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The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling
What is a life of radical discipleship? At the root, it means we let Jesus set the agenda of our lives. We aren't selective. We don't pick and choose what is congenial and stay away from what is costly. No. He is Lord of all of life. In the last book by the leading evangelical churchman of the twentieth century, John Stott opens up what it means to truly be a follower of Jesus. In a refreshing and accesible style, he explores eight aspects of Christian discipleship which are too often neglected and yet deserve to be taken seriously: non-conformity, Christ-likeness, maturity, creation-care, simplicity, balance, dependence and death. Here, including the last public sermon he ever preached, Stott offers wisdom gained from a lifetime of consistent Christian commitment. In addition, he poignantly reflects on his last years of life and ministry. The message is simple, classic and personal: Jesus is Lord. He calls. We follow.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
182 people are currently reading
1379 people want to read
About the author
John R.W. Stott
305 books554 followersJohn R. W. Stott is known worldwide as a preacher, evangelist, and communicator of Scripture. For many years he served as rector of All Souls Church in London, where he carried out an effective urban pastoral ministry. A leader among evangelicals in Britain, the United States and around the world, Stott was a principal framer of the landmark Lausanne Covenant (1974). His many books, including Why I Am a Christian and The Cross of Christ, have sold millions of copies around the world and in dozens of languages. Whether in the West or in the Two-Thirds World, a hallmark of Stott's ministry has been expository preaching that addresses the hearts and minds of contemporary men and women. Stott was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
September 3, 2011
I picked this up for a quick read on a study break whim at Barnes and Noble; something more than a skim and less than an every-word read. I don't know if the quick read was more poignant because the author is now absent from the body and present with the Lord, but this simple book is quite soul-gripping. I am usually a little put off by books that claim to be radical. But Stott calls for a different kind of radical than the one that makes you feel guilty for giving a homeless guy a 5 dollar bill instead of a 20. His exhortation to Christ-likeness, steady growth, simplicity, fellowship, daily dying to self and balance seems, ironically, much more radical than most calls to be radical.
December 19, 2013
John Stott is a name that has been well known in Christian ministry and teaching for many, many years. In The Radical Disciple, Stott addresses eight aspects of our Christian lives that he believes need to be more strongly emphasized in Christian living. These aspects include:
1. Non-conformity
2. Christlikeness
3. Maturity
4. Creation-care
5. Simplicity
6. Balance
7. Dependence
8. Death
Positives
Stott writes with a clarity and eloquence that are not often present in our more modern, more breezy works. His use of language is solid, making the pages of this book fly by.
Stott’s handling of the Christian’s need for maturity, non-conformity, suffering, and dependence especially resonated with me. Stott, writing in his late eighties, expresses a very mature, very God-honoring understanding of death, suffering, and dependence upon others.
Negatives
While I enjoyed this work in general, the middle chapters of this book were not as helpful. Stott’s calls for creation care and simplicity, while important calls in general, were not his best argued points. The author parrots the popular environmental issues of global warming, ozone layer protection, and population growth without seeming to question the findings of secular scientists. Similarly, in the chapter ron simplicity, Stott rightly argues for our need to simplify our lives in order to be able to give more, but does not offer much by way of practical help to accomplish this.
Conclusion
The Radical Disciple has some very important lessons for Christians to hear. In some places, Stott brings forth real gems of thought. In others, however, his ideas are not as inspiring.
Audio
I received a free download of this book as part of Christian Audio’s reviewers program. The audio version, read by Grover Gardner, is simply excellent, meeting Christian Audio’s clearly high standards.
1. Non-conformity
2. Christlikeness
3. Maturity
4. Creation-care
5. Simplicity
6. Balance
7. Dependence
8. Death
Positives
Stott writes with a clarity and eloquence that are not often present in our more modern, more breezy works. His use of language is solid, making the pages of this book fly by.
Stott’s handling of the Christian’s need for maturity, non-conformity, suffering, and dependence especially resonated with me. Stott, writing in his late eighties, expresses a very mature, very God-honoring understanding of death, suffering, and dependence upon others.
