New books offer faith-based advice and comfort

REVIEWS BY MIKE PARKER

The first book known to have been both written and printed in America was a religious book. The Whole Book of Psalmes, Faithfully Translated into English Metre debuted in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1640. Since then, America's love affair with religious books has continued unabated. But while early works were confined to weighty theological tomes, today's religious press encompasses every subject from family relationships to business conduct, from sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll to prayer and fasting. And yes, there are still plenty of theological tomes rolling off the presses as well.

In the beginning

There is no such thing as a perfect Christian family, asserts social science research analyst and author Glenn T. Stanton. And there is no step-by-step, "complete idiot's guide" that will transform your family into a perfect one. Instead, Stanton's new book, My Crazy Imperfect Christian Family, advocates discovering the spirit behind the rules. It all starts with sex, he says, because that "is where the family begins." Stanton goes on to explore the three primary family roles—spouse, parent, child—and discusses why it is so important, yet so difficult, to live out our family lives in these roles. Neither a rulebook nor a workbook, this is a sourcebook of big-picture ideas designed to help families live what they believe, and to be kind to the ones they love.


The sound of silence

Since the time of Job, no question has been more troubling to people of faith than, "Why doesn't God answer our prayers?" It's a question author Jerry Sittser has asked himself many times: his mother, wife and young daughter were killed by a drunk driver. In his book, When God Doesn't Answer Your Prayer, Sittser refers to this question as the "raw nerve in the Christian community." Reading those great prayers of faith in the Bible that resulted in marvelous, miraculous victories such as Daniel in the lion's den and Elijah on Mt. Carmel only add to the maddening frustration when we pray for a sick loved one who then dies, or for wisdom in a major decision only to receive no guidance. Sittser suggests that many of our prayers fall short because we want the problems to disappear, but not necessarily to be solved. God, he warns, is bigger than that.


Adjusting our focus

Christian publishing phenomenon Max Lucado is an industry unto himself. His work appears on everything from bookmarks and calendars to greeting cards and plush animals. With all this acclaim, it would be easy for Lucado to assume the universe revolved around him. Instead, he has chosen to proclaim loudly that contrary to popular belief, It's Not About Me. Lucado contends that modern life leads people to want the wrong things. Using the universe as a measuring rod, Lucado draws on the ancient wisdom of Copernicus to conclude that there is a center to all created things, and it isn't us—it is God. We exist to give honor to His name. By properly aligning our lives with this central truth, we not only find our purpose, but happiness.


The fifth gospel?

Apart from Christ, the Apostle Paul is perhaps the most dominant figure in the New Testament. With meticulous attention to detail, Robin Griffith-Jones has produced a scholarly work on his eventful life that reads like a summer beach novel. Entertaining and enlightening, The Gospel According to Paul sheds important light on the man and his times. At first a fiercely determined adversary of the fledgling faith, after his dramatic conversion experience on the Damascus road, Paul became Christianity's most outspoken advocate. Yet while he preached of love and responsibility and founded churches throughout the Roman empire, he found himself reviled. He begged for unity while dismissing a close friend and follower, John Mark. The fascinating paradoxes of this remarkable leader are brought to life in this exploration of the early days of the Christian church.


Parenting without fear

Dr. Tim Kimmel contends that too much of today's Christian parenting is based upon fear and, as a result, many parents build walls of holy checklists around their children to keep them safe. What God really wants, he insists in Grace-Based Parenting, is for parents to base their parenting on God's grace instead. With an easy-to-read style and lots of explanations, examples and encouragement, Kimmel gives parents the tools to build—or rebuild—a home that reflects the security (love), significance (purpose) and strength (hope) that God gives each of His children.


Mike Parker is a writer in Smyrna, Tennessee.

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