PT Media Picks: Books

Help for young adults with divorcing parents

Shaken Foundations: A Resource for Young Adults Whose Parents Are Divorcing

by Barbara L. Battin (Witherspoon Press, 2006; 84 pages; $14.95, paper; (800) 524-2612)

Many books have been written to help children deal with the issues associated with their parents’ divorce. But not many resources are available for young adults (18–30 years old) facing the same ordeal. Barbara Battin’s Shaken Foundations fills the gap nicely.

Battin starts by offering basic facts and figures on divorce and its physical, mental, emotional and spiritual implications. Her non-clinical style combines compassion and insight without placing blame or being preachy. She addresses such topics as forgiveness, reconciliation and spiritual growth, but also practical matters such as dealing with family gatherings and handling public occasions. The chapter “Designing Your Own Relationship” gives direction to those young adults who may have concerns about getting married themselves, or who are already married and want to solidify their commitment.

The book provides ample opportunities for personal journaling in response to questions that guide the reader through the key concepts of each chapter. Battin gives recommendations for further reading on each subject. Shaken Foundations’ user-friendly and interactive format allows the reader to explore and reflect on thoughts and feelings that may have been held inside, but can now be brought out to start the healing process. Battin has delicately yet candidly written a valuable resource that will undoubtedly resonate with an often-overlooked audience.

—Jeff Friend, Largo, Fla.

The black and white of Christianity

Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical's Inside View of White Christianity

by Edward Gilbreath (InterVarsity Press, 2006; 192 pages; $20, hardcover)

“Through their stories and mine, I hope to give you a glimpse of what it means to be black and evangelical,” writes Gilbreath, a journalist and editor for Christianity Today, in the prologue to this compelling book. He calls white Christians of all theological persuasions to stop assuming that their experiences of the church and of secular culture are the same as those of people of color. Congregations, sessions, presbyteries and individuals interested in exploring how to go beyond superficial statements of inclusivity will find this easy-to-read but profound and provocative book an eye-opener. The book contains 12 chapters and a study guide.

—Anitra Kitts, Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, Portland, Ore.

Faithful science

Modern Physics and Ancient Faith

by Stephen Barr (University of Notre Dame Press, 2006; 328 pages; $18, paper)

Why does there still appear to be a conflict between science and religion? University of Delaware physics professor Stephen Barr has written this book — now out in paperback — as an explanation. With many references to John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, Barr expresses a profound understanding of God’s relationship to creation.

“This conception of God as the lawgiver not only for human beings but for the cosmos itself is found explicitly in … the Bible,” writes Barr. He explains that there really is no conflict between science and religion. But a bitter battle rages between religion and materialistic philosophy, which says everything is the result of strict mathematical laws of physics and blind chance. Yet scientific discoveries of the 20th century have discredited materialistic philosophy.

If you want to read more about the Big Bang theory, humankind’s place in the cosmos, evolution, determinism and freewill, written in plain English by a brilliant scientist who is also a devout Christian, this is the book for you.

—Wesley Harker, Cedar Falls, Iowa