The Birds Our Teachers: Biblical Lessons from a Lifelong Bird Watcher

by John R.W. Stott

John Stott traces his lifelong love of bird-watching back to boyhood country walks with his father, who told him to shut his mouth and open his eyes and ears. Because of those lessons in observation, Stott now carries his binoculars and camera with him everywhere he travels. Of the 9,000 different bird species in the world, Stott estimates he has seen about 2,500! In this unique and intriguing book he takes seriously Jesus' exhortation in the Sermon on the Mount, "Behold the fowls of the air" (Matt. 6:26 KJV). He reveals lessons on faith from the feeding of ravens, on repentance from the migration of storks, on freedom from the flight of the eagle, on joy from the song of the lark, and more. The Birds Our Teachers is lavishly illustrated with full-color photographs taken by the author in his travels around the world. Stott humorously calls his work "an introduction to the science of orni-theology," for he combines information about birds with biblical truths and personal anecdotes in a way that will fascinate bird-lovers and Bible readers everywhere.

Genres: Birds, Theology, Christian Living, Faith, Devotional, Nonfiction, Nature

96 pages, Paperback

First published November 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

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a birder and theology student, the mere existence of this book makes it required reading. I knew Stott was an avid birdwatcher, but had no idea that his life list was 2500 species, a fact which he reveals here in humble understatement by comparing it to other life lists, such as that of Roger Tory Peterson - without mentioning that Peterson is perhaps the dean of American birding, who literally wrote the book (the Peterson field guide series) on birding. The devotional thoughts are of mixed profundity, but nonetheless I loved the book and was edified by the total package.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been fascinated with birds since I was little, so I was excited to learn John Stott had written a book relating birds and theology. If you love God and love birds, I’m betting you’ll love this book. Its short chapters make it an excellent devotional. Highly recommend.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my mind a lot recently, not because I read it before, but because I remember it being a big seller when it was first released. And with my interests changing, I was really intrigued to give this book a go now. Long out of print, I managed to get my hands on a second hand copy. A delightful and gentle read.

[F.C. Shultz]

Might read 20 bird books this year. Really enjoyed this one.

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the last little while, a lot of people have been speaking about the recent death of Anglican Christian leader John Stott.

I wonder, however, how many of these people actually know about one of the biggest passions in his life? I wonder how many realize that he was also an avid bird watcher?

So much so, in fact, that John Stott actually wrote a book called The Birds Our Teachers: Biblical Lessons From A Lifelong Bird-Watcher. But not only did he write the book, showing amazing knowledge of birds, he also includes in the book more than 150 of his (amazing) bird photographs. It’s a highly wonderful volume rich with great lessons and great photos, especially the rare photos of the Snowy Owls!

The book also reveals that John has seen about 2,500 of the world’s estimated 9,000 bird species!

[Luke Hanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a pastor & birder this book was pretty much perfect for me - only thing missing was a chapter relating the Portland Timbers to birds & God ;)
John Stott must've had a lot of fun putting this book together. He stretched the metaphors a bit on a couple chapters, but all `n all I really appreciated this work. I learned more about birds in general than I expected and I definitely learned there are more metaphors in the scriptures regarding birds than I previously knew. I'm thankful Jesus told us to learn from the birds. He WILL care for us as we trust Him.

[JSL · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful and fascinating book. I am enjoying it so much. It discusses bird behaviors and facts which I have not read anywhere else. I love this book. Bird pics and info and devotional thoughts.

The DVD features a 70th birthday trip to Antarctica and the Falkland Islands (30 minutes).

It also includes the full spoken text of the book (2 hrs, 41 min), read by the author, I think. While he is reading, a still picture from the book shows on the screen.

John Stott has an interesting discussion of the 1970 book Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and why it presents a wrong philosophy with its "emphasis on self-transcendence" which "anticipated New Age thinking" (pages 55-56).

Neat book!

[Diane Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up because I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would. The "lessons" are a little far-fetched at times, however, they are all very good and important lessons nonetheless. The facts, photos, and stories of the various birds is interesting as well as entertaining. Not many of my North American backyard songbirds are pictured, which was a bit disappointing at first, but I suppose that is to be expected when the author lives in Europe and many of his expeditions have been Arctic. A very enjoyable read. I have already gifted a copy.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had my eye on this book for a while, waiting for the right time to read it. This week I am doing a "book flight" of bird related books, so the time was right. The pictures were amazing and I liked the personal stories. The first chapters were almost like mini-sermons related to birds. The last several chapters were heavy on bird information and had more of a "thoughtful observation" on the spiritual life or human condition. Both were good.

[Lmichelleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed the first few chapters of this book, with its spiritual lessons learned from the lives and habits of various birds. I was touched by the obvious love the author has for the natural world as God's creation, and that this book was clearly born out of love. However, by the end of the book, the lessons became a bit wearying. Still, I'm glad I read it.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audiobook is really not great, it's got this weird music that sometimes is louder than the narration. Otherwise, this wasn't quite what I expected and not as thorough as I would have liked, but still a great book but I recommend. I especially appreciate that this was written to encourage conservation and love for ornithology.

[Nelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eminent theologian John Stott was an avid photographer and bird watcher, and this book of his photos and fascinating bird facts was superb. The author called it a book of "orni-theology." I learned so many interesting things about the bird world and am almost tempted to become a bird watcher myself!

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love birds and theology, you'll want to read this book. John Stott brings his characteristic warm style of conversational writing and his love of God and birds to delight the reader. Great book!

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second reading of John Stott's beautiful book on birds and how some of their traits and characteristics mirror humans. Wonderful photography (mostly by the author) on glossy pages along with both fascinating information and thoughtful prose make this book a real treasure!

[Kevin Burrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is such a rare gem, and his clever coining of the term “ornitheology” was the inspiration for my own writings on birding and faith at www.ornitheology.com. The photos are also Stott’s, and make for a wonderful dive into the author’s personal passion.

[Maren]

A fun devotional for bird lovers, contemplating what these creatures can teach us about God and his love for us. I read this more like a chapter book, but it has 12 chapters and could be used more like a daily devotional or even a teaching tool for older kids.

[Deanne Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful bird facts, scripture and photographs.

[Darrel Hofland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!
Rekindled my love and fascination for birds.
Also in awe of God our fascinating creator!

[Tim Littleford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get yourself some orni-theology

[Madelaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful book!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to like? Combines Biblical teaching and information on and pictures of birds-Perfect! Incredibly easy read!

[Andrew Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s John Stott rambling on about birds. What more do you want?

[Carl Palmateer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lighter book by Stott, fun and interesting. They do need to get rid of the musical interludes.

[Jonathan Budd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing how much from the Bible relates to birds!

[Tharun G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise, I love birding and theology, the connect that John Stott brings in this book was a great perspective.

[Taylor Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Jasmine Shadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one enjoyable book. I enjoy reading John Stott, and I love birds. So this is a wonderful combination for me. He took some wonderful photographs, and his lessons tied to biblical truths is wonderful. I have read it through a couple of times now, and I am certain I will read through it again.

[Bret James Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading John Stott’s books, so I expected to like this one. And I did. The author uses birds of various types and/or their behaviour to represent Christian qualities/characteristics of God. This anecdotal approach is positive in that it provides both a frame of reference to talk about the attributes of God in a fresh way and sparks the imagination of the reader to think about foundational subjects in a new light.

The book is hardcover, graced with beautiful cover and interior art—mostly by the author himself—it is a work of art that anyone should appreciate, bird-lover or not. The CD contains an audio version of the book as well as a picture gallery narrated by Stott. There is an introduction and conclusion, but there is no index, sadly.

The volume includes nine short chapters with lavish pictures. The feeding of ravens serves as a representation of faith, the migration of storks is a symbol of repentance, and the head of owls is a metaphor for “facing both ways,” by which Stott means the ability of mankind to consider the past as well as look to the future. Self-esteem is addressed in the value of sparrows, the neck-uplifted manner in which pigeons drink serves as a trope for gratitude, and the intense metabolism of hummingbirds demonstrates the importance of and capacity for work. The eagle stands in as a representation of freedom, the territorial robin demonstrates the human need for (personal) space, the hen, with her protective wings, proclaims the important need for shelter and protection, and the lark sings his song as the epitome of joyous living. Finally, Stott closes out the main portion of the book using the breeding cycles of birds in general as representing love, God’s most important quality. In addition to these basic chapters, the book is enhanced by seven “picture features” that add information that would not readily fit into the main chapters.

I recommend this well-made book. I appreciate the use of natural subjects to learn more about the Bible or to serve as a segue into or to enhance a biblical discussion. I would like to see other books using different natural features to help explain the mystery and loving-kindness of God.

[Scott Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been many years since I've read a commentary by the British theologian Dr. John R.W. Stott, so I was quite surprised to receive this book as a gift. I was equally surprised to learn that Dr. Stott is a birding enthusiast! This book combines devotional topics on faith with information on the birds which characterize each faith-element (Stott calls this "orni-theology"). One of the more interesting chapters was entitled "The Drinking of Pigeons: Gratitude." In this chapter, Stott notes that the Noahic flood epoch and Jesus' baptism both involved a dove, and “Thus, a dove was given a prominent place at the beginning of two new eras of grace." Besides the insightful text, the book also contained a delightful DVD of Dr. Stott's Falkland’s visit and Antarctic explorations. Per Dr. Stott's recommendation, I would also like to read "Under the Bright Wings" by Peter Harris, founder of the Christian creation-care organization, "A Rocha."

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Although I read it from cover to cover, it's really more of a coffee-table sort of book, as it's full of gorgeous glossy pictures, and is very easy to read. The theological content is very light and easy (but still important to remember!), and it makes a beautiful read. I was particularly pleased with the extra pages between chapters about birds, especially the penguins, as they're my favourite. There are lots of fascinating facts about different species of birds to tuck away for use in trivia games.

The DVD that it comes with is lovely, too. Not a movie, but rather a narrated slideshow of still pictures, it was very restful and enjoyable to watch.