John Knox spent his life with a sword in one hand and a Bible in the other and he wasn’t afraid to use either.
He began his theological life as a body guard to George Wishart – and it was when that young man was put to death by the religious authorities that John Knox was finally persuaded of the need to awaken his country from the death of injustice and spiritual poverty that afflicted it.
He was never built for a quiet life and when he ran from one danger, he often found himself headed straight for another. Escaping from the authorities brought him straight into a castle siege and from there he ended up as a galley slave on a French frigate. No wonder he appreciated liberty when he had felt the grasp of slavery’s chains and the cut of the enemy’s whip.
But his thirst for true freedom came from his longing for God’s Word to be preached. John knew that true liberty only came from being in service to God and his Kingdom. Many stood against him and they still do today… but he gave much to his country and to his God and the church and Scotland owe John Knox – they owe him thanks as they owe the God he served thanks for calling such men to be his preachers.
The Trailblazer’s series collects great stories from Christians of the past and delivers them to the young people of today. This gripping and astonishing story from Catherine MacKenzie will challenge young readers to serve God as John Knox did.
A well–known and long–standing series:
Over 50 titles
Great for ages 9 to 14
Published in 14 languages
Half a million books sold
Also available in box sets when one book is not enough! 7 themed box sets, each with 5 books
Each biography follows the trailblazer’s journey to faith, and on to the work that God had planned for them. With lots of dialogue, these engaging stories show how God uses normal individuals to bring about his purpose.
Each book features:
Thinking Further Topics for each chapter to help readers think about how what they’ve read applies to their life today
Timeline of important events in the lifetime of each book’s subject
Endorsements
Here is a biography for young people, outlining the life of the Scottish Reformer John Knox. It details significant events in Knox's life. Did you know that he was once a sword-wielding bodyguard? Other significant details are described such as his friendship with George Wishart, the beginning of his ministry in St Andrews, slavery on a galley ship, his time in France and Geneva, his links with Calvin, return to Scotland and so on. It also gives an outline of the religious situation in the country at that time and shows the dangers that reformed Christians faced under the reigns of the different monarchs, but also some of the changes that were occurring. Here's a book that is educational and easy to follow. It provides an excellent overview for young people about an important era in their history that sadly seems to be becoming more neglected and forgotten about.
Catherine MacKenzie comes from Scotland and has written several biographies for young teens in the Trailblazers series as well as other titles for younger children. She is Editor for Christian Focus’ children’s imprint, CF4Kids.
Sign up to receive our monthly Journal and offers.
Our use of cookies
Some cookies are necessary for us to manage how our website behaves.
Functional
These cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.
