There are two groups of people who would enjoy this book, (1) those who have been influenced by John Piper’s ministry and/or have a great appreciation for Piper (2) and/or those who enjoy reading and interacting with theology, such as reading a theological journal. I happen to fit in both categories, and therefore, this book was a source of encouragement, enjoyment, and equipping for me.

After the Lord Jesus Christ, I have a short list of heroes. On that list, John Piper stands at the top. His preaching, theology, passion for Christ, and personal example of faith have been used by the Lord to greatly influence me in the faith and encourage me in my own walk with the Lord. Piper is baptistic, passionate, missional, and reformed, with all of those characteristics falling under the banner, The Glory of God. I praise God for His gift to the church in the teaching/preaching and theology of John Piper. I also praise the Lord for using his servant to open my eyes to a brand new universe, namely, the true universe that has God at the center!

Each chapter in this volume is an essay contributed by a friend or associate of Piper. The first few chapters are biographical, the bulk of the chapters are interactions with Piper’s theology, methodology, and preaching, and the final two chapters are descriptions of Desiring God Ministries and The Bethlehem Institute, which is now Bethlehem College and Seminary.

Why publish a book such as this while the author is still living? Storms and Taylor answer that question in an introductory letter to Piper. They explain that if they were to have waited, some of the contributors may have already entered glory and been unable to express their appreciation to Piper in this format. Also, the Apostle Paul call us to honor such men as Epaphroditus. Their prayer is that in honoring Piper’s ministry, they will ultimately draw greater attention to the supremacy of Christ. After all, that has been a central defining theme of Piper’s ministry.