The Question Oak
Charles Spurgeon's Theological and Pastoral Wisdom For Today: An Introduction
The Westwood Estate, Beulah Hill, upper Norwood England: The third, and final, home of Charles Spurgeon, the Victorian Prince of Preachers who ranks second to none in the homiletical pantheon of Christian preachers.
While Spurgeon is most known for his roaring oratory in the pulpit; his puritan-like precision in biblical and systematic theology, and the detriment of the Down Grade Controversy that plagued his Baptist denomination, he is also well known for his renowned Pastors College which was dedicated to training, equipping, and perpetuating generations of pastors of the Puritan stalk. The Pastors College would grow from one individual, T.W. Medhurst, a poor apprenticed rope-maker whom Spurgeon personally trained, funded, and mentored in 1855, to applicants applying in droves annually by 1861, both within, and without, the Metropolitan Tabernacle as young, aspiring pastors sought formal theological education under Spurgeon’s superintendence. The curriculum at the Pastors College included courses on Greek, Hebrew, Latin, biblical studies, theology, history, classical literature, ethics and philosophy, English studies, rhetoric, logic, preaching, and even courses on the natural sciences with scientific lecturer and professor, Frank Cheshire. And that is because Spurgeon was not only a lover of God’s special revelation in Scripture, but also of God’s general revelation. That is, nature.
An acquaintance of Spurgeon, after taking a tour of Spurgeon’s Westwood estate, once remarked, “I was especially struck with his love of nature. He lived in loving acquaintance with his beautiful surroundings. He seemed to be on terms of closest intimacy with every, leaf, and plant, and flower; and, without question, this may very largely account for his own marked naturalness in speech and movement, both in the pulpit and out of it.”[1] Indeed, Spurgeon’s sermons cannot be read without gleaning some insight and knowledge of botany; his sermons were flowered with illustrations and metaphors, driving home spiritual truths with the illustrious Triune God’s picture gallery in creation. Spurgeon not only preached this way, but he trained, mentored, and sharpened pastoral minds in the same manor at the very place he called home, Westwood Estate.
Writing and reflecting on his experiences at Westwood, Dr. J.G. Walker gives us a vivid description of the Eden that Spurgeon tended to regularly :
“Turning into the open gateway, a short drive along the thickly shaded carriageway brings us to the house itself, now and ever to be known by the familiar name of ‘Westwood.’ Mr. Spurgeon is at the carriage before we alight, and gives us such a cordial greeting that we immediately feel at home ourselves. We spend a few moments, in the rosary, in further social intercourse. Then, with cheerful, though somewhat laboured, steps, our genial host leads us along the grass bordered walks around the house, down a winding pathway sheltered by overhanging trees, over a little rustic bridge, and along the edge of a miniature lake; then out upon a sloping stretch of open ground, from the summit of which the ‘Westwood’ dwelling sends down its sunny glances, and beyond which the widening expanse of a picturesque English landscape suggests to heart and voice alike the familiar melody ‘Sweet Beulah Land.’[2]
The Pastors college was situated in the basement of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, where books, lectures, and pens and paper, and ink bottles and desks, and lecterns and open Bibles formed the backdrop and ecosystem of the young, aspiring pastors in the program. But there was also another place where theological inquiry, reflection, and discussion happened; an object that burned in the memory of every student at the Pastors College – a single, penetrating oak tree, on the property of Westwood which would eventually earn the name “The Question Oak”. Spurgeon was known for inviting his students over to the estate for leisure, rest, to peruse his personal library, and hold informal gatherings around that stalwart oak tree to discuss a range of topics. Students were invited to ask Spurgeon any question at all, and he would answer without hesitation and honesty, often providing theological and pastoral insights from his own experience in ministry. Thus, “The Question Oak.”
I have been a long-time avid reader of Spurgeon’s works, from his autobiographies published by Banner of Truth to his printed sermons in 32 volumes, and his Lectures to My Students and various other biographies and works written in the last ten years. There is no shortage of Spurgeon material available, especially thanks to the Spurgeon Library housed at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO. Yet I feel compelled to write a series of articles titled after that sacred oak tree and her careful owner, exploring questions and topics ranging from theology, ecclesiology, pastoral theology, and yes, even natural theology; considering what Spurgeon had to say about each. My hope is that through this series, readers will gain a greater appreciation for Charles Spurgeon, not only as a pastor and preacher, but as a theologian in his own right. Though Spurgeon never received formal education, he nonetheless profoundly contributed to the field of theological study in ways that we can learn from today to help us think through current issues. That said, welcome to “The Question Oak.”
[1] https://www.spurgeon.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/LXXXVII.__Westwood.pdf
[2] Ibid., 57