When Kumbaya Is Not Enough: A Practical Theology for Youth Ministry Book

A remarkable number of books that promote 'formulas' for living the Christian life have had their day on the Christian bestseller lists, only to fade away as time goes on. Yet J.C. Ryle's Holiness, which was first published 126 years ago, shows no signs of going out of style. What could possibly account for the longevity of a volume that Reformation & Revival Journal once called "the finest work on living the Christian life available"? I offer three reasons:

1) It gives no formulas. Bishop Ryle, an evangelical Anglican minister from the mid-to-late 1800s, magnified the grace of God in Christ and spoke often of the joy, peace and assurance available to all who trust in the Son of God. And yet, as Holiness demonstrates, he had no illusions that the Christian life would be a walk in the park. Beginning immediately at Chapter One, where Ryle explains the terrible subtlety of sin and its power to trip up believers even though they are free from its domination, he takes nothing for granted. He dismantles many false ideas about Christian growth that damaged the lives of Christians of his time. Some believers (including this one) who read Holiness today will notice that many of these ideas are still around, and have messed them up at certain points of their lives.

2) It is remarkably accessible and easy to read, considering its age. Sometimes I see Ryle's books published in modern paraphrased versions, and I am at a loss to know why! Ryle's style is described by many as "plain and pointed", without any of the formalities that characterize 19th Century English (compare and his contrast his works with those of his great Baptist contemporary, Charles Spurgeon).

3) It is thoroughly biblical. If aspiring preachers and teachers want a great model whom they can follow of someone who effortlessly brought the whole counsel of Scripture to bear upon the subject being discussed, Ryle is their man!