Negatives
While I enjoyed this work in general, the middle chapters of this book were not as helpful. Stott’s calls for creation care and simplicity, while important calls in general, were not his best argued points. The author parrots the popular environmental issues of global warming, ozone layer protection, and population growth without seeming to question the findings of secular scientists. Similarly, in the chapter ron simplicity, Stott rightly argues for our need to simplify our lives in order to be able to give more, but does not offer much by way of practical help to accomplish this.
Conclusion
The Radical Disciple has some very important lessons for Christians to hear. In some places, Stott brings forth real gems of thought. In others, however, his ideas are not as inspiring.
Audio
I received a free download of this book as part of Christian Audio’s reviewers program. The audio version, read by Grover Gardner, is simply excellent, meeting Christian Audio’s clearly high standards.
October 4, 2024
What I love about this book is Stott doesn’t spell everything out for you. In the book he lays out 8 (non-exhaustive) principles of Christian discipleship: nonconformity, Christlikeness, maturity, creation care, simplicity, balance, dependence, and death. He describes the biblical basis for his inclusion of each principle, and explains the areas of life where they would apply. What he doesn’t tell you is *how* to apply them. For example, in the chapter on simplicity, he details how the scripture compels us to live simple, non-extravagant lives. Then he lays out the ways in which simplicity would improve our Christian witness. What he doesn’t do is tell us what type of car we should drive, the clothes we should buy, the way we should organize our budget, etc.
I love this because I think too many pastors try to do the work of discernment for us. In my experience, when spiritual leaders use their influence to give us specifics on how we should be living, we end up relying more on them than on the Holy Spirit. Our circumstances are unique and complex, and each of us is called to apply the scripture in different ways. The best leaders give guidance, not commands. While practical advice can be helpful, sometimes they create burdens that shouldn’t exist.
In summary I like this book cuz it tells you what a radical disciple looks like in general, but it leaves you to figure out what that looks like for yourself.
I love this because I think too many pastors try to do the work of discernment for us. In my experience, when spiritual leaders use their influence to give us specifics on how we should be living, we end up relying more on them than on the Holy Spirit. Our circumstances are unique and complex, and each of us is called to apply the scripture in different ways. The best leaders give guidance, not commands. While practical advice can be helpful, sometimes they create burdens that shouldn’t exist.
In summary I like this book cuz it tells you what a radical disciple looks like in general, but it leaves you to figure out what that looks like for yourself.
August 15, 2023
Easy to read and work through. Some chapters were challenging, in particular the chapter calling us to simplicity, but a lot didn’t go as far as they could, especially in terms of application. An enjoyable book though.
Read
December 19, 2022I really enjoyed some chapters but other chapters just didn’t resonate or dive as deeply as I would have liked. Stott and Ron Sider’s statement of commitment to Christian simplicity was especially thought-provoking and had me thinking about my own discipleship to the simple lifestyle of Christ.
October 4, 2020
Un très bon livre percutant pour nous rappeler notre identité en tant que chrétiens, disciples de Christ, nos obligations radicales envers lui, nous sortir de notre tiédeur : le non-conformisme au monde, la conformité à Christ, la maturité, la sauvegarde de la création, la simplicité, l’équilibre, la dépendance à Dieu et la mort (physique, à soi-même la sanctification, la souffrance, la persécution. Excellent pour qu'un chrétien depuis peu sache ce que Dieu attend de lui. On pourrait s'en servir pour une série d'études bibliques sur l'engagement radical des disciples de Christ. Maintenant les points faibles : il aurait fallu plus parler de la grâce de Dieu à travers l'action du Saint-Esprit (ou plus explicitement) car sans elle jamais nous ne réussirons à lui obéir et à nous relever lors de nos échecs grâce à son pardon et sa patience. Il manque aussi une partie sur l'évangélisation et la prière.
