A simple and insightful introduction to Jesus and to the Christian faith
Basic Christianity, now considered a classic, was voted as one of the Top 50 books to have shaped evangelical[1] Christians. As a clear and simple introduction to the essential beliefs of the Christian faith, it is still one of the finest.
What is especially appealing about this guidebook to the faith is its simple, clear, lucid style – there is still nobody better at this of those I have read over the last 40 years. Maybe some books are more profound, more theologically substantial, or nuanced. But for clarity, you can’t beat Stott. It is true that some of this traditional evangelical teaching is being hotly debated now – and debating and reviewing our beliefs is important. But if you are open to a winsome, clear, well-reasoned and carefully explained account of the essentials of traditional, evangelical teaching you will struggle to find something better than this. We may want to point out some of the ways things are not quite so simple, but at times it is good to go back to the simplicity of our faith. This book helps us to do that.
In just a few short chapters, Stott offers a clear, engaging and intellectually satisfying introduction to the Christian message and to what it means to be a Christian. He sets out the gospel clearly, showing how it centres around the person of Jesus and who he claimed to be. He shows that these claims are supported by his character and his resurrection. Before then exploring what Christ came to do, he examines why he came to do it. He does this by looking at the nature and consequences of sin – a timely reminder of this now-neglected area of Christian belief. He then expounds a winsome and persuasive view of the atonement as Jesus bearing the penalty for our sins to reconcile us to God. He acknowledges the dangers of misrepresenting this view of what happened at the cross, and accepting that there is mystery in it, but still shows good biblical reasons for believing it.
In explaining salvation, he of course includes the work of reconciliation on the cross, and the new birth by the Spirit in which we receive a new nature and become children of God. What is intriguing is that he also includes becoming part of the Church, which he calls a fellowship of love – as part of our salvation! In a time when many Christians are devaluing church and regarding active participation in church as optional, this is a welcome and important emphasis. I especially liked his last section on our response to the gospel: I appreciated his clarity and boldness in calling his readers to count the cost of discipleship, the laying down of our self-will, and commitment to the lordship of Christ in all areas of our life. Again, while written originally in 1958, this feels like a refreshing approach for our time.
If you are not a Christian, I especially encourage you to read it. You will need to get over some of the slightly dated language and examples he uses, but I suggest you focus on the main claims. For young people who enjoy reading, who want to understand what the Christian faith is about, and who don’t want to be patronised by some ‘cool’ writer trying to make it youth-friendly, then read it. And if you have been a Christian for many years but feel you’ve grown a litle dull in your faith, read it and be refreshed again by the simple truths of the gospel.
As with all books I review, I would encourage you to take the time to read it if you can. But I have produced a LifeWord Chapter Summary of it that you can read in about 20-25 minutes, as taster, refresher (if you have read it already) or I digest (if you struggle with reading). There will be an audio version of the summary to follow soon.
To learn more about John Stott and his legacy and to learn about others of his books, see this site: https://johnstott.org/
Of his other books, I’d especially recommend: Understanding the Bible, Issues Facing Christians Today, and The Cross of Christ.
Find Basic Christianity:
[1] For words in bold, there is a link to a simple theological glossary being on this site. It has only just begun and so not all the links will work yet. It is going to be built up over the next twelve months and beyond. (Trevor Lloyd, December 2023)
A Different Kingdom 
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