This volume contains the most important of John Murray's shorter writings and addresses between the years 1935 and 1973. They have been placed together in this opening volume of his Collected Writings as the best introduction to his thought on wide range of Christian truth. Murray's belief was that, while the expression of truth 'may be expanded indefinitely and furnish nourishment for the highest intellects to eternity', it is also capable of presentation in popular and generally-understood terms. Accordingly, he speaks in these pages not so much to students as to the church at large in this critical century of her history. Such chapters as 'Some Necessary Emphases in Preaching', The Power of the Holy Spirit', and The Church of Mission', show how thoroughly he understood the great inadequacies of much contemporary Christianity.
This material (none of which has been previously published in book form) gives the quintessence of the convictions which were characteristic of his mature thought. Their appeal in written form is increased by the pervasive influence of his belief that theology should be 'shot through with warmth of ardent devotion'. He addresses himself to the needs of both mind and heart, believing that when Scripture is opened there should be both light and heat. His overriding concern is that the Word of God should challenge every area where thinking and living can be shown to be deficient and that the traditions of men should give way to 'the claims of truth'.