O’Brien chose the name New Puritan Press to indicate that he intends to make the Puritans accessible to 21^st century Christians.  “I was,” he says, “acutely aware of how difficult it is for most lay people and even pastors to read the Puritans.  My wife and I determined that I should take my long familiarity with their writings and turn them into modern English.” 

James T. O’Brien, a Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) minister in Calvary Presbytery in South Carolina, has announced the publication of three e-books to launch his new ministry, New Puritan Press.  Rev. O’Brien is undertaking a line-by-line translation into modern English of older Reformed classics from the 17^th through the 19^th centuries.  The first titles released can be found at New Puritan Press. [Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.] They are being published exclusively as e-books through Amazon.

A once-a-month newsletter is being offered to announce the new titles as they are released each month.  O’Brien anticipates publishing three to four books monthly.  Those interested in signing up for his newsletter can register at [email protected].

His initial offerings include John Preston’s “The Fullness of Christ,” David Clarkson’s “Overcoming Worry,” and “Thomas Vincent’s “Seeking God.” In November such classic works as Archbishop James Ussher’s “Immanuel” and Stephen Marshall’s “Sons of God” will be released.

In celebration of the launch of New Puritan Press, O’Brien is offering John Preston’s “The Fullness of Christ” for free through Thursday, October 11.  To take advantage of this offer go here.

He chose the name New Puritan Press to indicate that he intends to make the Puritans accessible to 21^st century Christians.  “I was,” he says, “acutely aware of how difficult it is for most lay people and even pastors to read the Puritans.  My wife and I determined that I should take my long familiarity with their writings and turn them into modern English.”  He also remarked, “While there are some efforts to modernize these authors, they are often more cosmetic than thorough.  I am going through these books line-by-line and turning them into very readable contemporary English, while trying not to ‘dumb them down’ or losing the flavor of each author.”

O’Brien acknowledged that it might not be the best time to launch a publishing ministry with ‘Puritan’ in its name, given the controversy over Propaganda’s rap song, “Precious Puritans.”  He said, “Our forefather’s failings remind me of the Apostle Peter.  God did not hide his flaws from future generations, but they did not disqualify him from preaching the riches of God’s grace.  The Puritans have left us the greatest treasury of spiritual writings in Protestantism.  The best Reformed writers of our generation are indebted to them.  Looking at the notes in books by John Piper, R.C. Sproul, Alistair Begg, J.I. Packer, Sinclair Ferguson, Derek Thomas, Jerry Bridges, John MacArthur, Martin Lloyd-Jones, and the list goes on and on, we see the importance of Puritan writers for their own understanding of the gospel.”

O’Brien notes that church officers who subscribe to the Westminster Standards or the Philadelphia Confession of Faith cannot fairly ignore Puritanism since those documents are distinctively Puritan.  William Perkins, often described as the father of Puritanism, defined theology as “the science of living unto God.”  The combination of serious theology and its practical implications are the defining characteristics of their writings.  “To affirm the Standards is, in a sense, to affirm one’s own commitment to the kind of theologically rooted godliness that marked their authors.  When one reads the Standards in this way the pattern of theological formulation and practical application becomes evident,” O’Brien said.

The idea for New Puritan Press originated when Rev. O’Brien was no longer able to serve as a pastor because of illness and family obligations.  Having studied historical theology with John Gerstner and Ford Lewis Battles at Pittsburgh Seminary and as the Medieval and Renaissance Fellow at Duke University with David Steinmetz, he has had a life-long interest in the great authors of the past.  He combines this with 25+ years of service to congregations in North Carolina, New Jersey, and South Carolina.

His first encounter with the Puritans came one summer while in college while reading John Owen’s “The Mortification of Sin.”  He remembers, “I was astonished at how well this old writer knew me!  I was hooked.  Here was the kind of gospel teaching that could help me address the sins that were weighing me down.  It was only later that I discovered that many others had the same experience with that book, including J.I. Packer and James Houston.”

Dr. Guy Waters, Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Miss., has written, “The Puritans have given the church some of the most biblical, most profound, and most practical writings in her possession. Unfortunately, we 21st century Christians can have a hard time profiting from the works of these pastor-theologians, especially on our e-readers. Thankfully, New Puritan Press has come to our rescue. Recovering Puritan gems (many of which have not seen the light of day for three centuries); outlining their argument; modernizing their style; and all with helpful introductions and notes, New Puritan Press is unveiling a line of user-friendly electronic editions of these spiritual masters. This great gift to the church promises to equip this digital generation to walk in the old paths.”