April 14, 2020
Short book but worth a slow read. I particularly enjoyed the last chapter on death, death:
- in salvation (Christ died that we might live),
- in discipleship (if we put to death the misdeeds of the body we will live)
- in mission (the seed must die to multiply)
- in persecution (dying that we may live)
- martyrdom (‘sir, your supreme weapon is killing. My supreme weapon is dying’)
- in mortality (death holds no horrors for Christians)
In all areas of ‘death’ “death is a way to life.”
Powerful and challenging - I think made more poignant given this was John Stott’s last book written while he was in hospital.
- in salvation (Christ died that we might live),
- in discipleship (if we put to death the misdeeds of the body we will live)
- in mission (the seed must die to multiply)
- in persecution (dying that we may live)
- martyrdom (‘sir, your supreme weapon is killing. My supreme weapon is dying’)
- in mortality (death holds no horrors for Christians)
In all areas of ‘death’ “death is a way to life.”
Powerful and challenging - I think made more poignant given this was John Stott’s last book written while he was in hospital.
September 29, 2020
Stott is magnificent, even at the end of his life.
His mental acuity and ability to both effectively turn phrases as well as surgically get to the root of his idea is remarkable for a man nearly 90.
It is also amazing that a man who is considered by so many to be a bedrock of theological conservatism would include extended chapters on conservation of the environment and simplicity. It is difficult for anyone to call John Stott a liberal, which makes his challenge to include these in a discussion on discipleship even more potent.
The chapters on balance and death are on their own worth the time it takes to engage this slim volume.
Highly recommend.
His mental acuity and ability to both effectively turn phrases as well as surgically get to the root of his idea is remarkable for a man nearly 90.
It is also amazing that a man who is considered by so many to be a bedrock of theological conservatism would include extended chapters on conservation of the environment and simplicity. It is difficult for anyone to call John Stott a liberal, which makes his challenge to include these in a discussion on discipleship even more potent.
The chapters on balance and death are on their own worth the time it takes to engage this slim volume.
Highly recommend.
January 22, 2024
Someone I admire recommends John Stott, and for the longest time I thought he was a Puritan. He's actually my contemporary and died only in 2011, at the age of 90. He published this, the last of his books, the year before, as a way to highlight what he saw as some of the key things we're missing today.
So he surprised me from the get-go by starting with nonconformity. Who talks about that now? But the chapter on creation care was the most unexpected. Is recycling a way to love the planet God made? Could making more sustainable choices be a way to love God and neighbor?
In the chapter on simplicity, he talks a lot about a Lausanne Covenant he wrote and that a group signed with him in 1974. Recognizing the real temptations to accumulate excess and define our lives by it, this group promised together that they were going to push against it. They would aim towards simpler living, giving more away--without drawing a line for anyone else. He walks the line well between really challenging the reader to consider your own affluence, without creating an arbitrary standard for everyone. The point is moving towards less excess and more generosity, more simplicity and less vapid accumulating. Who wouldn't be convicted by this!
The chapter on dependence challenges the way we view our own need and how we think about aging. I can imagine some arguments against Stott's points, but he's not wrong. It is so hard to be the one in need, rather than the one with supply. It's so humbling.
One last thing I want to remember is a line in the final chapter where he talks about reading being a means of grace. I haven't read that in any of the other books on disciplines I've encountered, but: yes! It so is. He started an organization--Langham Literature--that exists to help "strengthen and equip leaders of the Majority World church" by giving them... books. Beautiful.
So he surprised me from the get-go by starting with nonconformity. Who talks about that now? But the chapter on creation care was the most unexpected. Is recycling a way to love the planet God made? Could making more sustainable choices be a way to love God and neighbor?
In the chapter on simplicity, he talks a lot about a Lausanne Covenant he wrote and that a group signed with him in 1974. Recognizing the real temptations to accumulate excess and define our lives by it, this group promised together that they were going to push against it. They would aim towards simpler living, giving more away--without drawing a line for anyone else. He walks the line well between really challenging the reader to consider your own affluence, without creating an arbitrary standard for everyone. The point is moving towards less excess and more generosity, more simplicity and less vapid accumulating. Who wouldn't be convicted by this!
