The Contemporary Christian is John Stott's definitive and passionate plea to the church. Before we attempt to teach or evangelise, he urges, we must listen to God's Word and God's world. Only then will we be able to communicate the authentic gospel effectively.John Stott himself models this 'double listening' as he tackles five key questions:

* Amid scepticism inside the church as well as outside, what is the authentic gospel?

* In a world torn by pain and need, what characterises the obedient disciple?

* Now that the Bible is often set aside as culturally irrelevant, how can we relate it with integrity to contemporary society?

* Given the church's general lack of credibility, what is her calling and how can she fulfil it?

* In a pluralistic society and a hungry world, what is the church's mission?