I first gave this book three stars but after a day or two of reflection, I have scaled it back to just two. I picked this up after hearing the Reverend Earl Palmer describe it as a book that "every thinking Christian should read." Most of the things Earl recommends are solid, so when I stumbled across a copy of this in a box of giveaway books, I picked it up.

The book itself is a straightforward Christian apologetic, with Stott making the case for the historical Jesus, followed by an explication of what is unique about Christ and why mankind needs salvation. All fine so far.

But its the tone of the book that I don't care for. Stott works like a lawyer, making his case, building point upon point. But each time Stott makes one of his points, he quickly moves to a pompous-sounding declarative statement, rather than letting an intelligent reader draw their own conclusions. For example, he might conclude a section with something like: "thus we can see that the only possible conclusion to be reached is that Jesus Christ was not just a prophet but the Lord of the Universe," (a paraphrase, but you get the idea). The conclusions feel rather like an insider talking to other insiders and they are rather off-putting.

The other concern I have is that Stott puts a large amount of his emphasis on personal sin and our responsibility for it. I understand that this is a hallmark of evangelicalism (and I consider myself an evangelical still), but he makes this emphasis to the exclusion of any sense of corporate or organizational sin. In his effort to emphasize the need for personal confession and repentance, he lets churches and other institutions off the hook. He even goes so far as to say that the passages in Revelation that are written to the churches are really written to the individuals in those churches. This seems to me to be bending the scripture to say what you want it to say, rather than letting it speak for itself and wrestling with the ambiguities it expresses.

Suffice it to say that I would not give this book to an unbeliever who was considering Christianity, as I think it would send them off the path altogether. It makes one appreciate what C.S. Lewis was able to accomplish with his many excellent apologetics. Lewis writes in an accessible, unpretentious and winsome way that I think appeals to believers and unbelievers alike. Stott is too heavy-handed for my taste.