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The Contemporary Christian, By John Stott

The Contemporary Christian

by John Stott

The Contemporary Christian
Paperback
$49.99
  • Length: 432 pages
  • Dimensions: 5.25 × 8.5 in
  • Published: March 17, 1995
  • Imprint: IVP
  • ISBN: 9780830818648
  • Christianity Today 1994 Critics Choice Award winner
  • 1993 Christian Booksellers Association/Europe Book of the Year Award winner

People today reject Christianity not because they think it is false but because they believe it is irrelevant.

John Stott knows otherwise. In this book he challenges all of us to move with the times while standing firmly on the truth of God's Word. "To be 'contemporary' is to live in the present," Stott writes. "To be a 'contemporary Christian,' however, is to ensure that our present is enriched both by our knowledge of the past and by our expectation of the future."

The challenge, then, is to be both conservative and radical--conservative in guarding God's revelation and radical in applying that revelation to the realities of the contemporary world: space travel, homelessness, genetic engineering, pollution, war, health care, gang violence, education and more.

Opening our eyes to the Word and the world, Stott shows how Christianity can speak effectively and relevantly to the contemporary world. He includes chapters on the human paradox, authentic freedom, mind and emotions, evangelism and social action, the pastoral ideal and dimensions of renewal.

For those familiar with Stott, The Contemporary Christian is a "must-read" book. For those who have not yet benefited from his insight and passion, The Contemporary Christian affords the perfect opportunity toget acquainted with one of the most widely read and respected Christian thinkers at work today.

REVIEWS

"Vintage Stott, with all that that implies. In it, as usual, we find him digesting and deploying a wide range of material with a symmetry matching that of Mozart, a didactic force like that of J. C. Ryle, and a down-to-earth common sense that reminds us of G. K. Chesterton. It is really a pastoral essay, a sermon on paper aimed at changing people . . . an outstandingly good book."J. I. Packer, in Christianity Today
"Technology has enabled more voices to clamor for our attention than ever before; while at the same time, people's ability to listen carefully seems to have deteriorated like never before. John Stott's speaking and writing was renowned for two things in particular. He taught us how to listen attentively to God in order to live faithfully for God, and he too modeled how to listen to the world sensitively in order to communicate God's purposes intelligibly. He taught us to listen. That is why it is such a thrill to see The Contemporary Christian carefully revived in a new format as this series for a new generation of readers. As we read, may we listen well!"Mark Meynell, European and Caribbean director of Langham Preaching, Langham Partnership, author of When Darkness Seems My Closest Friend
"I have long benefited from the work of John Stott because of the way he combines rigorous engagement of the biblical text and careful engagement with the culture of his day. The God's Word for Today series presents Stott at his very best. This series displays his commitment to biblical authority, his zeal for the mission of the church, and his call to faithful witness in the world. Stott's reflections here are a must-read for church leaders today."Trevin Wax, director of Bibles and reference at LifeWay Christian Resources, author of This Is Our Time and Eschatological Discipleship
"Imagine being a child overwhelmed by hundreds of jigsaw puzzle pieces—you just can't put them together! And then imagine a kindly old uncle comes along and helps you put the whole thing together piece by piece. That is what it felt like reading John Stott's The Contemporary Christian. For those of us who feel we can't get our head around our Bible, let alone our world, he comes along and, with his staggering gifts of clarity and insight, helps us step by step to work out what it means to understand our world through biblical lenses. It's then a great blessing to have Tim Chester's questions at the end of each chapter, which help us think through and internalize each step."Rico Tice, senior minister for evangelism, All Souls Langham Place, London, coauthor of Christianity Explored
"It is always refreshing, enlightening, and challenging reading from the pen of John Stott. I am totally delighted that one of his most significant works will continue to be available, hopefully for more decades to come. The way Stott strives to be faithful to the Word of God and relevant to his world—secularized Western society—as the locus for the drama of God's action is exemplary, especially for those of us ordained to the service of the church in our diverse contexts. I highly commend the God's Word for Today series to all who share the same pursuit—listening intently to God's Word and God's world, hearing and obeying God."David Zac Niringiye, author of The Church: God's Pilgrim People
"Every church should buy a copy, every church bookstall should stock it, and every minister should read it!"Peter Cotterell, in Christian Herald
"In my formative years as a young Christian, I was acutely aware of the fact that I faced many challenges to Christian thinking and behavior. Few writers helped me understand how I should respond to these challenges and think and live as a Christian as much as John Stott did. The challenges of faithfulness to God's way are more acute and complex today than when I was a young Christian. In these little books you find the essence of Stott's thinking about the Christian life, and it is refreshing to read again and see how relevant and health giving this material is for today. I'm grateful to InterVarsity Press and to Tim Chester for making Stott's thinking accessible to a new generation."Ajith Fernando, teaching director, Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka
"I am delighted that a new generation will now be able to benefit from this rich teaching, which so helped me when it first appeared. As always with John Stott, there is a wonderful blend of faithful exposition of the Bible, rigorous engagement with the world, and challenging applications for our lives."Vaughan Roberts, author of God's Big Picture
"InterVarsity Press is doing a very good thing by bringing John Stott's The Contemporary Christian back into print—slightly modernized, helpfully rearranged, and broken into short, reader-friendly books. The result is a boon to a new generation of readers who will greatly benefit, as many have before, from Stott's thorough grounding in Scripture, unusual help for living the Christian life, and perceptive interaction with the contemporary world."Mark Noll, coeditor of A History of Evangelicalism
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CONTENTS

