Evangelical Truth: A Personal Plea for Unity, Integrity and Faithfulness

by John R.W. Stott

This heartfelt statement from John Stott brings into sharp focus the defining essence of evangelical truth. His masterly distillation of decades of reflection on Christian discipleship ranges over the history of the church and its formative teachings, as well as the worldwide church today.Stott expounds the Trinitarian character of the evangelical the gracious initiative of God the Father in revealing himself to us, of Jesus Christ in redeeming us through the cross and resurrection, and of the indwelling Holy Spirit in transforming us. This is why the threefold emphasis of evangelical faith is upon the Word of God, the once-for-all nature of the work of Christ and the active, continuing work of the Spirit.'I am not so nave as to imagine that this little book will solve the problems of our uncertain evangelical identity or our debilitating evangelical disunity, or will provide a flag under which we can all rally. Yet I do hope and pray that it will lay some misunderstandings to rest and will help us to combine a commitment to essential evangelical truth with an authentic generosity of mind and spirit' (from the Preface).

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Faith, Christian Non Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

John 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."

Reviews

[Michael Berra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich finde dieses Büchlein vor allem deshalb interessant, da es vom „evangelikalen Past“ 😉 gegen Ende seines Lebens geschrieben ist und damit gut den Spirit der sogenannten „New Evangelicals“ wiedergibt und darin auch Fragen stellt an aktuelle Diskussionen rund um Evangelikal und Post-Evangelikal. Seine Abgrenzungen gegenüber fundamentalistischen Tendenzen, übermässigen Grenzziehungen und sein Versuch das Zentrum der Evangelikalen herauszuarbeiten, finde ich sehr erhellend und sollte im Strom der polarisierten Podcasts, Videos und Bücher, die aktuell erscheinen, wieder gelesen werden. Zum Bild eines Evangelikalen, das Stott vermittelt, sage ich von Herzen ja und gehöre gern dazu. Ob das Label verbraucht ist oder weiterhin bestand hat… die von ihm vermittelten Merkmale müssen aus meiner Sicht wieder neu zum Zentralen werden (auch wenn ich in gewissen Details seine klassisch-evangelikale Interpretation durchaus hinterfrage)!

[Charlestp]

Excellent Book. Well summarized evangelical belief sets into three main points: The Authority of the Word in relation to the Father, the Work of Christ on the Cross and the Ministry of the Holy Spirit. I recommend this book to every Christian. It's a must read!

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stott was one of those rare treasures who could - and in this book, did - support evangelicalism without feeling the need to slag off other Christians with false or exaggerated claims about their beliefs or practices.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Mano Chil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great reading for me in order to understand what exactly the evangelical church believes as in doctrines and where the differences are among the evangelical churches and sometimes with the catholic church.

I'm glad I read this book. :)

[Matt Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

very educational, good cross-centered theology, and helpful in making distinctions about exactly what it means to be evangelical.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My experience has been that, whenever John Stott writes on issues he articulates so much better than I ever could, views that resonate with me. This book is no exception.
The manner in which he approaches Evangelical Truth comes over to me as a demonstration of passion for truth with a gentleness of grace.
It may be tempting to react negatively to the three points and alliterations but they serve well and render the work accessible and comprehensible.
His subtitle is 'a personal plea for unity, integrity and faithfulness'. For me it fulfils his objectives admirably.
There are two telling closing emphases
- a plea for humility
- an affirmation of the words variously ascribed but, whatever the origin vital, 'In truth unity, in doubtful matters liberty, in all things charity'.
Amen to that!

[Pablo Fernandez Colosimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

La simpleza del autor para explicar de manera clara, concisa y práctica fundamentos de la fe evangélica, desarrollando un material amplio que cada denominación puede leer y repasar las bases comunes se muestran en este libro resumen de la fe evangélica.

[Jayant Singh Bisht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read book to under the nuance of evangelical faith.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For years I've known that I probably am an evangelical, but the label comes with stereotypes, both positive and negative, that are often confusing and unhelpful. In this book John Stott lays down his best definition of what and evangelical is in theological terms. As the primary spokesperson for evangelicals globally, Stott would know best what one is.

He helpfully puts it within the historical context of evangelicalism as well as fundamentalism (in the process making a clarifying distinction between the two). He then lays what he believes to be the basic theological foundation for all evangelicals, charismatic, justice & peace oriented, or even fundamentalist. His explanations are helpful if intellectual.

I recommend this book to anyone who is frustrated by the question "what does it mean to be evangelical?" or just curious as to what it entails. It can get dry, but is not incredibly dense. Overall a worthwhile read.

[Alex Tarbox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well written, concise and to the point summary both of the evangelical faith generally but also the need for gospel unity. Challenged me a lot to think about my attitudes to church, prayer, the role of the Holy Spirit in my life and how I respond to biblical teachings

[Raffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Stott explains the evangelical tenets and the basic difference with the liberals and the Catholics. He also criticizes the Evangelical Church of its division and how to be united in Christ.

[Erick Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy reading and a good exposition about some responsabilities about being an evangelical.

[Julia Stuart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps the editor's next work could focus on the topic of personal integrity.

[Kingsley Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and resourceful.