What do you think?
Rate this book
30 Days with E. Stanley Jones: Global Preacher, Social Justice Prophet
Does a preacher from the previous century have anything to say to this generation? Yes! His clarion call to justice and loving community was shaped by his friendship with Mahatma Gandhi and influenced the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In one of his famous appeals, Jones wrote: "Let us go out to stimulate everybody and throw open the doors of equal opportunity to every single person. We must galvanize beaten down people with a faith in God, in themselves and in the future. ... And this faith in humanity would apply to people outside our own borders."
In his day, E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973) was described as the "greatest missionary since Saint Paul." More than an evangelist, he was the author of 27 books that sold millions of copies. He also was a statesman, the founder of Christian ashrams, an interfaith leader as well as a spokesman for peace, racial inclusion and social justice. He was a confidant of presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, his ministry in India brought him into close contact with that country's leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, and Mahatma Gandhi. His writings from India influenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s own nonviolent approach to injustice.
The crystal clarity and the warm hospitality of Jones' Christian message formed working relationships with leaders of other world religions and often startled his own American evangelical colleagues, especially when he prophetically condemned racism as "spiritual treason against God."
As challenging as his preaching sometimes was in confronting injustice, Jones was best known for inspirational Christian messages of hope and refreshment for the millions of people from every walk of life who he addressed either in person or through his writings.
Now, a widespread movement is reviving Jones' spiritual wisdom in the midst of global tensions over faith, ethnicity and race. The Rev. Dr. John E. Harnish, himself a noted Christian educator, writer and pastor, has written 30 short, inspiring true stories from Jones' life and the people that he touched, that illustrate the timeless, loving wisdom that he believed lay at the core of Christianity.
The stories can be read as daily devotionals or could be discussed with friends or within small groups, Sunday schools and congregations. The book includes a complete discussion guide as well as links to introductory videos by Harnish that can be used to spark discussion in your group.
In his introduction to these 30 stories, Harnish writes, "From Jones' life and work, we can hear a word which is as relevant today as it was 75 years ago. In a day when tensions between races and religions are on the rise globally and the message of the Christian faith seems to be either weak or aligned with a political agenda, the voice of a true World Christian needs to be heard once again."
In his day, E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973) was described as the "greatest missionary since Saint Paul." More than an evangelist, he was the author of 27 books that sold millions of copies. He also was a statesman, the founder of Christian ashrams, an interfaith leader as well as a spokesman for peace, racial inclusion and social justice. He was a confidant of presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, his ministry in India brought him into close contact with that country's leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, and Mahatma Gandhi. His writings from India influenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s own nonviolent approach to injustice.
The crystal clarity and the warm hospitality of Jones' Christian message formed working relationships with leaders of other world religions and often startled his own American evangelical colleagues, especially when he prophetically condemned racism as "spiritual treason against God."
As challenging as his preaching sometimes was in confronting injustice, Jones was best known for inspirational Christian messages of hope and refreshment for the millions of people from every walk of life who he addressed either in person or through his writings.
Now, a widespread movement is reviving Jones' spiritual wisdom in the midst of global tensions over faith, ethnicity and race. The Rev. Dr. John E. Harnish, himself a noted Christian educator, writer and pastor, has written 30 short, inspiring true stories from Jones' life and the people that he touched, that illustrate the timeless, loving wisdom that he believed lay at the core of Christianity.
The stories can be read as daily devotionals or could be discussed with friends or within small groups, Sunday schools and congregations. The book includes a complete discussion guide as well as links to introductory videos by Harnish that can be used to spark discussion in your group.
In his introduction to these 30 stories, Harnish writes, "From Jones' life and work, we can hear a word which is as relevant today as it was 75 years ago. In a day when tensions between races and religions are on the rise globally and the message of the Christian faith seems to be either weak or aligned with a political agenda, the voice of a true World Christian needs to be heard once again."
170 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2022
3 people want to read
About the author
John E. Harnish
6 books5 followersJohn E. (better known as "Jack") Harnish is a retired United Methodist pastor who served 45 years in ordained ministry. For seven years he was the Associate General Secretary for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for the denomination, working with programs of clergy training around the world. He retired from First United Methodist Church of Birmingham, MI and now lives on beautiful Platte Lake in Northern Michigan. He writes a weekly blog, "Monday Memo" which can be found at his website www.johneharnish.com.
Jack is a graduate of Asbury College, Asbury Theological Seminary and holds a honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Jack is a graduate of Asbury College, Asbury Theological Seminary and holds a honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 9, 2022
The name E. Stanley Jones might not be well known today. Time has a way of erasing people from memory. That is especially true for Protestants who lack a process of sainthood. We remember Luther and Calvin (do we remember Zwingli) and maybe the Wesley brothers (and as we move away from hymn singing we might even lose track of Charles Wesley). Nevertheless, there was a time when E. Stanley Jones was a well-known figure in Christian circles and beyond. I will confess that I knew the name, including he was an evangelist and missionary to India. I'd run across the titles of his books. But I've never spent any time with them. That is likely to my detriment.
