Two “Radical” Books

May 31, 2010


I recently read two books with the word “radical” in their titles. I was struck by this seeming coincidence as I looked at the two books sitting side by side. The first book is The Radical Disciple by John Stott. For many years he served as rector of All Souls Church in London where under God he built a thriving church in the midst of a thoroughly secular city. For decades young people from around the world flocked to hear him explain the meaning of the gospel as it intersects modern life. He is, quite simply, one of the best evangelical thinkers and certainly one of the most important pastors of the last 65 years.

Several years ago he retired from public ministry. Now at the age of 88, he has written his final book. The Radical Disciple sums up eight important characteristics of what it means to follow Jesus. Among those characteristics Stott includes “Nonconformity,” “Simplicity,” and “Creation Care.” He ends with a moving chapter on “Death” followed by a conclusion and a postscript called, simply, “Farewell.” The book is easy to read, shorter than most of his other books, and more personal. It carries the calm conviction of a man sharing those things that seem most important to him at the end of life spent with God.

The second book has nothing calm about it, but there is plenty of conviction. When David Platt sat down to write Radical, he intended to issue a clarion call to believers not to confuse the “American dream” with true discipleship. Perhaps the major difference between Stott and Platt lies in the nearly 60 years that separates them. Although David Platt is only 31 years old, he has gained national prominence for his preaching ability and for his leadership that has revolutionized the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. You really need to read the book to fully sense his passion, but perhaps this will help. Speaking of “American Wealth and a World of Poverty,” David Platt lays it on the line:

I am much like the rich man [in Luke 16], and the church I lead looks a lot like him too. Every Sunday we gather in a multimillion-dollar building with millions of dollars in vehicles parked outside. We leave worship to spend thousands of dollars on lunch before returning to hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of homes. We live in luxury. 

Meanwhile, the poor man is outside our gate. And he is hungry. In the time we gather for worship on a Sunday morning, almost a thousand children elsewhere die because they have no food. If it were our kids starving, they would all be gone by the time we said our closing prayer (p. 115). 

David Platt thinks the church has become too much like the world, and no doubt John Stott would agree. The young man writes as a fiery prophet while the older man calmly points the way forward for those who will carry the torch after he is gone. 

I recommend both books. Platt will startle you and bother you. Stott will make you glad we had such a man among us for so many years. Together they will remind you that to be truly “radical” means taking the words of Jesus seriously, something easier said than done. 

Do you have any thoughts or questions about this post?