Andy Naselli

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Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ

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This book just released:

conscience

Andrew David Naselli and J. D. Crowley. Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016.

I am grateful to J. D. Crowley for coauthoring this book with me. His rich wisdom and life experience will serve readers in a way that I can’t. He has spent most of his life in Asian cultures, and he is a veteran missionary. (By the way, the latest Dispatches from the Front film features J. D.’s work in Cambodia, and J. D. is a keynote speaker for a Frontline Experience Conference that my church, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, plans to host on October 13–15, 2016.)

  • Chapters 1–2 describe what conscience is.
  • Chapters 3–4 talk about how you should deal with your own conscience.
  • Chapters 5–6 explain how you should relate to other people when your consciences disagree.

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squareMore about the book:

  1. Endorsements by Randy Alcorn, Craig Blomberg, Gloria Furman, Jason Meyer, Tom Schreiner, Mike Bullmore, Bruce Ware, Tim Keesee, and Danny Brooks
  2. Crossway’s 33-page PDF sample includes the front matter (e.g., Don Carson’s foreword) and chapter 1.
  3. Kevin Boling interviews J. D. Crowley (4/19/2016).
  4. “Can You Vote for Donald Trump with a Clear Conscience?” I attempt to apply the topic of our book to an issue that religious, social conservatives may have to think about later this year.
  5. Sam Crabtree thoughtfully moderated Q&A about the book on April 17 when my church hosted a book launch:

I prepared a 5-minute video on the conscience in 1 Cor 8:10 for Rob Plummer’s Daily Dose of Greek:

And here are some images that Crossway’s team prepared:

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Updates:

  1. Fred Zaspel interviews Crowley and Naselli (posted 4/26/2016)
  2. Tim Challies review (5/8/2016)
  3. Calvinist Batman interview (5/31/2016)
  4. Dave Jenkins interview (6/30/2016)
  5. Mitch Chase review for TGC (7/13/2017)
  6. Edited excerpt for 9Marks: “12 Principles on How to Disagree with Other Christians” (7/10/2017)
  7. Paul Alexander review for 9Marks (7/12/2017)
  8. Mark Ward interview for Faithlife’s Bible Study Magazine Podcast (recorded 5/15/2020)
  9. Abigail Dodds and Tilly Dillehay interview for Home Fires podcast (10/8/2020)
  10. Crossway interviews Crowley and Naselli (8/11/2021)

On March 4, 2022, I taught a two-hour seminar on the conscience for North Hills Church in Taylors, SC. I survey the book and take Q&A along the way:

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Comments

  1. Just finished the book. It’s a wonderful, thoughtful but practical exploration of a topic with which we are all innately familiar but almost universally misunderstand.

    This book clarified some issues for me regarding conscience & reassured me on others. I still have a few questions outstanding by the end of the book, but it helped answer far more questions than it raised.

    I particularly appreciated and was challenged by the missional importance of a well-calibrated conscience & by the importance of leading my church & family in understanding & Biblically calibrating their consciences, if we hope to send out our own missionaries from our small church.

    Overall, a wonderful book, easily read & understood, yet provoking much deep pondering & consideration of Biblical truth applied to our every-day life. Thank you, Andy & J. D., for this excellent contribution to the edification of the Church of Christ!

  3. Are you planning on producing a study guide? I would love to take a small group through this study!

    • No. Thanks for asking. JD and I tried to write the book so that it is very accessible to lay people. Simply reading the chapters will instigate all sorts of comments and questions in a small group.