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Book Reviews by Frank Lyambian

Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, 2007

The Family is an insightful text that offers profound wisdom in matters relating to the contempor... more The Family is an insightful text that offers profound wisdom in matters relating to the contemporary home. Distinctively from a Christian perspective it integrates sociological, ethical, biblical, theological and clinical insight into understanding the modern family. The authors, Jack O. Balswick and Judith K. Balswick have been married for over forty years. Judy is senior professor at Fuller Theological Seminary in the Marriage and Family Therapy Department. Jack, a professional sociologist with years of teaching, research, and writing experience at the university and seminary level, is also a senior professor at Fuller. This third edition of The Family incorporates the most current research to date, adding two new chapters "Family Spirituality" and "Complex Families in Contemporary Society." And it includes a new focus on trinitarian theology of relationship to enhance the biblical themes in the earlier two editions of covenant, grace, empowerment, and intimacy. This, the authors believe is the essence of an integrated model of family relationship. The conclusions of this book are not only based on current social-science research clinical insights and biblical truth, but significantly on their own family life experience and knowledge in marriage and family therapy for over fourty years. The book begins with biblical, theological and sociological perspective on family life. Taking an "analogical-familial theology" approach as developed by Steven Post (1994) in his book Spheres of love, Jack and Judy by way of analogy base their theology of family relationships on relationality within the Holy Trinity and throughout the Old and New Testament description of God in relationship. Human beings are created by a relational Triune God. This, fundamentally is a welcoming insight that marriage was designed and instituted not only by a relational Triune God but by a Holy Triune God. Marriage is therefore a holy institution. It is a divine institution instituted by God, not man. And it resembles the relational nature of the God-head. The Trinity, God being one yet composed of three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our relationships are to reflect the relationality within the Holy Trinity. In essence, God intends for all our relationships to be a reflection of Him. Marriage is an institution initiated, crafted, designed, originated and instituted by and in the mind of God. Having its origin from God it depicts a union that maintains separate identity while simultaneously connected in relationship, belonging and unity. Marriage is not a mere social contract but a divine covenant resembling the nature of a relational and divine God. That becomes the lifeblood of a healthy-friendly family, heartbeat of spirituality and Christianity, and solid foundational platform of the moral fabrics of the society. Marriage is a covenant typifying a lifelong and holy commitment such that it

Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, 2007

The Family is an insightful text that offers profound wisdom in matters relating to the contempor... more The Family is an insightful text that offers profound wisdom in matters relating to the contemporary home. Distinctively from a Christian perspective it integrates sociological, ethical, biblical, theological and clinical insight into understanding the modern family. The authors, Jack O. Balswick and Judith K. Balswick have been married for over forty years. Judy is senior professor at Fuller Theological Seminary in the Marriage and Family Therapy Department. Jack, a professional sociologist with years of teaching, research, and writing experience at the university and seminary level, is also a senior professor at Fuller. This third edition of The Family incorporates the most current research to date, adding two new chapters "Family Spirituality" and "Complex Families in Contemporary Society." And it includes a new focus on trinitarian theology of relationship to enhance the biblical themes in the earlier two editions of covenant, grace, empowerment, and intimacy. This, the authors believe is the essence of an integrated model of family relationship. The conclusions of this book are not only based on current social-science research clinical insights and biblical truth, but significantly on their own family life experience and knowledge in marriage and family therapy for over fourty years. The book begins with biblical, theological and sociological perspective on family life. Taking an "analogical-familial theology" approach as developed by Steven Post (1994) in his book Spheres of love, Jack and Judy by way of analogy base their theology of family relationships on relationality within the Holy Trinity and throughout the Old and New Testament description of God in relationship. Human beings are created by a relational Triune God. This, fundamentally is a welcoming insight that marriage was designed and instituted not only by a relational Triune God but by a Holy Triune God. Marriage is therefore a holy institution. It is a divine institution instituted by God, not man. And it resembles the relational nature of the God-head. The Trinity, God being one yet composed of three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Our relationships are to reflect the relationality within the Holy Trinity. In essence, God intends for all our relationships to be a reflection of Him. Marriage is an institution initiated, crafted, designed, originated and instituted by and in the mind of God. Having its origin from God it depicts a union that maintains separate identity while simultaneously connected in relationship, belonging and unity. Marriage is not a mere social contract but a divine covenant resembling the nature of a relational and divine God. That becomes the lifeblood of a healthy-friendly family, heartbeat of spirituality and Christianity, and solid foundational platform of the moral fabrics of the society. Marriage is a covenant typifying a lifelong and holy commitment such that it