POLYCARP OF SMYRNA
The man whose faith lasted
IRENAEUS OF LYONS
The man who wrote books
By Sinclair B. Ferguson
Banner of Truth. 40 pages each. £8.00 each
ISBN 978 1 848 710 924 (Polycarp) & 978 1 848 710 948 (Irenaeus)
These two books are part of a series, ‘Heroes of the Faith’, covering the history of the church from Ignatius (1st century) to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (20th century).
Their aim is to introduce children to real heroes — ‘people who are willing to live and die for what they believe’ — and to teach families ‘more about the story of the church… and to introduce children to heroes of the faith in every period of history’.
The books are presented in an easy-to-read storybook form, in simple language and with pictures. Each book tells the story of one hero, describing their life and work and place in the history of the church.
The book about Polycarp is a gripping and moving account of his life and work and of his trust in and love for Christ in the face of Roman persecution and his own execution. It places Polycarp clearly in church history, explaining his links with the Apostle John and other contemporary church leaders. There is a helpful section at the end of the book on ‘Learning from Polycarp’. A younger primary school child would find this a good read and an inspiring story, and could read and learn from it on their own or by reading it with a parent.
The story of Irenaeus is also clearly presented, in story form, although it gives more detail about what he taught than about his life. It explains his concern to teach God’s Word clearly and counter false teaching and gives a clear account of Irenaeus’s presentation of the gospel. (It explains Monatism — teaching that matter is evil – and Irenaeus’s response to it.) It also explains Irenaeus’s place in church history. However, there is something of a mismatch between the book’s storybook format and its content. I question whether many children of younger primary school age would understand the issues on their own or be gripped by the book, and the picture book format would probably be off-putting to older children who might be better able to understand the content and its importance. Children would probably need parental help to benefit from this book.
The series, however, should provide a very useful introduction to the history of the church and its heroes for children — and for their parents! (How many of us can explain Irenaeus’s contribution to church history?!) I look forward to future volumes.
Barbara Sherwood,
Cornerstone Church (Co-Mission), Kingston, Surrey
