Book Review

Making a Home for Faith
Elizabeth F. Caldwell
 

Reviewed by Jononthan Vanderberg – National Youth Worker

I always read books with a highlighter or a pen and ruler. This time I settled in for the ‘quick skim read’, ‘type up a review’ and move on. Having just finished reading this book I am very disappointed … very disappointed with myself for not having a highlighter or pen in hand when reading it, it only took me half way through the first chapter to slow down and take in each word, this was no longer another job I was asked to do, but a book I want to highly recommend.

Making a home for Faith is full of valuable information and well thought insights for helping us parents; the ‘religious educators of our children’ in the everydayness of our home life. This book is a very good resource for care givers, parents and all those interested in nurturing faith in children.

Elizabeth F. Caldwell pulls together many stories, research from a variety of academic disciplines and extensive biblical content to inform her readers on the spiritual development of children, the keys to passing on the faith, the ways to respond to children’s questions and so much more.

Just some of the topics covered are ‘children and their questions’, ‘what every child needs’ and ‘leaving imprints of faith’. She affirms the role of Christian household in the faith development of the child, she connects well and importance of how faith is lived and imparted in the routines of home. She unpacks some simple ways of explaining faith. What captured my attention and respect was that she makes no promises, she does not provide a linear process of ‘if you do this and then this, your child will be this’ but quite the opposite. The book draws the reader in to a dynamic process of journey between child and adult, it affirms structured education, but also unstructured, it affirms attaining knowledge, but also the partnering with a child in wonder and questioning. She not only speaks of what we can impress on the child but what the child can impress on us and what we can learn on journey together.

While this is a book on the topic it is also like a ‘links’ page on a website. She points the reader to many resources for parents, students and even children’s books. There are appendices, recommended reading, discussion/reflection questions and the mark of any good book – an extensive bibliography.

While a valuable resource and insightful reading, this book is not a ‘pep talk’ or yet another ‘program’ for parents. I believe it will bring courage and hope to parents in their roles; however it can be a fair bit to take in at times. I would encourage every parent to read it and each church to present it as a gift at a child’s baptism. For some it will be easy reading, for others you may have to chew on it bit by bit but it will be worth the slow steady digestion.

I can also envisage that this can be a good resource for the pastor, elder or pastoral care worker who wishes to be better equipped for empowering parents in the congregation to build strong households of faith.

For the concern of the readership of Trowel and Sword, this book is written very much in the Reformed understanding of the place of the child in the covenant of grace, and a strong biblical world and life view. Please though, learn from my mistake, read with the book in one hand and a highlighter in another.

This book is available from CRCA Resource Centre. Please see the front inside cover for sale details.


 

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