Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today [Paperback]

John Stott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 1982

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Product Details

• Paperback: 351 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (May 18, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802806279
• ISBN-13: 978-0802806277
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Evangelism > Preaching

More About the Author

John R. W. Stott is known worldwide as a preacher, evangelist and communicator of Scripture. For many years he served as rector of All Souls Church in London, where he carried out an effective urban pastoral ministry. A leader among evangelicals in Britain, the United States and around the world, Stott was a principal framer of the landmark Lausanne Covenant (1974). His many books, including Why I Am a Christian and The Cross of Christ, have sold millions of copies around the world and in dozens of languages. Whether in the West or in the Two-Thirds World, a hallmark of Stott's ministry has been expository preaching that addresses the hearts and minds of contemporary men and women. Stott was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bridging the Chasm through Preaching, May 13, 2004

By 

William E. Turner Jr. (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today (Paperback)

Stott's modern classic, Between Two Worlds, argues that there is a chasm between the biblical world and the modern world. This chasm is bridged through the preaching and proclamation of the Word of God. It is the preacher, empowered through the Spirit, who stands in the gap between these two worlds. It is through preaching whereby the world of the Bible is brought into the world of modern hearers and modern culture is confronted with the Bible.

Stott begins by briefly surveying the history of preaching from Jesus to the 20th-Century. He continues by answering three objections, which are commonly leveled against preaching. First, he confronts the anti-authority mood of our culture by arguing that preaching should be dialogical - preaching is not a monologue but a conversation. The second objection is the ever-growing problem with the technological dominance of our culture. God is a speaking God and Christianity is very much a culture of the written and spoken word. How then is one to be heard in an ever-increasing culture of images? Stott shows that the sacraments are visual and most necessary our lives must visually reflect the message we proclaim. The last objection is the loss of confidence in the gospel. Founded upon strong conviction, Christian preaching, must regain confidence in the truth, relevance, and power of the gospel.

The heart of the book is found in chapters three and four. Chapter three highlights the theological foundations for preaching. One must have biblical convictions about God, Scripture, the Church, the pastorate, and preaching. We must allow the text to be master and preachers must recognize that they are servants to Scripture. In chapter four he proceeds to make the case that preaching is bridge-building. Modern people often question the relevance of ancient Scripture. It is the task of the preacher to show them Scripture's relevance and demand on their lives. Therefore preachers are to be men of the Word and men of the world.

In chapters five and six Stott offers help on the task of preaching. Chapter five deals with the roll of study in the life of the pastor. We are to study the Bible and the world and in doing such the purpose is not to gain intellectual knowledge but to learn to think and live more Christianly. Chapter six deals with the preparation and construction of sermons. He points to the necessity of noting the dominant thought of the text and using this as the basis and proposition statement of your sermon. Around this thought - the main point of the scriptural text - is to flow the entire sermon.

The final two chapters deal with the character of the preacher. Stott stresses that the preacher must the balance of sincerity and earnestness, courage and humility. The purpose of preaching is to both comfort and disturb the congregation. The preacher is to declare the sinfulness of humanity and the hope of the gospel of Christ. In doing so the preacher must speak to both the heart and the mind - the whole person is to be in view. Christian preaching is to be done in the humility of our human frailty yet in the power of the Spirit of God.

Stott's book is both a theological and practical argument for sound preaching. The chapter on the history of preaching, although terribly short, certainly serves to whet one's appetite for a deeper history on the preaching of God's Word. For filling in the blanks one should consult Hughes Oliphant-Old's magisterial The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church.

The book shows its age in dealing with the contemporary objections for another transmitter of information and images is the Internet. Between the Internet and TV the preacher has his work cut out for him. How is one to make the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments interesting and exciting for those who have the Internet and hundreds of television channels? It is truly a great and daunting task.

The section in which Stott makes suggestions in dealing with controversial issues is helpful. He suggests making good use of your congregation. Listen to your people and hear their opinions and ideas on such difficult questions. Let them speak and listen to their thoughts and ideas. Seek to know their hearts and minds and then preaching through the more difficult waters will be more safely charted.

The role of the preacher is a high and lofty task. Not only is he to know the Bible but he also must know his congregation and the world in which they exist. He is to be a man of the Bible and a man of the newspaper. The task of preaching is to bridge the chasm, which exists between the Biblical world and the modern world. It is a difficult yet great calling. Stott's book is a great guide to this end. It will benefit both the seasoned pastor and the preacher in training. And may this book serve as a call to reclaim the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in our preaching and ministry. To him be all the glory!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Balance of Theology and Practice, May 3, 2001

By 

Neil M Cameron (Waratah, New South Wales Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today (Paperback)

I just finished this book (English edition "I Believe in Preaching") and, though I had a number of quibbles, I think this is one of Stott's most classic books. Churches throughout the world have systematically abandoned expository preaching and taken hold of secular business growth strategies. While growth in numbers may occur, the depth of faith is not there because the preaching is not from the Bible. Stott's book is a reminder that preachers should not preach what the audience wants to hear, but what they need to hear. What Stott really pushed for me was the notion that preachers should engage both the intellect and the emotion. Preaching which is merely intellectual is dry and uninteresting, no matter how true it is. Preaching which is merely emotional has little substance to it. True Expository preaching (the systematic preaching through books of the Bible, rather than topics or themes or hobbyhorses of the preacher) engages both the head and the heart, the intellect and the emotions, the ancient world (of the Bible) with the modern world of today.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Explanation of the Essentials of Exposition, July 18, 2000

By 

Brian G Hedges (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today (Paperback)

This excellent resource on preaching was very fresh for me. Stott approaches it from a different angle than many do. His aim is to show that preaching must connect two worlds - the Biblical world and the modern world. The image he uses is bridge-building, and the only bridge that is successfully built, is the one with an end firmly planted on both sides of the gap it attempts to span! Thus, this book encourages not only a firm grasp of the Scriptures, but a regular perusal of the newspaper . . . not because the two are equal in authority, but because the aim of the preacher is to bring the Bible to bear on the mind of the modern man. Other very interesting things are discussed - like the history of preaching, methods of study, and how to prepare sermons. An excellent resource for preachers and pastors!