One of the Greatest Theologians of the Century Talks about Writing

by Marcus on January 31, 2008

At Laity Lodge, we’ve had a close connection to J. I. Packer for many years. Every year, I get the chance to hear this man speak and open the Scripture. At first, his style seemed dry to me, but gradually I came to appreciate the incredible wisdom he has. One Laity Lodge director described listening to Packer as being something akin to drinking from a firehose.

In the first ever posted Laity Lodge video, here’s J. I. Packer describing his calling to write. (I’d be curious what you think of the video, too.)

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Tagged as: laity-lodge, Packer, thehighcalling.org, theology, video, writing

  • I had never heard of Packer, but this video makes me want to read his books. He seem to be a humble man listening and following the Lord. That is the kind of person I want hear. Keep the videos coming.
  • Nice production. Very clear voicing. Pretty setting.

    I loved hearing/watching this; it's inspiring to hear a snippet of his story.
  • I like the water sounds at the beginning. (You're trying to tempt us to come to Laity Lodge!)

    And his spirit continued the peace of that initial sound. What a sweet man. Something to aspire to, as much as being successful in writing.
  • Thanks for the encouragement, Shep. Packer wrote a book called Knowing God that got a lot of attention. He was also very involved in the New Revised English Standard version of the Bible for what it's worth.

    Mary, thanks for dropping by! I'm glad you like the production value. That is one of the key things we were working on. How to keep costs down without appearing "cheap."

    Video can get crazy expensive, you know.
  • Glad you dropped by, L.L. The water sounds were my idea. : )

    I don't know what you are talking about us tempting people. That would be wrong! We're just trying to give a little short video that feels as close in spirit to Laity Lodge as possible. This video doesn't begin to capture what it is like to be there. But it's not a bad start.
  • As someone who received many of his early insights into the mysteries of the Christian faith from the writings of J.I. Packer, it feels like hearing the voice of an old friend that one hasn't seen for many years, but recognizes instantly nonetheless.
  • Video itself was great - I liked the length, and as Mary noted the voicing was very clear and easy to understand. Very professional looking.

    Also enjoyed hearing Mr. Packer talk and can only imagine what it must be like to sit under his tutelage.
  • Thomas Sumners
    I've known of Packer for a number of years, from listening to Howard Hovde's warm and enthusiastic recommendations of his books. Video is such an honest conveyor of the humble manner and kind spirit of the man, that now I will finally take Howard's advice and read one of his books.

    The setting and the sound are engaging. Well done!
  • kim
    The video is very nicely done. Mr. Packer's voice and demeanor are soothing to the soul. I wish that writing could be a central part of my ministry too, instead of a "when I can get to it" activity.
  • Marcus

    Somehow I missed this post a couple of days ago, when I commented on your business travel post. Wow, I'm glad I doubled back to catch the Packer video.

    You are not using hyperbole to describe him as one of the greatest theologians in our present generation.
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