“When I became a believer, I didn’t know much about the Bible or the history of Christianity or what Christians believe. I decided some years later that I would write the kind of book I wished someone had given to me when I began asking questions about Christianity.”
–John Schwarz (1931-2021)
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John Schwarz grew up in the Episcopal Church, served as an acolyte as a young boy, and at the age of fifteen, was confirmed. He then dropped out of church. His grandfather had given him an engraved leather Bible on his Confirmation Day, but that Bible sat on his shelf unopened for thirty years. Several college courses disparaged whatever Christian beliefs John might have had, and at the time, he did not look into it any deeper. For many years, he saw no reason to make faith an important part of his life, though he did continue to be a part of a congregation with his family.
John earned academic degrees in business management and law, and then spent thirty years in the corporate business world. He had colleagues and clients that were serious Christians, and he admired their lifestyle and confident faith. He kept an open mind, asked lots of questions, and read some books about the Bible. That seed of faith planted long ago, but dormant for many years, began to grow.
In the fall of 1976, John’s older brother persuaded him to go along to a Bible Study, and in that study, John’s faith was revitalized. What he learned there began a long, passionate love affair with the Bible. He not only dusted off that old Bible from his grandfather, but also started reading Bible dictionaries, Bible commentaries, Bible atlases, and anything he could get his hands on. In 1977 he took a two-year Bethel Bible Series teachers training class, and in 1979 became a Bible teacher in his church.
Two years later, John wrote his own book: a thirty-week Bible study course called A Year with the Bible, which he began teaching in various churches in Minneapolis. He revised that book several times over the next thirty-five years, saying, “Some people write several books; I wrote the same book several times.” The final, most complete, and most polished edition was What’s Christianity All About?, published in 2015. In 2005, Living Faith: A Guide to the Christian Life, had been published as a condensed version of his work.
All of John’s books present a well-organized, comprehensive description of what Christians believe. They provide a helpful guide for those seeking to understand the faith, either as inquirers, new believers, or life-long Christians who would like to learn more. John attended Bible college, but did not become a pastor. He wanted to write for lay people like himself. He writes well, is easy to understand, and his books are very readable. His work has been endorsed by some of the most important leaders in evangelical Christianity.
I met with John in 2016. I was planning to use his 2005 book Living Faith for a class I was teaching at my church, and I asked for his permission to put that abridged version of his work on-line for participants to read, since it was no longer in print. Without hesitating, John gave me permission to do so. I posted it in ten consecutive EmailMeditations. The entire book can still be read at my website, along with more information about the several books and the author. The book is less than 120 pages, so in three hours you can receive an excellent overview of the Bible, the church, church history, missions, and what the Christian life is all about.
I have posted over 3,000 EmailMeditations, covering a wide range of what Christianity is all about. However, each meditation by itself gives only a brief glimpse of Christian truth, and, meditations are presented each day without an overall, organized outline or system. The book Living Faith gives a more comprehensive and systematic overview of the entire Christian faith.
Noted evangelical leader John Stott gave the book this endorsement:
The most appropriate description that I can think of for John Schwarz’s book is that it is a great deal in a small space. We are given a succinct summary of the contents of the Bible, a brief history of Christianity, an introduction to other religions, together with outlines of both Christian belief and behavior. John Schwarz has succeeded in giving us a mine of information, some skillful overviews, and in areas of controversy, a fair statement of the different options.
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Living Faith: A Guide to the Christian Life may be found at:
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Deuteronomy 32:47a — They are not just idle words for you– they are your life.
Proverbs 4:20 — Pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.
Hebrews 4:12 — For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
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With all my heart and soul, O God, I thank you that in all the changes and chances of this mortal life, I can look up to you and cheerfully resign my will to yours. I have trusted you, O Father, with myself. My soul is in your hand, which I truly believe you will preserve from all evil. My body, and all that belongs to me, are of much less value. I do, therefore, with as great a sense of security as satisfaction, trust all I have to you. Amen.
–Thomas Wilson
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