Marking (What would have been) John Stott's 102nd Birthday

From short volumes like ‘The Gospel’ (with Tim Chester), through classic expositions like ‘The Message of the Sermon on the Mount’, to books about Stott like ‘John Stott on Creation Care’, IVP is proud to have published and continue to publish so much of Stott’s output.

But why do we keep it in print?

As Chris Wright wrote in a blog post for Stott’s Centenary year;

‘I am a great believer,’  John Stott would often say, ‘in the importance of B.B.C.  Not the British Broadcasting Company, nor Bethelehem Bible College, nor even Beautiful British Columbia.  But “Balanced Biblical Christianity”.’ 

At IVP, we think that, at his best, Stott provides a great set of examples of ‘B.B.C’, and his legacy lives on both in the books that continue to sell, and in the work and ministry of countless thousands inspired or discipled by him through them. As we run through a list of discounted ebooks (That, if bought together, would save you £102 on their current RRP!) we wanted to highlight some particular pieces of the Stott corpus in relation to what it means to be 'Balanced', 'Biblical' and believe in 'Christianity'.

We've reduced the ebook prices on the books below by as much as £11! Prices set till the end of April. Just use the code in the table below that corresponds to each ebook when you check out to receive your discount! 

Balanced

As Stott wrote in his short book, ‘Balanced Christianity’ (not discounted, but available!);“one of the greatest weaknesses which we Christians (especially evangelical Christians) display is our tendency to extremism or imbalance. It seems that there is almost no pastime the devil enjoys more than tipping Christians off balance. Although I claim neither close acquaintance with his person nor inside information into his strategy, I guess that this is one of his favourite hobbies. My conviction is that we should love balance as much as the devil hates it, and seek to promote it as vigorously as he seeks to destroy it.”

Whether it’s in shorter books like ‘The Gospel’, or ‘The World’ (Both just £0.99 until the end of the month, and taken from ‘The Contemporary Christian’ which is still available as a one-volume paperback), medium-length books like ‘Mission in the Modern World’, or his major exposition ‘The Message of the Sermon on the Mount’ (both £4.99), Stott sought to practice and preach a balanced Christianity, from the pages of Scripture.

Biblical

The Bible, and it’s ultimate authority, was a core conviction of Stott’s ministry, and is at the core of our mission at IVP. As he (alongside the other series editors) wrote in the series preface to the ‘Bible Speaks Today’, a series of expositions on Bible books and themes that he was integral to beginning;“God still speaks through what he has spoken, and that nothing is more necessary for the life, health and growth of Christians than that they should hear what the Spirit is saying to them through his ancient – yet ever modern – Word”.

Stott examines contemporary attitudes to the Bible in ‘The Bible: a Book Like No Other’ (£0.99), traces the theme of the atonement in his magnum opus, ‘The Cross of Christ’ (£4.99), and shows that he is a competent and fair commentator in his entry in the Tyndale New Testament Commentary, on ‘The Letters of John’ (£5.99).

Christianity

Christianity, for Stott, was not a leisure time pursuit, nor a solo concern. Echoing his biblical and balanced approach, it is fitting that in his final book, ‘The Radical Disciple’ he explores eight oft-neglected aspects of what it means to be a Christian – which mesh powerfully with his writing on the church. Somewhere in the balance of both biblical pictures of the Christian as a disciple, and the gathered church as God's people, is the practice of Christianity. Here are four books that flesh out these themes:

• 'The Disciple' - exploring the calling to be Christlike - just £0.99 until the end of the month.
• 'The Radical Disciple' - Stott's final book, which continues to speak powerfully and provocatively today.
• 'The Church' - considering what makes the church such a unique gathering of people - just £0.99 until the end of the month.
• 'The Living Church' - Stott's penultimate book, echoing his convictions as someone involved in the church for most of his life.

More about Stott

If you want to understand more about Stott as a person, then his ‘Evangelical Truth’ and ‘Why I am a Christian’ unpack his personal belief in a compelling way. ‘A Portrait by his Friends’ is a moving collection of reflections from people who knew Stott personally. And finally, ‘John Stott on Creation Care’ is a fascinating look at how Stott changed his mind, and became a passionate advocate for something that evangelicals are not always known for. You can find out more about John Stott in these blog posts, too, which offer a number of angles of interpretation and reflection.

John Stott at 100, by Caleb Woodbridge | Stott - A British Evangelical Theologian
A Stott Podcast, from Premier | Remembering Uncle John, by Mark Meynell