Authentic Christianity
From the writings of John Stott
Edited by Timothy Dudley-Smith
IVP. 424 pages. £9.99
This is authentic Stott! A splendid collection of extracts from John Stott's writings. They are classified under a dozen headings such as the Holy Spirit, What it is to be human, and The Church of God, with sub-headings for easy reference.
In his introduction, Timothy Dudley-Smith says that his sole criterion for selection is 'the telling of instructive or (above all) thought-provoking quotation.' He has done us a great service. Here is a mine of information for the pastor or teacher or the thinking Christian or student. I have already started using it regularly in my preaching.
The depth of John Stott's profound and penetrating reflection on Scripture and its application in the church and in the world are revealed on every page. The only shortcoming is that we inevitably miss out on one of John Stott's greatest strengths, namely his ability for sustained logical argument and flowing consecutive exposition of Scripture. But this is unavoidable in a work of this nature and is a price well worth paying for such a book. The title is a fitting one. I well remember John Stott speaking at the Cambridge mission in 1977. The word I recall him using repeatedly and tellingly, so that I shall always associate it with him? Authentic!
