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FatherhoodWhat it is and what it is forMumma told me not to come?FATHERHOOD Tony Payne’s excellent book on Fatherhood is unusual in that it is written very much for the non-Christian Dad. That isn’t to say that Christian fathers wouldn’t find it helpful. It is full of biblical and practical wisdom. Yet it is as refreshing as it is unusual for a Christian writer to seek to handle a subject like this, from an overtly and wholeheartedly biblical position, with the unconverted man particularly in mind. The book is divided into two roughly equal sections. The first half seeks to answer the question: ‘What is fatherhood?’. Here, Tony Payne focuses on the father’s role as a life-giver, drawing out some of its inevitable consequences. These he sees as our responsibility for our children, and for providing for and guiding them in life. In this section there is a thoughtful explanation of why fathers have authority in the family, and what that means in practice. Thankfully, he gives us lots of real life, fleshed-out examples and counsel. The second section asks what fatherhood is for, and takes time patiently to explain why life is to be lived for God and his glory. Here the author gives us a clear picture of both the necessity of true conversion, and of its far-reaching nature and consequences. Particularly helpful in this section is the clear challenge it brings over our priorities for our children. It is alarmingly easy for even Christian dads to covet educational success or social acceptance for their children more than their conversion to Christ. Surprisingly, perhaps, in a generally very helpful discussion of how we can reflect that priority and work towards its realisation, there is no stress on the need to challenge our youngsters directly with the gospel. My only other real gripe about what is a biblical, honest, realistic and practical book is that it makes a promise that it forgets to keep. Rather than discuss, even in embryo, the issue of how we can be sure that Scripture is reliable, it promises help in the form of suggested reading on the subject. However, though there is some suggested further reading at the back of the book, none of it is on this key topic. That is an unfortunate oversight that needs to be corrected. Graham Heaps, © Evangelicals Now - July 2005 |