Chief Abbreviations
Preface
Introduction: The Then and the Now
Part I: The Gospel
1. The Human Paradox
Our Human Dignity
Our Human Depravity
The Resulting Paradox
2. Authentic Freedom
The Negative: Freedom From
The Postive: Freedom For
3. Christ and His Cross
The Word of God
The Cross of Christ
The Power of the Spirit
4. The Relevance of the Resurrection
What Does It Mean?
Did It Really Happen?
Why Is It Important?
5. Jesus Christ Is Lord
Theological Conviction
Radical Commitment
Part II: The Disciple
6. The Listening Ear
Listening to God
Listening to One Another
Listening to the World
7. Mind and Emotions
The Mind
The Emotions
Mind and Emotions
8. Guidance, Vocation and Ministry
Guidance
Vocation
Ministry
9. The First Fruit of the Spirit
Love, Joy and Peace
Love in Action
Love Is the Fruit of the Spirit
Part III: The Bible
10. Continuing the Word
Standing in the Word
Continuing in the Word
Preaching the Word
11. Responding to the Word
Mature Discipleship
Intellectual Integrity
Ecumenical Progress
Effective Evangelism
Personal Humility
12. Transposing the Word
The Hermeneutical Problem
Our Own Cultural Imprisonment
The Bible's Cultural Conditioning
Examples of Cultural Transposition
13. Expounding the Word
Two Convictions
Two Obligations
Two Expectations
Part IV: The Church
14. Secular Challengesto the Church
The Quest for Transcendence
The Quest for Significance
The Quest for Community
15. Evangelism Through the Local Church
Various Forms of Evangelism
The Church Must Understand Itself (Theology)
The Church Must Organize Itself (Structures)
The Church Must Express Itself (Message)
The Church Must Be Itself (Life)
16. Dimensions of Church Renewal
Truth
Holiness
Mission
Unity
17. The Church's Pastors
The Priestly Model
The Pastoral Model
Part V: The World
18. The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ
Arguments for Pluralism
The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ
Jesus is Lord
Jesus is Savior
Jesus is Ours
19. Our God Is a Missionary God
The God of the Old Testament
The Christ of the Gospels
The Holy Spirit of the Acts
The Church of the Letters
The Climax of the Revelation
20. Holistic Mission
Evangelism and Social Responsibility
The Biblical Basics for This Partnership
Five Objections Considered
Some Examples of the Partnership
21. The Christology of Mission
The Incarnation of Christ (The Model)
The Cross of Christ (The Cost)
The Resurrection of Christ (The Mandate)
The Exaltation of Christ (The Incentive)
The Spirit-Gift of Christ (The Power)
The Parousia of Christ (The Urgency)
Conclusion: The Now and the Not Yet
Kingdom Come and Coming
Revelation, Holiness and Healing
Church and Society
Index of Names
Index of Subjects
Study Guide

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BONUS MATERIAL

Find the discussion questions for this book.

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ABOUT John Stott

John Stott

John R. W. Stott (1921–2011) was known worldwide as a preacher, evangelist, and communicator of Scripture. For many years he served as rector of All Souls Church in London. A leader among evangelicals in Britain, the United States, and around the world, Stott was a principal framer of the landmark Lausanne Covenant (1974). Stott’s many books, including Basic Christianity and The Cross of Christ, have sold millions of copies.

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