The chapter on dependence challenges the way we view our own need and how we think about aging. I can imagine some arguments against Stott's points, but he's not wrong. It is so hard to be the one in need, rather than the one with supply. It's so humbling.
One last thing I want to remember is a line in the final chapter where he talks about reading being a means of grace. I haven't read that in any of the other books on disciplines I've encountered, but: yes! It so is. He started an organization--Langham Literature--that exists to help "strengthen and equip leaders of the Majority World church" by giving them... books. Beautiful.
August 29, 2018
I really liked what he had to say about recycling. I hadn't expected to find that in this book!
July 7, 2017
A short book looking at 8 characteristics of Christians - nonconformity, Christlikeness, maturity, creation care, simplicity (in living), balance, dependence (on God and other people), and death (in 6 various parts of the Christian life). While I don't agree with all of Stott's conclusions or even about which traits he picked - shouldn't growing in knowledge about God make it onto the list? - I enjoyed the book. A great book for a newer Christian.
January 20, 2023
Really enjoyed the premise of the book and several of the chapters. Creation Care and Simplicity seemed like they didn’t fit. But it’s his list and he challenged me to come up with my own from the Scriptures and work of discipling. I am thankful for John Stott.
January 13, 2016
Good book has some liberal ideas that surprise me as un proven yet accepted like global warming.
July 18, 2019
I greatly appreciate and admire the ministry and witness of John Stott. In this book, he briefly expounds on particular aspects of Christian discipleship that he feels have been neglected. He also encourages readers to consider any tenants of the faith that they may be neglecting in their own lives.
Stott's writing style is a breath of fresh air. He writes in a way that is simple and accessible to anyone. As a reader, I don't feel like he's trying to impress me with deep analogies, funny stories, or clever turns of phrase. He gets to the point. He says what needs to be said in a short amount of space. His aim is clear teaching for the everyday Christian and I am thankful for that as a reader. Another thing I greatly appreciate is his decision to write in a way that is broadly evangelical, as opposed to representing one particular denominational or theological sect. Christians from all theological persuasions can read this book and grow in their walk with Christ.
Also, John Stott roots everything in Biblical exposition. This is a rare thing to find in a Christian book of a popular format. Whereas plenty of books use proof-texts, seldom do I see books which take chunks of scripture and clearly explain them in order to make the point.
Regarding the contents of the book, I figured that some would find the chapters on creation care and simplicity controversial. Personally, I haven't researched those topics enough to know whether I fully agree with him or not. However, I don't like reviewing a book based on if I agree with it's content or not. I do think that he writes on those very complex and politically inflamed topics in a way that is void of emotionally charged rhetoric (which is refreshing) and in a way that is sincerely concerned with what the Bible teaches and what God cares about. As for the rest of the book - it is, in typical John Stott fashion, challenging, encouraging, informative, engaging, humble, and worshipful.
I would recommend this book to any Christian and I would especially recommend John Stott in general to any new or young Christian. He is a wonderful example to follow. He lived what he wrote and preached. I would also recommend Stott to any non Christian who would like learn a bit about evangelical Christianity through a source that is easy to understand.
Stott's writing style is a breath of fresh air. He writes in a way that is simple and accessible to anyone. As a reader, I don't feel like he's trying to impress me with deep analogies, funny stories, or clever turns of phrase. He gets to the point. He says what needs to be said in a short amount of space. His aim is clear teaching for the everyday Christian and I am thankful for that as a reader. Another thing I greatly appreciate is his decision to write in a way that is broadly evangelical, as opposed to representing one particular denominational or theological sect. Christians from all theological persuasions can read this book and grow in their walk with Christ.
Also, John Stott roots everything in Biblical exposition. This is a rare thing to find in a Christian book of a popular format. Whereas plenty of books use proof-texts, seldom do I see books which take chunks of scripture and clearly explain them in order to make the point.
