The Case for the Christian Family

by Jared Longshore

Families are formed by covenants. But what is a covenant, and what does that mean for your family? Throughout Scripture, God makes covenants with His people. This is not just a contract, but a personal bond in which God takes responsibility for His people, and His people respond to him in faith. This is true of our relationship with God, and it is true in the case of lesser covenants, such as the covenant family. In this short book, Douglas Wilson shows how the family should live in the light of what the Bible says about the covenant. The husband is the head of the household, and this means that the problems of the family members are not their problems but his problems. The husband cannot just dismiss his wife’s problems as something she needs to work through by herself, and the parents cannot complain when his kids don't act like they were taught to. They are his people and his problems. This book covers everything from marriage to childrearing to cultural engagement. The family is not just a collection of it is a unit joined together by God, and we should live as though that were true, because it is.

Genres: Theology, Family, Christianity, Christian, Marriage, Parenting, Cultural

122 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2022

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aside from the paedobaptist covenant theology, which he lays on thick, this was a really good read. He does a good job presenting it, but I'm still unpersuaded.

[Jessica Simek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the title was a little misleading. I was hoping for more of a book on building dominion through strong families but instead it was mostly an explanation of Presbyterian covenant theology. I’m still not entirely sure what he meant by covenant of grace and some of his points were confusing, but it could just be that I’m not Presbyterian. I liked the beginning of the book and got more confused as I went on.

[Scott W. Blankenship · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a new father, I found this book both refreshing and encouraging. Also, I loved Jarred's blue collar approach to covenant theology.

[Caleb M. Powers]

Well-written, but not really for this baptist.

[Jeremy Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good but brief treatise of covenant theology. The one thing that was lacking I found is that Longshore had little to say about how covenant theology is going to save the west. He stated many times that we must recover this way of thinking in order to save the west (and it is in the subtitle of the book) but he did little to explain the relationship of the Christian family to the nation and how one is going to save the other. He also from the beginning stated this this was purely a theoretical-theological book not a practical book. That is good in its own rite but I would have liked some “now this is what I do” or “this is what I have seen work well” when it comes to the family. Nonetheless, it was a good book with a very approachable take on covenant theology.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent overview of how covenant theology means far more than baptizing your babies, but also nothing less. Covenant theology is a worldview as much as it is an interpretation of God’s dealings with mankind. Longshore explores these ideas in a basic and approachable manner.

[Adam Duell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and helpful. I’d describe this book as a good work that expounds on a couple of the chapters in Wilson’s “To A Thousand Generations.”

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, quick read about covenantal theology! Listened on canon+ and really enjoyed Jared’s narration.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good primer for those wanting to understand the covenantal family and how God works through believers and their children. This book is a fairly easy read and the concepts are not hard to grasp; it’s more of a layperson’s read than a deep theological treatise but it has plenty of Scripture references and solid citations by well known theologians.

If you’re new to the idea of children being in the Covenant of Grace, this book will help you work through some aspects you may not understand about how God covenants with households. If you understand the idea already and see it taught in Scripture, this book will refresh you and encourage you to keep plowing forward as God always fulfills His purposes.

[Kofi Opoku · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good and enjoyable read. I wholeheartedly agree with the author's premise that the biological argument for fatherhood will ultimately fail, considering the current socio-political trends. Instead, the author convincingly presents the need for a more foundational approach - the covenantal argument for fatherhood. While I concur that the covenantal aspect is indeed more fundamental, I believe the biological argument still holds value as an apologetic tool when engaging with non-believers or debating the issue in the public square. Overall, I appreciate the depth of the work, particularly its comprehensive defense of covenantal theology.

[Andrew Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief ground-up systematic argument for the recovery of a covenantal understanding of the family as the cure for what ails the atomistic, individualistic form of pietistic/gnostic (the last two are my words, not Jared's) Christianity that has become the norm in America.

As the basic building block of both the church and the state, the household's inclusion in the Covenant of Grace has far-reaching implications for understanding what our mission is to be in this world that Jesus came to save (John 3:17).

This work leads naturally into C.R. Wiley's "The Household and the War for the Cosmos," another book that I wholeheartedly recommend.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be a good intro to covenants and what the notion of covenant implies for the life orb believer. It deals with marriage, family, and children. It’s not an in depth view of covenant theology or it’s application but it certainly scratches the surface and whets the appetite. I enjoyed it because at about the same time the author made his jump from Reformed Baptist to Paedobaptist, I made my own.

[Jesus Salgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Case for the Christian Family is a book that deals with the covenantal nature of how the family operates and how it looks vs. the world. This book presents the problem of the world today, establishes the truth of covenant membership, and then exhorts us into a reality of comfort, hope, and mission. This short read is necessary and very helpful. I appreciate how the author takes big truths and simplifies them in a while so that it’s easy to understand.

[Caleb Levi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longshore writes and argues well. His illustrations particularly helped carry his reasoning from chapter to chapter. Toward the end of the book, however, he relied too much on quotations. Readers who trusted his voice in the early chapters heard more of Vos, Bavinck, and Ball in the later chapters.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jared Longshore gives a clear and sufficient argument for the need for the recovery of the Covenant Household. It is clear it is a path that is not new path for Christians, but a path we have forgotten and need as a true solution to the dissolution we see in the West and the means God has used and will continue to use to fulfill the Great Commission. I highly recommend this to all believers.

[Shea Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jared's self referential notes were quite humorous, I'd say I'm still working on the issue but another helpful book in the line of covenantal thinking and family ministry that I'm trying to figure out. Also Jared has a great voice for audiobooks.

[Joel Rockey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for its clear summary of Covenant Theology in a family context. While I remain unconvinced about pedobaptism, the teachings in the book were edifying and provided valuable insights.

[Shannon Majeski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll recommend this to every Christian man I meet!

[Macallister Seitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. it gives you a lot to think on.

[Daniel Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read book for Christian families, especially fathers.

[Cosette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really solid summary of why Biblical covenants are so important . . . very digestible!

[Daniel Chepkauskas]

Read May 2023

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid overview and case for covenant living. The whole book is easy to read and understand. And the last chapter is powerful.

[Zachary Ianchis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it a 3/5 since I’m a Baptist but it raised a lot of questions that Baptist fail to answer in regards to the family. Interesting read overall.

[Ryan Ahlenius · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new go-to for explaining God’s design to the covenant for one’s household.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A potent case for the objectivity of the covenant family.

[Ty Brunet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, succinct, and enlightening read. In grasping this book, it will change one’s perspective on viewing life. Longshore trains the reader to see life as covenant.

[Kyle Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook. Gave me some interesting things to consider and study further

[Rebecca Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Audiobook). Really good!!

[Quentin Begley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really solid arguments for a covenantal view of the family over against the hyper individualism so prevalent in America.