J. I. Packer, Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2024), 141 pp.
It is to my utter shame that I fell asleep in the middle of a J. I. Packer sermon during my freshman year at Multnomah University. The man in the pulpit that morning helped restore Reformed theology in America. This man was a stalwart of the Christian faith. He was brave, bold, and uncompromising. And I fell asleep. Oh, that I could hit the “rewind button” and have another chance to hear Dr. Packer preach the Word of God.
J. I. Packer has been with the Lord since 2020. But even after his death, the Anglican churchman continues to speak. Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age is a series of lectures, originally delivered at Reformed Bible College in 1978. The lectures focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Packer presents Christ’s humanity and his deity. He unveils the death of Jesus and also presents his uniqueness.
Each chapter is packed with typical Packer flair (a word that he would have likely abhorred). He simply had a way of presenting biblical reality in a candid way that never deviated from the sacred text. These chapters are much-needed in our day and remind us that compromise always has consequences. Packer’s challenges undermine and destroy theological liberalism while uplifting and glorifying Jesus Christ.
May the Lord raise up faithful men like J. I. Packer; men who will stand unafraid and proclaim the unvarnished truth of the gospel.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
Veritas et Lux 
David, I must tell you that I completely understand falling asleep during a Packer “sermon.” I heard him in person at the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology in 1978, 1983, and 1990. Stacking him up against the likes of James M. Boice, R. C. Sproul, John Gerstner, and even Roger Nicole led me to conclude that Packer does not preach sermons. He lectures. He comes across by comparison as a dispassionate British orator more at home in the lecture halls of Oxford, Tyndale Hall, Latimer House, Trinity College, and Regent College than in a church’s pulpit.
A memorable moment engraved in my brain during one of the PCRTs was when he said, ” I don’t preach this, but I will whisper it. I happen to believe that the Great Tribulation is coextensive with the entire Church Age.” I was sitting way in the back of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia when he said that, and I heard every word distinctly. If I wasn’t awake before he said it, I certainly was afterwords. The amplification system was working just fine.
Bottom line: I have personally heard many great preachers during my 50+ years as a Christian: Eric Alexander, James M. Boice, D. J. Ward, James and Fred Zaspel, Ed Moore, and David Morris for top examples. Packer does not measure up to those high standards. The man could lecture for sure. But if you are behind on your sleep or naps you best come well caffeinated, and splash some cold water on your face before taking your seat.