Regarding the contents of the book, I figured that some would find the chapters on creation care and simplicity controversial. Personally, I haven't researched those topics enough to know whether I fully agree with him or not. However, I don't like reviewing a book based on if I agree with it's content or not. I do think that he writes on those very complex and politically inflamed topics in a way that is void of emotionally charged rhetoric (which is refreshing) and in a way that is sincerely concerned with what the Bible teaches and what God cares about. As for the rest of the book - it is, in typical John Stott fashion, challenging, encouraging, informative, engaging, humble, and worshipful.
I would recommend this book to any Christian and I would especially recommend John Stott in general to any new or young Christian. He is a wonderful example to follow. He lived what he wrote and preached. I would also recommend Stott to any non Christian who would like learn a bit about evangelical Christianity through a source that is easy to understand.
May 19, 2025
I read this in one sitting and have to say that it serves— mostly— as an excellent antidote to Keller’s and Inazu’s “Uncommon Ground.’ Whereas the latter focuses on the complexity of modern issues and the challenges they bring to living a gospel centered life, Stott’s book focuses on simplicity in light of the worldwide gospel.
That is, to parrot Kevin DeYoung, the Gospel is not that complicated. The Christian life is not that complicated. I don’t agree with all of Stott’s conclusions— why he focuses on governmental action in the pursuit of abolishing worldwide injustice is mysterious to me— but I would beseech readers to not miss the heart of his message.
As difficult as the Christian life may be, it is simple to understand because the Bible is not written to obscure the Christian disciple’s responsibilities. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, and Stott goes to lengths to show how it is radical, but it’s not complicated.
Modern American Christians can take a lot of comfort in Stott’s book, and social justice warriors in the Church should read Stott’s references for an understanding of what real, objective social injustice looks like. For Americans, those conversations should shift dramatically in light of worldwide issues. They won’t, but they should.
Altogether, an excellent book. I’m glad I read this and I found it very encouraging.
That is, to parrot Kevin DeYoung, the Gospel is not that complicated. The Christian life is not that complicated. I don’t agree with all of Stott’s conclusions— why he focuses on governmental action in the pursuit of abolishing worldwide injustice is mysterious to me— but I would beseech readers to not miss the heart of his message.
As difficult as the Christian life may be, it is simple to understand because the Bible is not written to obscure the Christian disciple’s responsibilities. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, and Stott goes to lengths to show how it is radical, but it’s not complicated.
Modern American Christians can take a lot of comfort in Stott’s book, and social justice warriors in the Church should read Stott’s references for an understanding of what real, objective social injustice looks like. For Americans, those conversations should shift dramatically in light of worldwide issues. They won’t, but they should.
Altogether, an excellent book. I’m glad I read this and I found it very encouraging.
July 3, 2021
Lots of good food for thought here. I don't think it has a lot of unity, but each chapter is well worth reading.
I was most moved by the chapters on Non-Conformity, Christ-likeness, and Dependence. He urges all of us, especially his fellow old people, not to resist being a burden. "I was created to be a burden to you. You were created to be a burden to me." "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galations 6:2
This is Stott's last book - written in his mid to late 80's. This lends special poignancy to his teaching on dependence and death. Especially after breaking a hip - he knows all about dependence!
I also greatly enjoyed hearing about his conversion, while attending the famous "public" school Rugby. I would not think of Rugby as being a place that would invite a speaker like "Bash." Bash continued to disciple young John for years.
I was most moved by the chapters on Non-Conformity, Christ-likeness, and Dependence. He urges all of us, especially his fellow old people, not to resist being a burden. "I was created to be a burden to you. You were created to be a burden to me." "Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." Galations 6:2
This is Stott's last book - written in his mid to late 80's. This lends special poignancy to his teaching on dependence and death. Especially after breaking a hip - he knows all about dependence!
I also greatly enjoyed hearing about his conversion, while attending the famous "public" school Rugby. I would not think of Rugby as being a place that would invite a speaker like "Bash." Bash continued to disciple young John for years.
May 28, 2025
“Just as Jesus performed what in his culture was the work of a slave, so we in our cultures must regard no task too menial or degrading to undertake.”
“For the discipleship principle is clear: the poorer our vision of Christ, the poorer our discipleship will be, whereas the richer our vision of Christ, the richer our discipleship will be.”
