John R. W. Stott, (1921-2011) was born in London and was an evangelical Anglican, preacher, and teacher of Scripture. "He was ordained in 1945 and for most of his years has served in various capacities at All Souls Church in London, where he carried out an effective urban pastoral ministry. A leader among evangelicals in Britain, the United States and even around the world, Stott was a principal framer of the landmark Lausanne Covenant (1974). Whether in the West or in the Third World, a hallmark of Stott's ministry has been expository preaching that addresses not only the hearts but also the minds of contemporary men and women."
Stott was educated at Rugby School and Trinity College Cambridge, and trained for the pastorate at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He was awarded a Lambeth doctorate in divinity in 1983.
Stott on Annihilationism[]
John Stott caused quite a stir among evangelicals in 1988 with his tentative support of Annihilationism. Surprisingly, Stott has not subsequently addressed his support of this issue in writing. The quote that caused the stir is given below:
"I find the concept [of eternal conscious punishment in hell ] intolerable and do not understand how people can live with it without either cauterising their feelings or cracking under the strain. But our emotions are a fluctuating, unreliable guide to truth and must not be exalted to the place of supreme authority in determining it. As a committed Evangelical, my question must be -- and is -- not what does my heart tell me, but what does God's word say?"
Selected publications[]
- The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor. IVP, 2007.
- Basic Christianity. IVP, 2007.
- Baptism and Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today. IVP, 2007.
- The Letters of John. Tyndale New Testament Commentary. IVP, 2007.
- The Cross of Christ. 20th Anniv. Ed., IVP, 2006.
- Issues Facing Christians Today. 4th ed., Zondervan, 2006.
- The Incomparable Christ. IVP, 2004.
- Why I Am a Christian. IVP, 2004.
- Between Two Worlds: The Art of Preaching in the Twentieth Century. Eerdmans, 1994.
- co-author David L Edwards, Evangelical Essentials. IVP, 1989.
- ed., The Bible Speaks Today series.
- More books by Stott
Resources[]
- Timothy Dudley-Smith, John Stott: The Making of a Leader: A Biography : The Early Years. IVP, 1999.
See also[]
- Preaching
- Annihilationism
External links[]
- John Stott Ministries
- Who Is John Stott?, by David Brooks (New York Times)
- John Stott has died (Christianity Today)