J. I. Packer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Reverend Canon J. I. Packer
Packer in the 1950s
Born	James Innell Packer (1926-07-22)22 July 1926 Twyning, England
Died	17 July 2020(2020-07-17) (aged 93) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Nationality	Canadian British
Spouse(s)	Kit Mullett ​ (m. 1954)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	James Packer, Dorothy Packer
J. I. Packer Church Church of England Anglican Church of Canada Anglican Network in Canada Anglican Church in North America Ordained 1952 (deacon) 1953 (priest)
Alma mater	Corpus Christi College, Oxford Wycliffe Hall, Oxford
Notable work	Knowing God (1973)
Scientific career
Institutions	Tyndale Hall Latimer House Trinity College, Bristol Regent College
Thesis	The Redemption and Restoration of Man in the Thought of Richard Baxter (1954)
Doctoral advisor	Geoffrey Nuttall
Notable students	Chuck Murphy Gary Thomas
Influences	Richard Baxter John Bunyan John Calvin C. S. Lewis John Owen J. C. Ryle Charles Williams
Influenced	Duane Litfin Carl Trueman

James Innell Packer (born July 22, 1926, died July 17, 2020) was an important Christian thinker, writer, and church leader. He was born in England but later became a Canadian citizen. He was known for his strong beliefs in the evangelical and Calvinist traditions within the Anglican church.

Packer is famous for his best-selling book, Knowing God, which came out in 1973. He also helped edit the English Standard Version of the Bible. He was a professor of theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, until he retired in 2016 because his eyesight got worse.

J. I. Packer's Life and Career

Early Life and Education

James Innell Packer was born on July 22, 1926, in Twyning, England. His parents were James and Dorothy Packer. When he was seven, he had a serious head injury. This meant he couldn't play sports, so he spent a lot of time reading and writing. He loved typewriters and got his first one at age 11.

In 1937, Packer went to The Crypt School. He studied classical subjects like Greek and Latin. When he was 14, he became a confirmed member of his church.

He earned a scholarship to the University of Oxford. He studied at Corpus Christi College and got his first degree in 1948. While at Oxford, he decided to dedicate his life to Christian service. He also discovered the writings of the Puritans, who were a big influence on him. He also listened to lectures by C. S. Lewis, another writer who greatly shaped his ideas.

Becoming a Church Leader and Teacher

After college, Packer taught Greek and Latin for a short time. In 1949, he went back to Oxford to study theology. He earned his Master of Arts degree in 1954 and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1954. His main research was about the ideas of a Puritan theologian named Richard Baxter.

He became a deacon in the Church of England in 1952 and a priest in 1953. He was part of the evangelical movement within the church. In 1954, Packer married Kit Mullet, and they had three children: Ruth, Naomi, and Martin.

In 1955, Packer and his family moved to Bristol. He taught at Tyndale Hall, Bristol from 1955 to 1961. During this time, he wrote his first book, Fundamentalism and the Word of God (1958). This book defended the idea that the Bible is true and has been in print ever since.

Moving to Oxford and Writing Knowing God

Packer moved back to Oxford in 1961. He helped start an evangelical research center called Latimer House. He worked there until 1969. In the 1960s, he became an editor for a journal called Evangelical Quarterly. He later turned some of his articles into his most famous book, Knowing God. This book was published in 1973 and became a huge international bestseller, selling over 1.5 million copies.

In 1979, Packer moved to Vancouver, Canada. He started teaching at Regent College. He taught many classes, including systematic theology and about the Puritans. He became a very respected professor there.

Later Life and Influence

Packer was a very active writer and speaker. He wrote for and helped edit Christianity Today, a well-known Christian magazine. He was also the main editor for the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible. This is a popular translation used by many Christians.

In 2008, Packer's church in Vancouver decided to leave the Anglican Church of Canada. This was because of disagreements over certain church issues. Packer supported this decision. He continued to be an important leader in the new church group, the Anglican Church in North America.

In 2016, Packer's eyesight got much worse due to a condition called macular degeneration. This meant he could no longer read or write, and he had to stop his public work.

J. I. Packer passed away on July 17, 2020, just before his 94th birthday.

J. I. Packer's Beliefs

The Bible's Truth

Packer believed that the Bible is completely true and without error. He signed a document called the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, which supported this idea.

Church Leadership

Packer held views on leadership roles within the church. He believed that the Bible teaches that men should have the main responsibility for leading in the church. Because of this, he thought that only men should serve as elders in the church.

Calvinism

Packer followed a set of Christian beliefs known as Calvinism. This includes specific ideas about God's power and how people are saved.

