One think you can’t accuse Scott Petty of is cowardice. In this series from Matthias Media he has taken on some brave attempts to tackle difficult and complex issues in a readable and engaging way, with teens and young people in mind. This time he has turned his attention to the biblical doctrine of predestination. Overall, he does a good job, managing to break down some profound theological concepts into bite-size pieces, though at times I sensed he confused election and predestination.
However, my problem with the book is not theological or doctrinal it’s the style. I thought my objections were due to my being well outside the target age group and so I asked a young friend who heads up a vibrant youth ministry to read it and give me his take and he was in complete agreement with me.
I found the tone of writing more and more irritating. Reading this book is a little bit like watching an embarassing elderly relative try to relate to a younger generation by talking and acting `cool’ and `trendy’. The tone is patronising and the use of illustrations and jargon at times puerile. I totally support trying to make profound theological truth accessible to young people – after all, I am a theological educator of young people – but you can do it without describing Berkhof, for example, as a “serious Christian thinker dude” and your own wife as “babelicious”. That’s just condescending and unnecessary.
Verdict: Good effort but not a book I would recommend to any young people I know.
Intervarsity Press (18 Jun. 2010)
For the purpose of review, I received a complimentary copy of the book from the Publishers. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.