UNCHANGING AND UNSHAKEABLE
Author ALBERT E. JANSEN
Publisher XULON
ISBN 1-62839-358-3
The author is a retired pastor and resides in Phoenix, Arizona. He, when a younger man, was influenced greatly by his relationship with the subject of his book. In it he is making an attempt to reintroduce today’s Christians to the writings of the Missionary-Evangelist, E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973). Anyone who desires to encourage such a reintroduction to this amazing man is to be commended. This book is available on Kindle as well as paperback. Better to obtain some of the 28 books that Stanley Jones’ wrote themselves if at all possible, but, to multitudes he is an unknown. They would not notice the name and are all the poorer for that. That is why Al Jansen is a great help. He has broken down the writings of Stanley Jones into nine main sections and forty-two readings. At the end he adds a Bibliography. He believes that these nine main parts sum up the thrust of the dynamism of the ministry of his subject. I think that he is more or less complete in the way he does so. First, the Unchanging Person, Jesus Christ, then the Unshakeable Kingdom, A section on Conversion, and then Surrender opens up the way Jones viewed these foundational things and then Guidance, Victorious and Abundant living and the church. Ladders Out Of is the title of section 8 and finally, Ladders Up complete the two hundred or so pages of excursion into the rich writings of the man who has become one of the forgotten great men of God of the twentieth century. E Stanley Jones pioneered the idea of Christian Ashrams. Many of his stories and the increasing of his understanding as to the greatness of the Person of the Lord Jesus and His kingdom and the conditions of the human heart arose from his participation in these ‘round table’ ashrams. It is an idea with roots in India where Jones ministered so much. Apparently these ashrams continue to this day. About them Jansen adds a three or four page appendix to his book. It seems that during his participation at these more recent ashrams the author has been accused, along with others, of worshiping this man more than Jesus. The reply Jansen has given to this is, “I am not a disciple of E. Stanley Jones. However, his influence on me has made me, I believe, a more devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Brother Stanley has pointed us to Jesus and the Kingdom. For this we give him thanks and admiration.”