Evolution and Faith

Packer supported some books that discussed theistic evolution. This idea suggests that God used the process of evolution to create life. However, he also expressed some caution about how evolution is understood.

Working with Other Christians

Packer supported the idea of Christian ecumenism. This means different Christian groups working together. He believed that Christians should put aside their differences to share their faith with others. For example, he was involved in a book called Evangelicals and Catholics Together. This book encouraged cooperation between evangelical Protestants and Catholics. This idea was sometimes criticized by other evangelicals who felt it went too far.

J. I. Packer's Books

• Fundamentalism and the Word of God (1958)
• Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (1961)
• Our Lord's Understanding of the Law of God (1962)
• The Church of England and the Methodist Church: Ten Essays (1963)
• God Speaks To Man: Revelation and the Bible (1965)
• Tomorrow's Worship (1966)
• Guidelines: Anglican Evangelicals Face the Future (1967)
• Knowing God (1973)
• What did the Cross Achieve? The Logic of Penal Substitution (1974)
• I Want To Be A Christian (1977)
• The Ten Commandments (1977)
• The Evangelical Anglican Identity Problem: An Analysis (1978)
• The New Man (1978)
• For Man's Sake! (1978)
• Knowing Man (1979)
• God Has Spoken (1979)
• Beyond the Battle for the Bible (1980)
• Freedom and Authority (1981)
• A Kind of Noah's Ark? : The Anglican Commitment to Comprehensiveness (1981)
• God's Words: Studies of Key Bible Themes (1981)
• Freedom, Authority and Scripture (1982)
• Keep In Step With The Spirit: Finding Fullness In Our Walk With God (1984)
• The Thirty-Nine Articles: Their Place and Use Today (1984)
• Through the Year with J. I. Packer (1986)
• Hot Tub Religion (1987)
• Among God's Giants: Aspects of Puritan Christianity (1991)
• A Passion for Holiness (1992)
• Rediscovering Holiness (1992)
• Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (1993)
• A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life (1994)
• Knowing Christianity (1995)
• A Passion for Faithfulness: Wisdom from the Book of Nehemiah (1995)
• Decisions – Finding God's Will: 6 Studies for Individuals or Groups (1996)
• Truth & Power: The Place of Scripture in the Christian Life (1996)
• Life in the Spirit (1996)
• Meeting God (2001)
• God's Plans for You (2001)
• Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility (2002)
• Faithfulness and Holiness: The Witness of J. C. Ryle (2002)
• The Redemption and Restoration of Man in the Thought of Richard Baxter (2003)
• Knowing God Through The Year (2004)
• 18 Words: The Most Important Words You Will Ever Know (2007)
• Praying the Lord's Prayer (2007)
• Affirming the Apostles' Creed (2008)
• Weakness Is the Way: Life with Christ Our Strength (2013)
• Finishing Our Course With Joy (2014)

In the Anglican Agenda series

• Taking Faith Seriously (2006)
• Taking Doctrine Seriously (2007)
• Taking Repentance Seriously (2007)
• Taking Christian Unity Seriously (2007)

Collections of his writings

• The J. I. Packer Collection (1999)
• Collected Shorter Writings of J. I. Packer
  • Volume 1: Celebrating the Saving Work of God (1998)
  • Volume 2: Serving the People of God (1998)
  • Volume 3: Honouring the Written Word of God (1999)
  • Volume 4: Honouring the People of God (1999)

Books he wrote with others

• The Spirit Within You: The Church's Neglected Possession with Alan Stibbs (1979)
• The Bible Almanac with Merrill C. Tenney and William White (1980)
• Christianity: The True Humanism with Thomas Howard (1985)
• New Dictionary of Theology with Sinclair B Ferguson and David F Wright (1988)
• Knowing and Doing the Will of God with LaVonne Neff (1995)
• Great Power with Beth Feia (1997)
• Great Grace with Beth Feia (1997)
• Great Joy with Beth Feia (1999)
• Never Beyond Hope: How God Touches and Uses Imperfect People with Carolyn Nystrom (2000)
• Knowing God Journal with Carolyn Nystrom (2000)
• J. I. Packer Answers Questions for Today with Wendy Murray Zoba (2001)
• Hope, Never Beyond Hope: Six Studies for Individuals or Groups with Leader's Notes with Carolyn Nystrom (2003)
• One Faith: The Evangelical Consensus with Thomas Oden (2004)
• Battle for the Soul of Canada: Raising up the Emerging Generation of Leaders (2006)
• Praying: Finding Our Way Through Duty To Delight with Carolyn Nystrom (2006)
• Guard Us, Guide Us: Divine Leading in Life's Decisions with Carolyn Nystrom (2008)
• In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement with Mark Dever (2008)