Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones never sat down for a formal journalistic interview specifically dedicated to the topic of writing book forewords but his strict criteria and selective philosophy regarding them are well-documented by his publishers and biographers.
The Doctor was famously a preacher, not a writer; almost all of his 60+ books were edited transcriptions of spoken sermons. Because he guarded his time fiercely for the ministry of the Word, he wrote very few commendations. As noted in historical retrospectives by the Banner of Truth Trust, the few forewords, introductions, or endorsements he did grant over a 30-year period (f944-1976) were highly selective.
This is a reconstructed "fictional interview" outlining exactly why he wrote so few forewords and what it took for a book to earn his recommendation.
Interviewer: Dr. Lloyd-Jones, it has been noted by publishers that your name rarely appears on the cover of other authors' books. You seem incredibly selective when asked to write a foreword. Why is that?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones: My dear friend, my primary calling is to be a preacher of the gospel, not a literary critic or a professional endorser. The modern tendency to scatter recommendations indiscriminately degrades the value of a commendation. If a man attaches his name to everything, his name eventually means nothing. I have always believed that a foreword should only be given if the book handles vital truth in a manner that truly edifies the church, or if there is a deep pastoral obligation.
Interviewer: Looking at the few forewords you have written, there seem to be two distinct categories. Could you explain your criteria?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones: Yes, they fall broadly into two camps. First, I have written to introduce important books or figures from the past. We are living in an age of terrible superficiality where the church has forgotten her roots. When I wrote a foreword for the biography of Principal Donald Maclean in 1944, or commended older Puritan and Reformed works, it was to direct the modern reader back to the deep wells of historical theology. We must learn from the past to understand our current spiritual malaise.
Interviewer: And what about the second category - contemporary authors?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones: The second category belongs strictly to people I have known personally and whose Christian character I could personally vouch for. I do not believe in endorsing the work of a stranger simply because the theology on the page looks acceptable. For instance, toward the end of my life in 1976, I wrote a foreword for a modernised version of John Bunyan’s The Holy War prepared by Thelma Jenkins. She was a faithful member of our congregation at Westminster Chapel. In such cases, it is an act of pastoral encouragement to a member of the flock who is serving the kingdom.
Interviewer: Many authors feel that a word from you would significantly help sell their books. Do you ever feel guilty turning down these requests?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones: Never. The success of a book does not depend on the recommendation of a man, but on the truth it contains and the blessing of the Holy Spirit. If a book is filled with the truth of God, it will find its way to those who need it. If it is not, no foreword of mine can breathe life into dead wood. We must stop relying on slick advertising, clever marketing, and celebrity endorsements to do the work of the Spirit.
Interviewer: In 1965 you broke your general rule against writing forewords for contemporary books to endorse More Than Notion by J. H. Alexander. You hadn't even heard of the author before reading it. What made this book so different?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones: It came into my hands almost accidentally, as it were. I had never heard of Mrs. Alexander. But the moment I began to read it, I was completely gripped and deeply moved. There are some books of which it can be said that to read them is an experience, and one is never the same again. More Than Notion is precisely that kind of book. I was so overwhelmed by its contents that I stood up on a Friday night at Westminster Chapel and told the congregation that this book ought to be made compulsory reading - especially for theologians!
Interviewer: That is high praise. Why did you feel it was so vital for theologians and modern Christians to read it?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones: Because it strikes at the very heart of our modern spiritual disease. We are living in a time of great intellectualism where people think Christianity is merely agreeing to a set of correct doctrines. They have a 'head-knowledge' - a mere 'notion' - but their hearts are entirely cold.
This book tells the story of a diverse group of ordinary people in Shropshire - a clergyman, a farm labourer’s wife, a French musician - who came to a saving knowledge of Christ. In reading about them, you see the vital difference between an intellectual assent to the faith and a true, living heart experience of the Holy Spirit. It shows you that true religion must be known and felt.
Interviewer: The book highlights the ministry of James Bourne and the 'Huntingtonian' style of piety, which emphasises a deep awareness of sin before receiving a powerful assurance of grace. Did that heavily influence your endorsement?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones: Undoubtedly. The extracts of the lives in this book are, at one and the same time, deeply convicting and immensely encouraging. These people did not just talk about Christ; they walked with Him and felt the power of His cleansing blood.
Today, the church is terrified of emotionalism, so we have retreated into a dry, dead orthodoxy. But when the Holy Spirit comes in revival, it is never a mere notion! It shakes a man to his core. I wrote that foreword because I wanted to ignite a longing in the modern church for that exact kind of vital, life-changing Christian experience. If a book can do that, it deserves to be commended from the housetops.
