sherrie went to Amsterdam.

Upon their return Dr. R.C. Sproul spent some years teaching at the college level and pastoring, but his heart was in teaching and he dreamed of a study center where the laity would be involved in theology.  A connection with a widow named Dora Hillman donated property in Pennsylvania for the study center and had a home built on it for the Sprouls.  This would become the Ligonier Valley Study Center which opened in 1971.  Soon there was a staff with R.C. and the Center discipled many students of all ages. A tape ministry began, Tabletalk magazine was born, R.C. spoke at many conferences and developed a wide circle of pastors and teachers who shared his passion.  He was 40 years old.

“But more awaited on the horizon,” Nichols writes.  The Ligonier Ministries moved to Orlando in 1984 along with the writing of more books and teaching materials   The goal of R.C.’s teaching was “that people would understand the Bible better and, consequently, have a better knowledge of who God is.”  Nichols states that R.C. Sproul’s name is synonymous with apologetics, defending and proving God’s sacred scriptures.  Perhaps his best-known, from his nearly 100 books are The Holiness of God and Chosen by God.  While Nichols discusses a few of R.C.’s books and conference lectures and their influence, as well as his children’s books and hymns, he also writes about R.C.’s lead role in the Statement of Biblical Inerrancy Conference,  the speaker on the radio program Renewing Your Mind, as Senior Editor of  the Reformation Study Bible, the founder of Reformation Bible College where he was the first president (Dr. Stephen J. Nichols is the second), and his 1997 calling as pastor to the church plant of St. Andrews Chapel, in which his Memorial Service was held after his passing on December 14, 2017.

A wonderful addition in this book are seven appendices.  The reader has all the information necessary for further study which includes lists of all of Sproul’s books, pamphlets, titles of lectures, a timeline of R.C. Sproul’s life and accomplishments, and his last two sermons.  The book also has an extensive index as well as a scripture index.

As a follower of R.C. Sproul’s teaching for many years, this reviewer found this book a welcome read, a slip back into R.C.’s life, the man that has taught and challenged me throughout the years.  Nichols has written a compelling story of a compelling servant proclaiming his awesome God.

R.C. Sproul’s teaching materials can be found at Ligonier.org

 ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5): 

5

Suggested Audience: 

A biography for everyone

Christian Impact:   

The inspiring and uplifting story of the life of one of the greatest teachers/writers/theologians of the 20^th and 21^st century.

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