Introduction

John Stott (1921-2011) was an Evangelical Anglican pastor and theologian. He is one of the principal authors of the Lausanne Covenant, which promoted worldwide evangelicalism. Stott was mentored by Eric Nash, from whom he heard a sermon on Revelation 3:20. Stott credits Nash and that verse as leading God to move him to open the door to Christ, thereby transforming his life. Although he was raised in a Christian home, went to church regularly, and “had high ideals,” he had always, according to his own testimony, kept Christ at a distance. That is until he heard Nash’s sermon. He was then mentored by Nash, and developed under him into the Anglican Evangelical pastor he eventually became. Stott founded the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, through which he brought together evangelical intellectuals with the aim of developing courses and programs to communicate the Christian faith to a secular world. Through his work and ministry, he authored over fifty books, two of them being Basic Christianity, and The Cross of Christ, both of them having an impact on me.

The Works of John Stott

As stated above, Stott wrote fifty books in addition to pamphlets and tracts. I do not have the space here to explore all his works, but I will categorize them for interested readers who might want to explore and study his thought. The first work by Stott I read was Your Mind Matters. Both Stott and Francis Schaeffer had an impact on me as a young believer in the 1970’s. Although the history of Christianity is replete with those who endlessly wrote, studied, and pursued scholarship, there has, nevertheless, been a contingent within Christian circles that view intellectual pursuits with suspect, leading those in the secular world to view Christians as anti-intellectual. Both Stott and Schaeffer squelched that thought for me, helping me understand that yes, one’s mind does matter. Stott’s work introduces the basic claims of the Christian faith, and how those claims should lead us to live. God gave us a mind. If we don’t use it, then we are surrendering ourselves to superficiality. His work Basic Christianity is a guide for everyone seeking an understanding of the basic core principles of Christianity. How should being in Christ affect our daily lives? Both this work and Your Mind Matters provide a good introduction to the faith for those new to the faith. These two works will remain a constant go-to for believers regardless how long they have been Christians. One of Stott’s works that impacted me the most is one that he wrote later in life, The Cross of Christ. The cross is a universal symbol of the Christian faith. But what is its true importance for those of us who have been called to be in Christ? Stott presents a thorough exploration of the atoning work of Jesus, the Christ. He demonstrates how God accomplished the total work for our salvation. He is our justifier, redeemer, propitiator, and reconciler. This is a work that all believers in Christ should explore, study, and return to year after year.

Basic Introductory Works to the Faith

The following works are those that new believers in Christ will find useful as a springboard to their faith: Christian Basics: An Invitation to Discipleship (1958); Basic Introduction to the New Testament (1958); Basic Christianity (1965); Understanding the Bible (1972); Your Mind Matters (1972); Balanced Christianity (1975); The Authentic Christian (1995); Why I Am a Christian (2003).

Biblical Studies

The following titles are expositional works: The Preacher’s Portrait: Some New Testament Word Studies (1961); The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary (1964); Men Made New: An Exposition of Romans 5-8 (1966); The Message of Galatians (1968); Confess Your Sins: The Way of Reconciliation (1974); The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (1976); The Message of Ephesians (1979); The Cross of Christ (1986); The Sermon on the Mount [part of Life-Guide Bible Studies] (1987); Favorite Psalms (1988); The Message of Acts (1990); Men with a Message: An Introduction to the New Testament and Its Writers (1994); The Message of Romans: Good News for the World (1994); Acts: Seeing the Spirit at Work (1998); The Beatitudes: Developing Christian Character (1998); Galatians: Experiencing the Grace of Christ (1998); The Incomparable Christ (2001); The Life of Christ: A Guide for Daily Living (2003); Baptism and Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today (2006).

World-Wide Evangelical Movement

The following works reflect Stott’s outlook on world-wide evangelicalism as delineated in the Lausanne Covenant: Our Guilty Silence: The Church, the Gospel, and the World (1967); Christ the Controversialist: A Study in Some Essentials in Evangelical Religion (1970) Christian Mission in the World (1975); The Lausanne Covenant (1975); I Believe in Preaching (1982); The Contemporary Christian: Applying God’s Word to Today’s World (1992); Evangelical Truth: A Plea for Unity, Integrity, and Faithfulness (1999); Why I Am a Christian (2003); The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling (2010).

Conclusion

The works given above are not a complete list of Stott’s works. And there is so much more to say about Stott’s writings and personal work than has been written here. I encourage any believer in Christ who wants a basic understanding of the faith, and then the opportunity toward a deep-dive into the faith to read and study the works of John Stott. For anyone new to the faith, Basic Christianity and Your Mind Matters are excellent beginning points. For those that want to delve deeper into expositional Bible studies, listed here are several expositional works he authored over the years. Above all, I truly hope that Christians, young and old, will delve into his magnificent work, The Cross of Christ. Although Stott wrote for a few different publishers, most of his books, like those of James Sire and Francis Schaeffer, were published by IVP Press.

John Stott was rector emeritus at All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. Those who were close to him spoke of his death occurring around 3:15 in the afternoon, while being surrounded by friends and loved ones, reciting Scripture, and listening to Handel’s Messiah. John Stott is now with our Lord, Jesus Christ.

John V. Jones, Jr., Ph.D./January 14, 2026

CHRISTIAN THOUGHT