Why I am a Christian

Here’s a confession: John Stott is, and has been for many a long year, a hero of mine. He is a prolific writer of good and helpful books and I have not begun one yet that I have not wanted to finish.

There is nothing new in Why I am a Christian. The book is the account of his own pilgrimage from the moment of his conversion to the present day. It is not a travelogue telling of his travels as he preached and taught, but is an account of his growing in Christ through the years. Indeed, as Stott acknowledges, if you have read The Contemporary Christian then some of this will seem familiar.

The book takes the form of a series of expositions on texts which introduce each chapter. Four of them were preached in a series of sermons at All Souls, Langham Place, the others were added when he was persuaded to publish them.

This is a book which will refresh the Christian spirit, which reminds me of some of those things I take for granted along the way; in short it is inspirational in the best sense of the word, breathing the Spirit’s life through its pages.

I commend this with warm enthusiasm.