Book Review: The Legacy of Sovereign Joy by John Piper

April 15, 2006 Posted by Roger Overton

The Legacy of Sovereign Joy is Book One of John
Piper’s series The Swans are Not Silent. Each book of the series (of which
there is currently four) collects three of the biographical lectures Piper gave
at the annual Bethlehem Conference for Pastors over the past two decades. When
Augustine resigned as Bishop of Hippo it was said that the “swan is silent.”
Piper aims to show that the swans, those in our heritage of Christians
throughout the centuries, are in fact not silent.

This book expounds on the lives and thoughts of Augustine,
Martin Luther, and John Calvin. It begins with an introduction about “savoring
the sovereignty of grace in the lives of flawed saints.” Piper explains that
each of these men “had this in common: they experienced, and built their lives
and ministries on, the reality of God’s omnipotent grace.” (18) Noting some of
the flaws of each of these men, Piper believes that “the glory of God, however
dimly, is mirrored in the flawed lives of his faithful servants.” (37)

Each chapter is about half biography and half theological
survey and averages 34 pages. There is a pattern to each chapter: after a brief
introduction John Piper provides a biographical sketch and then brings out a
prominent theme from author’s theology. For Augustine, the theme is sovereign
joy, for Luther it is sacred study, and for Calvin it is the divine majesty of
the Word.

After these chapters, Piper concludes with four lessons we
can learn from the “flawed saints.” “1) Do not be paralyzed by your weaknesses
and flaws… 2) In the battle against sin and surrender, learn the secret of
sovereign joy… 3) Supernatural change comes from seeing Christ in his sacred
Word… 4) Therefore, let us exult the exposition of the truth of the Gospel and
herald the glory of Christ for the joy of all peoples.” (143-148)

It is evident throughout the book that John Piper has
done his homework; quoting often from primary texts and secondary sources.
While there may be some over simplification in regard to the theological
themes, Piper’s points are nonetheless insightful and practical. Each chapter
serves as a great introduction to the lives and thoughts of these Christian
men. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy provides a stimulating resource for
those looking to discover some of the motivating themes of the Reformed
tradition.