Basic Christianity

Incredible enlightening writings about who Christ is and what he came to do. This is a must read to deepen your relationship with God. Read it over several times and I did the question in the back of the book too.

I love John Stott's simple, yet profound writing style. He communicates his views very clear. He adds alot of rich biblical insights in regards to the person, life, and mission of Jesus Christ that I haven't read anywhere else. A very worthwhile read!

Reading this book as part of my confirmation class. Had never heard of John Stott. This is the most succinct summary of the Christian faith I have ever read. If you are already a Christian, young or old, or are one who is exploring the Christian faith for the first time, this is a great place to start in conjunction with the Bible. I ordered extra copies and had them shipped to family and friends.

I first read this book as an undergraduate student nearly half a century ago. I've recently reread it for the first time since then. The cogent arguments of the book hold up very well, although the rather formal language that Stott uses may put some readers off. I read the book after also rereading C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity and found that while Lewis's language is easier, Stott's work is actually a bit less dated in substance. The book provides strong arguments for Christ and the resurrection and historic Christianity. It also makes clear what the implications of following Christ are. The book was written for seekers and new Christians--but may also benefit older Christians who want a systematic exposition of the arguements for Christianity.

I have both the 2008 paperback edition and the kindle edition. The kindle must be older. I know some people like the older version but I preferred the 2008. One example of the difference is in one part of the book, Stott says the gospels are reliable because the men who wrote them were Christian men (older kindle version), whereas the 2008 says something along the lines that there is no reason to doubt them because there is no reason to think the authors were any less honest then anyone else. I think the second is more relevant to today. My reason is that just because someone is a Christian doesn’t mean they are more honest. You would think they would be but I don’t think it is a given at all. I know what Stott meant by that in the older version though, as many more people back then identified with being Christian and the character of honesty was kind of expected, or an implied behavior (even though it wasn’t anymore true then than it is now). Other than that, this book is excellent and I would highly recommend every Christian have a copy. The predominant theme of sermons today are life-application or topical and it can be easy to lose sight of the basic message of Christianity, to lose sight of the fundamental doctrine. This book does an excellent job of reminding us what we believe and why. It is also very accessible and enjoyable to read

This book is a good guide as to the Christian faith where it came from and evidence to support Christ claims as the one true God.

This book is perhaps the best basic introduction to Christianity that I can think of, short of having someone disciple you using the Bible. It does not contain a lot of junk that is not really part of Christianity or becoming a Christian. Unfortunately, a book like this needs to be short so that you can get someone to read it. Learning how to read the Bible should come next. That along with discipleship, worship, prayer and fellowship , all empowered by the Holy Spirit is necessary.

One of the lessons of this well written book is that there is no such thing as "I have already heard that before". The author systematically takes the reader through the basics of Christianity, helping us understand who Jesus is, and why His atonement was essential for our salvation. As a Bible teacher for many years, I find that re visiting this book and thinking about the basics over and over again, helps me consider the depth of Jesus sacrifice and how important it is to clearly communicate these truths to others. This book is not only for those who know very little about Christianity, it is for the mature believer who is seeking a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus. Doulos