Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892) stands among the greatest preachers in Christian history. His ministry in Victorian London was nothing short of extraordinary—thousands flocked weekly to hear him proclaim the gospel, while countless more around the world devoured his sermons in print. Yet at the heart of Spurgeon’s enduring influence was not his eloquence, nor his popularity, but his unwavering passion: to preach Jesus Christ to all people as the only Saviour.

That very conviction, however, brought Spurgeon into one of the most significant theological controversies of his lifetime—a conflict with the prevailing Hyper-Calvinism of his day. This system, though professing zeal for divine sovereignty, undermined the free offer of the gospel by denying that Christ should be preached to all without exception. Spurgeon’s bold stand for gospel invitation—his insistence that every sinner has warrant to believe—placed him in direct opposition to many within his own Calvinistic tradition.

In Spurgeon vs Hyper-Calvinism, historian Iain H. Murray traces the origins and course of this controversy with depth, clarity, and pastoral insight. He explores the central issues at stake, showing that Spurgeon’s battle was not a minor intramural debate but a struggle for the very heart of evangelical truth. The book reminds readers that authentic Calvinism, as Spurgeon understood it, is not a barrier to evangelism but its surest foundation.

The work is divided into three major parts. Part One, An Introduction to Spurgeon, offers an overview of Spurgeon’s life and ministry, highlighting his testimony to the authority of Scripture and including a vivid contemporary impression of him in his early years. Part Two, The Controversy with Hyper-Calvinism, forms the heart of the book. Murray examines the background of the dispute, the nature of the opposition Spurgeon faced, and the preacher’s fourfold appeal to Scripture in defense of gospel proclamation. The section concludes with reflections on the aftermath of the conflict and the abiding lessons that emerge from it.

Part Three, Illustrative Material, enriches the historical account with valuable supporting texts. Murray introduces key figures such as John Gill and William Huntington, whose influence shaped the theological landscape of Spurgeon’s time, and provides excerpts from thinkers like John Brown and T. J. Crawford to clarify the biblical warrant for faith and human responsibility. The section closes with a selection of Spurgeon’s own words on 1 Timothy 2:3–4 and his moving testimony to the spiritual damage caused by Hyper-Calvinism and Antinomianism.

More than a historical study, Spurgeon vs Hyper-Calvinism is a call to recover the balance and vitality of biblical Calvinism—a theology that exalts God’s sovereignty while freely offering Christ to all. Murray demonstrates that Spurgeon’s example remains profoundly relevant today, especially in an age when evangelistic zeal and doctrinal conviction are too often divorced.

Warmly written and meticulously researched, this book not only illuminates a defining episode in Baptist history but also points every reader back to the centre of Spurgeon’s life and ministry: the free and universal proclamation of a sovereign Saviour.