While I may have neglected Stanley Jones' books, I have had the opportunity to get to know him better through a new devotional book titled "30 Days with E. Stanley Jones." The book is authored by John E. Harnish, who like Jones, is a Methodist minister (now the United Methodist Church). Having served a number of UMC churches, Harnish is a graduate of Asbury College, the same college that produced Stanley Jones.
In this book we encounter E. Stanley Jones the missionary to India, statesman, interfaith leader, preacher, social justice prophet, a friend of Mahatma Gandhi (he wrote a biography of Gandhi that influenced Martin Luther King, Jr.), and an advisor to presidents. While the book is not a biography per se it does give the reader a true sense of the person E. Stanley Jones. As I read the book, I realized that I should find time to go back and read Jones for myself. As Harnish notes throughout, Jones's message is as pertinent today as ever. His message was that Jesus is Lord and as such he sought to proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God. Harnish writes that while he preached the message of Jesus without apology, he did so "with sensitivity to diverse cultures and other world religions." Thus, "in India, he was able to engage Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs as well as non-believers in open conversation and because they sensed his respect for them, they were willing to listen to him. In our contemporary world, the church needs to rediscov er that balance between a clarity of faith and openness of heart" (pp. Xviii-xix).
After providing an introduction to Jones' life and message, we begin our journey. While the title is "30 Days with E. Stanley Jones" this is actually 31 days with Jones. The title reflects the fact that this is part of a series of devotional books designed for 30 days of engagement. Each day's devotion shares something about Jones and his message. We walk with him from his early life and conversion, his sense of call to ministry and then missionary work. We learn that he originally wanted to go to Africa, but then heard the call to India. We encounter Gandhi and follow him as he seeks to intervene with President Roosevelt hoping to avert war with Japan (and it almost occurred). We encounter a man of conviction but also humility.
It's difficult to summarize a book like this, but what we discover in the course of time spent with it (I read it for review so I went a bit more quickly than suggested), offers insight into what it means to live a life of service to God. Each chapter is around three pages in length and includes a prayer from Jones' works. Most of the chapters include not only information about Jones but brief excerpts from his books.
The name E. Stanley Jones may not resonate with many people. but by spending time with this book we discover a person and message that remains relevant. We just need to know more. We can start here and then check out more books by E. Stanley Jones. For now, thanks go to John Harnish for this excellent introduction.
While I may have neglected Stanley Jones' books, I have had the opportunity to get to know him better through a new devotional book titled "30 Days with E. Stanley Jones." The book is authored by John E. Harnish, who like Jones, is a Methodist minister (now the United Methodist Church). Having served a number of UMC churches, Harnish is a graduate of Asbury College, the same college that produced Stanley Jones.
In this book we encounter E. Stanley Jones the missionary to India, statesman, interfaith leader, preacher, social justice prophet, a friend of Mahatma Gandhi (he wrote a biography of Gandhi that influenced Martin Luther King, Jr.), and an advisor to presidents. While the book is not a biography per se it does give the reader a true sense of the person E. Stanley Jones. As I read the book, I realized that I should find time to go back and read Jones for myself. As Harnish notes throughout, Jones's message is as pertinent today as ever. His message was that Jesus is Lord and as such he sought to proclaim the message of the Kingdom of God. Harnish writes that while he preached the message of Jesus without apology, he did so "with sensitivity to diverse cultures and other world religions." Thus, "in India, he was able to engage Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs as well as non-believers in open conversation and because they sensed his respect for them, they were willing to listen to him. In our contemporary world, the church needs to rediscov er that balance between a clarity of faith and openness of heart" (pp. Xviii-xix).
After providing an introduction to Jones' life and message, we begin our journey. While the title is "30 Days with E. Stanley Jones" this is actually 31 days with Jones. The title reflects the fact that this is part of a series of devotional books designed for 30 days of engagement. Each day's devotion shares something about Jones and his message. We walk with him from his early life and conversion, his sense of call to ministry and then missionary work. We learn that he originally wanted to go to Africa, but then heard the call to India. We encounter Gandhi and follow him as he seeks to intervene with President Roosevelt hoping to avert war with Japan (and it almost occurred). We encounter a man of conviction but also humility.
It's difficult to summarize a book like this, but what we discover in the course of time spent with it (I read it for review so I went a bit more quickly than suggested), offers insight into what it means to live a life of service to God. Each chapter is around three pages in length and includes a prayer from Jones' works. Most of the chapters include not only information about Jones but brief excerpts from his books.
The name E. Stanley Jones may not resonate with many people. but by spending time with this book we discover a person and message that remains relevant. We just need to know more. We can start here and then check out more books by E. Stanley Jones. For now, thanks go to John Harnish for this excellent introduction.
May 24, 2023
A wonderful, different kind of devotional. I had never learned about E.Stanley Jones, but was amazed by his life and influence. He was a true Christian who embraced diversity, advocated for inclusion and loved all people in a multi-religious community and world LONG AGO. His words and teachings are so relevant today, as we still have so far to go. I truly loved the prayers at the end of each section because they relate to life as a Christian today as we seek to love like Jesus.
March 31, 2022
This book is amazing. I loved each "day", so many connections with my parents' mission stories and the influence of E Stanley Jones on Faith, society, and (new to me) even politics. I would love to read this with a group.
June 14, 2022
Delightful book for group reading and personal devotion.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews