A Mother's Perspective: Book Review on "A New Kind of Apologist" by Sean McDowell

As a mother I am continuously looking for something to help improve my work at this 24/7 job. Parent’s are the primary educators and caregivers to their children. In 27 short chapters this book provides an abundance of resources to make you, Mom, be the best teacher, caregiver, and heart-mind minister for your child. Is it exhaustive? Of course not. It does, however, provide the foundation needed to help you guide your children to an intentional and practical application of God’s word in our current age.

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Mary Jo Sharp, author of the chapter on Why More Women Should Study Apologetics, says, “A lack of intentional living in the presence of God due, in part, to a profound split in our minds and lives between the sacred and secular has caused us to live as secular people while trying to maintain that we believe in the sacredness of all life” (p. 159-60). She continues, “We cannot merely affirm belief in God as a rational proposition; we must also practice belief in God in our everyday lives in the big as well as small things. Otherwise, we effectively live as atheists, as if there is no God.” As mothers it is of the utmost importance that we practice belief in God. But how, when the secular world is continually battling for our minds and our children’s minds? 

A New Kind of Apologist can help provide clarity. It covers topics from relationship building and answering your child’s questions to social and cultural issues and how to best use technology. As a mom of a toddler and tween, my two favorite chapters are “Using Hollywood Blockbusters to Share your Faith” and “Telling the Truth About Sex in a Broken Culture.”

At it’s core is a common theme: If we fail to give the individual person in front of us the respect of our attention, we fail to do the one thing that can cut straight through the noise and to the heart (p. 279). Our children can often be the ones in front of us who fail to get the respect of our attention that they deserve. Allow God to use A New Kind of Apologist to transform the “profound split in our minds and lives between the sacred and secular” so that we intentionally live in His presence. To be the best teacher and minister to our children we must be prepared. This book is a great place to start.

Purchase your copy of A New Kind of Apologist here.

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Author

Victoria Harris holds an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University.  Victoria is a lover of Jesus, a wife, biological mom of a toddler and adoptive mom of a tween. She is a former Miss Florida Teen USA and Mrs. Florida United States. Follow her on twitter @VictoriaDHarris, Facebook at www.facebook.com/vdharris or instagram @VictoriaHarrisInsta.