“Over against the challenge of materialism, we are to be a community of simplicity and pilgrimage. Over against the challenge of relativism, we are to be a community of obedience. Over the challenge of narcissism, we are to be a community of love. If we claim to be Christian, we must be like Christ.”
“For the discipleship principle is clear: the poorer our vision of Christ, the poorer our discipleship will be, whereas the richer our vision of Christ, the richer our discipleship will be.”
“Over against the challenge of materialism, we are to be a community of simplicity and pilgrimage. Over against the challenge of relativism, we are to be a community of obedience. Over the challenge of narcissism, we are to be a community of love. If we claim to be Christian, we must be like Christ.”
June 22, 2025
I picked up this short little book because I was most interested in the chapter Scott wrote on death….since Stott knew his life was drawing to a close. What can I learn from him? But actually, I was most struck by the chapter prior to that one, on dependency. So many good thoughts that I’ve been pondering over - on dependency on the Lord, and on others. And learning to live a life of dependency not only helps us live this life as God intends, it also prepares us for death.
April 9, 2024
Daquele livro de teologia de temas top 10, mas de uma escrita e leitura bem abaixo de um top 100.
October 5, 2024
A lot of information. Would have been a better read if I did a book club with it or something for more discussion.
November 24, 2019
A wonderful way to wrap up a very successful writing career.
June 5, 2022
His chapter on death hit me all the more harder after I discovered that he had passed away in 2010. I'm thinking about Dietrich Bonhoeffer's last words that the author included in the book: "This is the end—for me the beginning of life."
February 13, 2025
Um bom livro para entender características de um discípulo de Cristo.
August 11, 2024
This simple and small book is powerful! I don’t know John Stotts works as a writer but I believe this may be one of his last books he ever wrote and it’s really good! He distills discipleship into 8 main things that characterize every disciple! Huge recommend to learn lots from a Christian Man who I’d assume will hear “well done my faithful servant” at the end of his days!
February 19, 2022
Sure to pick this one up many more times throughout life. A guide to the Christian life I am seeking to live. Thanks to John Stott for the reminder💓
August 11, 2011
With The Radical Disciple, John Stott pens his final chapters in a writing career and public life that has impacted countless Christian lives for generations now and will certainly continue to do so for generations to come. I cannot imagine what goes through an author's mind as they write their final words as Stott, at eighty-eight, knew this would be his last book after announcing his retirement from public ministry in 2007. Contained herein are not only his parting thoughts for the Christian church but also the last public sermon he ever preached (as well as the address of his study if you are so inclined to visit him).
And it is an odd thing to know this as a reader. Were it just another book somewhere in the mix of his library, I would be tempted to rush through it. After all, it is only 135 small pages. But knowing that this was the author's last—and knowing the author knew it too—I took my time, I suppose expecting a sort of swan song.
But instead, I found a simple picture of the author himself, and one of him pointing away from himself and to Christ. Much like its author, the book is humble in its brevity. These eight chapters on some of the more neglected spiritual disciplines often left me wanting more. I felt every chapter could have been several times their actual length—especially the one on Christlikeness—but John remained on task and to the point. There are no revolutionary ideas here. But the steady faithfulness of one believer translates into a simple final exhortation to radical discipleship, not of him but of Jesus.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Recommended for: Anyone who has enjoyed anything by John Stott, those looking for a book on Christian spiritual disciplines
This book was a free review copy provided by InterVarsity Press.
And it is an odd thing to know this as a reader. Were it just another book somewhere in the mix of his library, I would be tempted to rush through it. After all, it is only 135 small pages. But knowing that this was the author's last—and knowing the author knew it too—I took my time, I suppose expecting a sort of swan song.
But instead, I found a simple picture of the author himself, and one of him pointing away from himself and to Christ. Much like its author, the book is humble in its brevity. These eight chapters on some of the more neglected spiritual disciplines often left me wanting more. I felt every chapter could have been several times their actual length—especially the one on Christlikeness—but John remained on task and to the point. There are no revolutionary ideas here. But the steady faithfulness of one believer translates into a simple final exhortation to radical discipleship, not of him but of Jesus.
