The Puritans: Physicians of the Soul with Dr. J. Stephen Yuille

Join Rev. Chris Gordon and Dr. J. Stephen Yuille as they dive into the fascinating world of the Puritans. Dr. Yuille, Professor of Church History and Spiritual Formation and a scholar of Puritan theologians, discusses the multifaceted meaning of the term "Puritan," exploring its pejorative, political, theological, and ecclesiastical uses. A central focus is the "experiential" definition of Puritanism, distinguishing between intellectual and affective knowledge, and how the Puritans were uniquely equipped as the "Physicians of the Soul." They address common misconceptions, such as reading modern psychological baggage (Freud, Darwin) back into the pre-Enlightenment Puritan context. Discover the Puritan emphasis on meditation as the chief spiritual discipline, the danger of severe introspection (and its safeguard), and their surprisingly balanced teaching. The conversation also touches on Puritan perspectives on social-political frameworks, including William Perkins' work on witchcraft and the Baxterian Controversies. Dr. Yuille shares insight into his work, including The Works of John Cotton and his devotional, The Heart Taken Up.

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:00:45 - Dr. Stephen Yuille’s background
00:05:30 - What does “Puritan” mean?
00:07:20 - The shifting and pejorative use of the term Puritan
00:08:45 - Puritan used ecclesiastically for church reformers
00:10:35 - William Perkins and the Puritan movement
00:11:15 - The “experiential” definition of Puritanism
00:14:00 - Quote from John Geree on the term Puritan
00:15:30 - Experiential knowledge vs. intellectual knowledge
00:21:25 - A “consensus” in the confessions
00:22:25 - Preparationism and resting in Christ
00:24:30 - Andrew Fuller and Hypercalvinism
00:25:00 - The Puritans earned the title “The Physicians of the Soul”
00:26:00 - Avoiding reading our context into the past
00:28:20 - Puritans were pre-enlightenment thinkers (no Freud or Darwin)
00:30:30 - Meditation is the chief spiritual discipline
00:32:45 - What "meditate" looked like for the Puritans
00:37:20 - Puritan Treasure For Today series Books Advertisement
00:38:20 - The danger of severe introspection and the safeguard
00:42:00 - The Puritans were actually very balanced teachers
00:43:00 - The Parable of the Sower
00:45:50 - The first christian commonwealth
00:47:20 - Perkins’ sermon out of Zephaniah and its social-political framework
00:50:30 - Perkin’s work A Discource of the Damned Art of Witchcraft
00:52:30 - The Baxterian 4 Controversies
00:54:00 - Dr. Yuille's work: The Works of John Cotton
01:01:25 - Dr. Yuille's devotional: The Heart Taken Up

Dr. J. Stephen Yuille: Dr. J. Stephen Yuille Professor of Church History and Spiritual Formation Dr. Yuille serves as Professor of Church History and Spiritual Formation in the School of Theology. Prior to his service at Southwestern, Dr. Yuille was the Vice President of Academics and Academic Dean of College at Heritage Baptist College and Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario. Additionally, he was Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Yuille has also served in a variety of church ministry roles, most recently as the pastor of Grace Community Church (SBC) in Glen Rose, TX.

Dr. Yuille is the author and editor of numerous books and book chapters on the Puritan theologians William Perkins, George Swinnock, and John Flavel. He has published journal articles in Themelios, Puritan Reformed Journal, and the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.

He is married Alison and they have two daughters Laura and Emma.

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary - https://swbts.edu/staff/j-stephen-yuille/
The Works of John Cotton by Dr. J Stephen Yuille - https://heritagebooks.org/products/the-works-of-john-cotton-5-volumes.html
The Heart Taken Up by Dr. J Stephen Yuille - https://heritagebooks.org/products/the-heart-taken-up-volume-1-yuille.html
Heritage Books - https://heritagebooks.org/

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Dr. Yuille serves as Professor of Church History and Spiritual Formation in the School of Theology. Prior to his service at Southwestern, Dr. Yuille was the Vice President of Academics and Academic Dean of College at Heritage Baptist College and Seminary in Cambridge, Ontario. Additionally, he was Associate Professor of Biblical Spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Yuille has also served in a variety of church ministry roles, most recently as the pastor of Grace Community Church (SBC) in Glen Rose, TX.

Dr. Yuille is the author and editor of numerous books and book chapters on the Puritan theologians William Perkins, George Swinnock, and John Flavel. He has published journal articles in Themelios, Puritan Reformed Journal, and the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors.

He is married Alison and they have two daughters Laura and Emma.