Banner of Truth Trust
Encyclopedia
The Banner of Truth Trust is an evangelical
and Reformed Christian
non-profit publishing house, structured as a charitable trust and founded in London
in 1957 by Iain Murray
and Jack Cullum. Its offices are now in Edinburgh
, Scotland
with a key branch office and distribution point in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
. It positions itself within the conservative evangelical wing of the church, and has been described as "an extremely powerful organization within British nonconformist
evangelicalism."
The trust publishes a monthly magazine called The Banner of Truth which normally appears eleven times per year, with there being a single issue for August and September. The magazine first appeared in September 1955 and as of December 2010 had reached issue number 566.
The Banner of Truth Trust also holds conferences in three countries: UK (annual youth conference and annual ministers' conference), USA (annual conference), and Australia
(every two years).
The trust has been connected with the revival of interest in evangelical Calvinism
in 20th century England. It has promoted Puritan theology and helped resurrect the ideas of Jonathan Edwards. Alister McGrath
refers to the "revival in Puritan
spirituality that had been borne aloft on the wings of Banner of Truth's inexpensive paperbacks."
The Banner of Truth's commitment to reprinting Puritan writers has drawn criticism. One reviewer of a volume of sermons by Richard Sibbes
criticised the Banner of Truth's policy and questioned the need for such reprints.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
and Reformed Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
non-profit publishing house, structured as a charitable trust and founded in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1957 by Iain Murray
Iain Murray
Iain Hamish Murray was educated in the Isle of Man and at the University of Durham. He entered the Christian ministry in 1955. He served as assistant to Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel and subsequently at Grove Chapel, London and St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia,...
and Jack Cullum. Its offices are now in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with a key branch office and distribution point in Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
. It positions itself within the conservative evangelical wing of the church, and has been described as "an extremely powerful organization within British nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
evangelicalism."
The trust publishes a monthly magazine called The Banner of Truth which normally appears eleven times per year, with there being a single issue for August and September. The magazine first appeared in September 1955 and as of December 2010 had reached issue number 566.
The Banner of Truth Trust also holds conferences in three countries: UK (annual youth conference and annual ministers' conference), USA (annual conference), and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(every two years).
The trust has been connected with the revival of interest in evangelical Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
in 20th century England. It has promoted Puritan theology and helped resurrect the ideas of Jonathan Edwards. Alister McGrath
Alister McGrath
Alister Edgar McGrath is an Anglican priest, theologian, and Christian apologist, currently Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at Kings College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture...
refers to the "revival in Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
spirituality that had been borne aloft on the wings of Banner of Truth's inexpensive paperbacks."
The Banner of Truth's commitment to reprinting Puritan writers has drawn criticism. One reviewer of a volume of sermons by Richard Sibbes
Richard Sibbes
Richard Sibbes was an English theologian. He is known as a Biblical exegete, and as a representative, with William Perkins and John Preston, of what has been called "main-line" Puritanism.-Life:...
criticised the Banner of Truth's policy and questioned the need for such reprints.
External links
- "The Story of The Banner of Truth" by Iain H. Murray
- The Finder of Reformed Christian Sources — magazine & conferences index, compiled by Michael Keen