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars
Recommended for: Anyone who has enjoyed anything by John Stott, those looking for a book on Christian spiritual disciplines
This book was a free review copy provided by InterVarsity Press.
August 2, 2012
John Stott acknowledged in his postscript to this book that this was his valedictory work. A year later, this radical disciple met the Lord he had followed for so many years.
While this is not Stott's best work (I would contend that The Cross of Christ is), this is a wonderful capstone to a life of preaching and writing. What he addresses here are some of the neglected aspects of discipleship, and because of this, we hear included under discipleship some topics not often discussed in this regard including creation care, simplicity, dependence, and death. He begins with a call to non-conformity that is neither a call to escapism or conformism. This is only possible, as he discusses in the next chapter through embracing the call of Christ-likeness.
I am most grateful that he included in his list of "neglected aspects" those of creation care and simplicity. Simplicity is not only a necessary virtue for creation care but also for mission. One thing that is striking is how John Stott lived this virtue in his choice of singleness, his spartan yet generous lifestyle, and his conscious decision to devote his royalties to the training and resourcing of Majority World pastors. His life underscored that simplicity is never an end in itself but motivated by our love for the Lord Jesus and the extension of his rule.
His last chapter on death was also striking, not only because it underscored the theme of our resurrection hope, but because it explored our mortality and what it means to die in coming to faith, in our daily lives, and for the advance of mission including persecution and martyrdom.
Lastly, I so appreciated his postscript including the encouragement of the discipline of reading and his confession of his own affectionate relationship with books. His last words are "Once Again, farewell!" Farewell indeed, Uncle John!
While this is not Stott's best work (I would contend that The Cross of Christ is), this is a wonderful capstone to a life of preaching and writing. What he addresses here are some of the neglected aspects of discipleship, and because of this, we hear included under discipleship some topics not often discussed in this regard including creation care, simplicity, dependence, and death. He begins with a call to non-conformity that is neither a call to escapism or conformism. This is only possible, as he discusses in the next chapter through embracing the call of Christ-likeness.
I am most grateful that he included in his list of "neglected aspects" those of creation care and simplicity. Simplicity is not only a necessary virtue for creation care but also for mission. One thing that is striking is how John Stott lived this virtue in his choice of singleness, his spartan yet generous lifestyle, and his conscious decision to devote his royalties to the training and resourcing of Majority World pastors. His life underscored that simplicity is never an end in itself but motivated by our love for the Lord Jesus and the extension of his rule.
His last chapter on death was also striking, not only because it underscored the theme of our resurrection hope, but because it explored our mortality and what it means to die in coming to faith, in our daily lives, and for the advance of mission including persecution and martyrdom.
Lastly, I so appreciated his postscript including the encouragement of the discipline of reading and his confession of his own affectionate relationship with books. His last words are "Once Again, farewell!" Farewell indeed, Uncle John!
May 18, 2015
One of those small books which reads quickly and, I suspect, stays with you for years to come. Stott is a powerful, holistic evangelical voice who deserves to be read more widely among Mainline Christians in the US than he is. Much of this does not read like something we would normally label "evangelical," which is a strength. Highly recommended.
January 9, 2014
Great insights from a well-lived life. I really appreciate what John Stott has given to the Christian community.
February 19, 2018
Although I was not unfamiliar with the author's work from my own reading [1], this was not a book I could find in my local library and so I felt it necessary to purchase it for myself, which I do from time to time but not very often. Why did I feel it necessary to purchase the book in the first place? As it happens, the book was one of two recommended by the speakers at a recent leadership conference my church held in Portland [2] for leaders among the congregations of our region and when people giving presentations mention books as being important or as having something worthwhile to say, my attention is immediately drawn to what those books have to say and what implications those books have. In this case, this book is a wonderful read and is certainly a worthwhile one to read, and as I expected to be the case this book has quite a few implications for the church I attend that I feel it necessary to explore in some detail. This is a slim book, and by no means an exhaustive one, but it definitely points to some interesting directions that are worth exploring as they relate to the Church of God.
