How to live the Christian life (by Selwyn Hughes)

(Amazon UK link)

In the past 45 years or so, we have acquired quite a selection of Christian non-fiction, by a wide variety of authors. There are some whose works I reread fairly regularly. But there are other books which, as far as I can tell, I have not read for over twenty-five years. 

Back in the 1980s and 1990s it was easy and inexpensive to buy paperback books at church sales or Christian bookshops, and I suspect that ‘How to live the Christian life’ by the Welsh writer Selwyn Hughes was one of them. We used to use his Bible-reading notes until about twenty years ago; so it’s not surprising that we collected two or three of his books. This book was originally published in 1974, but revised and reprinted in this edition in 1981. 

It’s not a long book, and it seems to have some useful teaching in it for someone who is new to the Christian life. Inevitably it’s very dated; back in the 1980s, there weren’t nearly so many useful resources as there are now, and - of course - no Internet. So books of this kind would probably have been welcomed by people who came to faith in their teenage or student years, at one of the many missions or rallies that were so popular at the time.

The writing is clear, and based on the Bible, although for some reason the author mainly used the Authorised Version (now more commonly known as the King James version) for his quotations. I know some people love the language of this, but by 1981 there were other, more comprehensible translations available. People in their teens and twenties would have grown up with the Revised Standard version, which uses slightly more modern language, and were beginning to adopt the New International version. But perhaps it was not yet legal to quote from it. 

The different chapters answer different questions about living as a Christian, and I thought it was well-structured, giving possible useful answers to issues such as listening to one’s conscience, how to pray, resisting temptation, and more. It’s quite basic, and I don’t think I learned anything as such, but could be a useful study guide to a new believer - or at least a starting point. In such a short book (around 150 pages) it would have been impossible to go too deeply into anything. 

On the other hand, in the chapter about managing finances, the author doesn’t do more than touch on the problems of people who can’t afford even to eat, or who are desperately working every hour there is, just to survive. The advice comes across as rather condescending, in my view. And the chapter about spiritual gifts isn’t all that helpful, as it gives no real suggestions about how to discover one’s gifts.

There are some anecdotes which lighten the teaching somewhat, although they all seem designed to show the author in a good light. I’m sure he did help millions in his ministry, speaking and writing, but it would have been nice to know when he made mistakes, or when something was not helpful. He mentions following advice that didn’t take into account his spiritual gift - but then doesn’t say what his gift turned out to be.

I like the way that the start of the book reminds us that we can go to church services twice a week or learn everything we can about doctrine, without actually knowing or following Jesus. The book, then, seeks to demonstrate what it really means to be a Christian. But although the author manages to avoid minor doctrinal issues, and doesn’t push any one denomination, there’s a lot of direct theology and Bible application which - in my view - wouldn’t be all that useful to someone who has already had a lot of teaching but lacks a real relationship.

Still, I understand that this book helped many. So if you come across it, it’s worth reading at least once. It’s very much set in the 1980s, in style as well as content, but important things don’t change. The book is no longer in print, but it’s the kind of thing that still pops up in church libraries or charity shops.

For people who would like a book that's easier - and a bit more up-to-date - about basic Christian belief, there are many available.  Three that I would particularly recommend, each with its own style and viewpoints, are:

Following Jesus without embarrassing God by Tony Campolo
God is closer than you think by John Ortberg
The secret message of Jesus by Brian McLaren

Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews