Book Review: Basic Christianity

Stott, John

Basic Christianity.

Downers Grove, Illinois:

IVP Books, 2008.
174 pages.

     In November, 1952, when he was 31 years old, a mission was held at Cambridge University and John Stott was invited to be “chief missioner”. Part of his responsibility at that time was to give eight evening lectures at the University Church—so he chose as his theme, “a systematic unfolding of the gospel.” Over the years he conducted fifty such university missions, gradually refining his material until he was able to publish, in 1958, Basic Christianity.

     Stott’s preface and first chapter set the groundwork for the rest of the book. Without trying to explain him, we can string quotes together from these first twenty-five pages to show his direction: “Large numbers of people…see a contradiction between the founder of Christianity and the current state of the church he founded…was he true?...the meaning of what we call “salvation”…God reaching out to us…we would have remained forever agnostic…God has done something…have we listened?...We have to be ready not just to believe, but to obey.”

     In Part 1, Who Christ Is, Stott gives a clear-sighted and logical review of Christ’s claims to deity, of his character and of his death and resurrection. I particularly enjoyed Stott’s paragraph proving that “we can make our own estimate” of Christ’s character. “The moral perfection that was quietly claimed by him…is clearly shown in the Gospels.”

     Part 2, What We Need, deals with sin and its consequences. Stott leaves us in no doubt about the universality of sin as he reviews the ten commandments, then indicates the consequences, specifically,  alienation from God, bondage to self, and conflict with others. “A lecture will not solve our problem; we need a Savior.”

     There can be few sweeter devotional works than Part 3: What Christ Has Done. Here we learn that Christianity is “a rescue religion”, we learn why the cross was necessary, and we realize that “we need more than an example; we need a Savior.” Here we also learn that, to put it bluntly, “Our sins sent Christ to hell.” But God’s plan of salvation is “first to put right our relationship with him, and then progressively to set us free….”

     Part 4 is a light on salvation that I have seldom heard in a public gospel presentation and never with such clarity. How To Respond! Here Stott talks about “Counting the Cost” and “Reaching a Decision”. “Having heard his voice, we must open to his knock. To open the door to Jesus Christ is a graphic way of describing an act of faith in him as our Savior, an act of submission to him as our Lord.” Stott’s last chapter is “Being a Christian” and points to even greater treasure: “an intimate...an assured …a secure relationship”.

    Basic Christianity is so well-written and so graciously written, and Christianity itself is so reasonable that I came away wondering how anyone could read the book and not become a Christian on the spot. Atheists and agnostics come at Christianity from the wrong end— they want to prove (or disprove) God from science or philosophy. In fact, that was the way God allowed things to go in a past era (in Job’s day perhaps) but none of that really worked. So God has bypassed that method and come all the way to earth. He has reached out and shown us himself, in Jesus.

     So finally, a recommendation in the strongest possible terms—if you haven’t read this book, read it—if you’ve read it before, read it again!