I am preparing a year-long book review of a “A Theology of the Family” edited by Jeff Pollard and Scott T. Brown. This is a collection of “five centuries of Biblical wisdom for family life.”
There has been a progressive undoing of the home, the church and the nation. Many talk about it, statistics show it, and books are written about it.
I believe this is a fresh voice from the past 500 years that may help pastors, churches, families, and the nation.
“A Theology of the Family” is number 3 on Monergism’s top 50 books of 2014.
In this book, Jeff Pollard and Scott T. Brown have compiled a massive collection of writings on godly families from over the past 5 centuries.
Consider getting your copy of this treasure and join me on this year long journey. I’ll attempt to give reviews of the essay’s and treaties compiled here.
The practice of family worship had been on the decline for some time. Over the past 10 years the National Center for Family Integrated Families has devoted themselves to reclaiming and advocating for churches and families to reclaim this once expected practice of the family alter. I crossed paths with this ministry while on in pursuit of reformation in my personal life and church.
Join me as I examine this beast of a book, paced with writings from the past 500 years on family duty.
“If we suffer the neglect of this, we undo all. What are we like to do ourselves to the reforming of a congregation, if all the work be cast on us alone, and masters of families will let fall that necessary duty of their own, by which they are bound to help us! If any good be begun by the ministry in any soul in a family, a careless, prayerless, worldly family is like to stifle it, or very much hinder it. Whereas, if you could but get the rulers of families to do their part, and take up the work where you left it, and help it on, what abundance of good might be done by it! (as I have elsewhere showed more are large). I beseech you , therefore, do all that you can to promote this business, as ever you desire the true reformation and welfare of your parishes!” Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor
An Endorsement from Phil Johnson, Executive Director of Grace to You, Sun Valley, California
“A theology of the Family is an excellent anthology featuring a wealth of mostly-forgotten material from great Christian leaders of the past 500 years. Long before the era of television, child psychology, secularized public education, and commercial day-care centers, various heroes of the faith had much to say about home and family life. Their writings and sermons on the subject are full of practical, biblical wisdom about marriage, parenting, order and virtue in the home, family devotions, the training and discipline of children, and similar topics. They drew their principles from Scripture, so this is timeless wisdom – but it is as timely today as when it was first published. In fact, the current dearth of biblical wisdom, combined with the rapid decline of the family as an institution, illustrates precisely why the material in this book is more truly relevant and more desperately needed than ever.”
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