Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Practical Theology

Four Reasons to Read Rebekah Merkle’s “Eve in Exile”

by

9Marks just published my review of Rebekah Merkle’s Eve in Exile: And the Restoration of Femininity (Moscow, ID: Canon, 2016).

It’s not so much a critical review as it is a case for Christians to read it. I suggest four reasons:

  1. Her book is timely.
  2. Her book is wise.
  3. Her book is witty.
  4. Her book is motivating.

When my eleven-year-old daughter, Kara, was reading the book, I asked her what she thought of the author. [Read more…] about Four Reasons to Read Rebekah Merkle’s “Eve in Exile”

What the New Testament Teaches about Divorce and Remarriage

by

I contributed an article on divorce and remarriage to the latest issue of the Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal:

Andrew David Naselli. “What the New Testament Teaches about Divorce and Remarriage.” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 24 (2019): 3–44.

Evangelicals hold three main views on divorce and remarriage:

I argue for view 3b.

Here’s the outline: [Read more…] about What the New Testament Teaches about Divorce and Remarriage

3 Reasons Christians Don’t Consistently Memorize the Bible

by

I just wrote an article for Desiring God: “You Can Memorize Scripture This Year.”

My objective: Encourage you that you can consistently memorize the Bible.

My strategy: Respond to three of the main reasons Christians don’t consistently memorize the Bible.

  1. I don’t have time to memorize the Bible.
  2. I don’t feel like memorizing the Bible.
  3. It’s hard for me to memorize the Bible.

Related:

  1. Why and How to Memorize an Entire Book of the Bible
  2. Bible Memory for Young Children

That Little Voice in Your Head: Learning about Your Conscience

by

A few years ago my friend J. D. Crowley and I wrote a book on the conscience. Our target audience was adults, not children.

Then my daughter Kara, who was eight years old at the time, asked me if I would write a book on the conscience for children. How could I say no to that?

So I attempted to write my first children’s book (which releases this week):

Andrew David Naselli. That Little Voice in Your Head: Learning about Your Conscience. Illustrated by Julie Carter. Fearn, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2018.

[Read more…] about That Little Voice in Your Head: Learning about Your Conscience

Wayne Grudem’s Introduction to Christian Ethics

by

This book is now available:

Wayne Grudem. Christian Ethics: An Introduction to Biblical Moral Reasoning. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018.

My endorsement:

This is the best all-around book on Christian ethics I’m aware of, and I plan to require it as the primary textbook for my course on biblical ethics. Grudem writes in his characteristic style: clear, logical, accessible, and (usually!) persuasive. [Read more…] about Wayne Grudem’s Introduction to Christian Ethics

Departing in Peace: Biblical Decision-Making at the End of Life

by

This is the most practical book I know of on the ethics of end-of-life decision-making:

Bill Davis. Departing in Peace: Biblical Decision-Making at the End of Life. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017.

You can read a 48-page sample PDF here.

Four excerpts:

  1. Declining treatment is not a form of suicide. (p. 51)
  2. Letting die is not the same as killing. (p. 59)
  3. We are not biblically required to start or continue to use medical treatment that is excessively burdensome. We may choose to start or continue its use when we believe that doing so is part of faithful stewardship of our resources, but we are not obligated to bear excessive medical burdens in order to stay alive. (p. 78)
  4. God’s Word does not require us to force food or water on our loved ones by mechanical means if the burdens of those means greatly exceed the benefits involved. (p. 105)

Why Christian Women Marry Losers

by

That’s what this new book is about:

Reju, Deepak. She’s Got the Wrong Guy: Why Smart Women Settle. Greensboro, NC: New Growth, 2017.

Deepak Reju (MDiv, PhD) is the pastor of biblical counseling and families for Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC (Mark Dever is senior pastor), and president for the board of directors of the Biblical Counseling Coalition. [Read more…] about Why Christian Women Marry Losers