Before I talk about those implications, though, I would like to comment about the book's contents and how they are presented. This book is a short volume of less than 140 pages, and so it does not take long to read. The version I had included some edits from later in the author's life as he reflected on death and aging as well. Beginning with a preface that discussed whether believers should consider themselves first and foremost as disciples (those following Christ and under His discipline) or merely as Christians (those who profess to follow Christ), the author then moves to a discussion of eight qualities that believers should have that are often neglected in this present evil age. The eight qualities are as follows: nonconformist (with the culture of this world and the spirit of this age), being like Christ (setting a good example for the world), mature, caring for God's creation, showing simplicity (rather than extravagance), being balanced, accepting our dependence on God and (at times) on others as well (especially as we age), and having a proper view of death and facing it without fear. After this there is a short conclusion about the importance of obeying what God and Jesus Christ have commanded before the author takes his leave with a brief postscript.
In reading this book I took some pointers as to why this book was considered so important by the presenters from our media team. For one, the book has a strong and consistent approach of calling upon Christians to develop maturity and become like Christ and to obey the commandments of the Bible. There were plenty of elements I found intriguing, though, such as the way that the author considered the personal example of believers to be an important aspect of the evangelism of the Church. Likewise, the author commented that while many church leaders view numerical growth as being a decisive aspect of success in evangelism that the depth and growth of believers has to be taken into account as well, signifying a desire to shift the expectations of growth of the Church of God from numbers to increasing spiritual maturity. Also, I found of interest that the author spent some space on talking about the ecological duties of believers as stewards of God's creation, an area where the Church of God has not spent much time talking or writing about. Perhaps there will be a shift of emphasis in this regard as well. At any rate, this was an extremely interesting book and certainly one well worth reading. If any of the people who attended the Leadership conference are interested in reading the book for themselves, I am willing to loan you the book so you can come to your own conclusions about what this book's arguments mean for the evangelism for the Church of God.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
[2] https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
Before I talk about those implications, though, I would like to comment about the book's contents and how they are presented. This book is a short volume of less than 140 pages, and so it does not take long to read. The version I had included some edits from later in the author's life as he reflected on death and aging as well. Beginning with a preface that discussed whether believers should consider themselves first and foremost as disciples (those following Christ and under His discipline) or merely as Christians (those who profess to follow Christ), the author then moves to a discussion of eight qualities that believers should have that are often neglected in this present evil age. The eight qualities are as follows: nonconformist (with the culture of this world and the spirit of this age), being like Christ (setting a good example for the world), mature, caring for God's creation, showing simplicity (rather than extravagance), being balanced, accepting our dependence on God and (at times) on others as well (especially as we age), and having a proper view of death and facing it without fear. After this there is a short conclusion about the importance of obeying what God and Jesus Christ have commanded before the author takes his leave with a brief postscript.
In reading this book I took some pointers as to why this book was considered so important by the presenters from our media team. For one, the book has a strong and consistent approach of calling upon Christians to develop maturity and become like Christ and to obey the commandments of the Bible. There were plenty of elements I found intriguing, though, such as the way that the author considered the personal example of believers to be an important aspect of the evangelism of the Church. Likewise, the author commented that while many church leaders view numerical growth as being a decisive aspect of success in evangelism that the depth and growth of believers has to be taken into account as well, signifying a desire to shift the expectations of growth of the Church of God from numbers to increasing spiritual maturity. Also, I found of interest that the author spent some space on talking about the ecological duties of believers as stewards of God's creation, an area where the Church of God has not spent much time talking or writing about. Perhaps there will be a shift of emphasis in this regard as well. At any rate, this was an extremely interesting book and certainly one well worth reading. If any of the people who attended the Leadership conference are interested in reading the book for themselves, I am willing to loan you the book so you can come to your own conclusions about what this book's arguments mean for the evangelism for the Church of God.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
[2] https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
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