Inter-Varsity Press

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The Radical Disciple

The Radical Disciple – John Stott In this ‘farewell’ work from the prominent evangelical writer John Stott, we are treated to an overview of eight topics which are explained as important parts of living the life of a radical disciple. They are: non-conformity, Christlike-ness, maturity, care of creation, simplicity, balance, dependance and death. The topics are well described and explained, and there is a good mix of contemporary information and biblical context. The section on non-conformity provides a good opening into the way in which Stott proposes we understand this form of discipleship, focusing on a transformative role more than just being different. There is treatment at some length of some of the activities which the author has been involved in – and whilst interesting these sit as almost self-contained sections that do not always connect well with the work as a whole. The section on simplicity failed to really get into the theological basis of the recommendations behind a life of simplicity, which would have added considerably to the reception of the ideas contained (or repeated) within it. The sections on dependance and death are definitely worth reading, giving an insight from someone who has both seen this process lived out around him in a long ministry and who is now reaching a more dependant stage in his own life. The thoughts and the reflections are deeply considered and often profound. I felt that, overall, the work was valuable if at times slightly disappointing. Some parts fell outside of the usually clear Gospel focus and hermeneutic of necessity that usually pervades Stott’s work and often came very close to a search for a theological justification for activities or movements which might easily be otherwise motivated. It would be hard to say that the exposition in the work is only that which both logically and necessarily flows from the scripture in question. The copy I reviewed was in Audio format and ably read by Grover Gardner who did a really good job at maintaining interest and intelligibility throughout the 2.7h text. The copy was kindly provided by christianaudio.com.

Rating: Review by: Vincent Murphy - Kuala Lumpur