Modest: Men and Women Clothed in the Gospel

by R.W. Glenn, Tim Challies

Modesty is about freedom, not rules. Does that seem off? What we mean is that what you say or do or wear is not really the point, not ultimately. In a sense, we don't even care what you choose. But we care a lot about why you make the choices you do regarding clothing or speech or behavior. Because what really matters here is your heart. The point of this book is that true modesty does not come from following a list of rules. It flows naturally from a solid grasp of the gospel. That means modesty doesn't need to look the same from one person to another. It's about your motivations, not your wardrobe.

Genres: Christian Living, Christian, Theology, Fashion, Parenting

106 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

R W Glenn is an author and the Pastor of Preaching and Vision at Redeemer Bible Church in Minnetonka, MN. He has written Drive By Theology, Drive By Church History, and The Biggest Question for Wretched Radio and Television, as well as Crucifying Morality: How the Teaching of Jesus Destroys Religion (Shepherd Press, 2012). His sermons and lectures may be downloaded from Solid Food Media.

Reviews

[Becky Pliego · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the principle of this book: start with the gospel (Grace vs Law). It is absolutely important when addressing this issue to keep in mind that legalism and moralism are two dangers that we want to avoid.

I appreciate that this book is written by two Pastors and that they also address it to men.

This book, however, has still some gaps that are not easy to fill. The culture in which we live cannot be the measure of our modesty, neither the context of the situations (not always). It goes beyond that. It should move beyond that. I think this is a matter in which we Christians really need to stop looking at the culture around us and start building our own culture.

[Leandro Dutra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cheap, short & quite surprising book.

For starters, it is a book more about boys than girls. Even if the subtitle mentions women on a par with men, it is actually targeted more at boys. And that is a good thing; women will be able to apply to themselves the examples given about men.

Now one may ask how women can apply to themselves the men examples, if clothing (and tittilation) is so different between sexes. And that is because this is not a book about clothing rules. It is not about clothes only, nor mainly, and it is not about rules at all.

Again the subtitle gives a tip: it is about applying the Gospel to human behaviour, be it clothing or speaking or attitudes. Thus, most of the (again, very short) book speaks about sin and repentance and grace and our right relationship with God thru Jesus, by faith alone; and then applies this, in a short man-oriented appendix, to male clothing and attitudes & speech.

Some boys in my church had asked me to talk about men clothes. I deferred, hoping they would better get a presbyter to talk to them about that. I still think it is better to have a presbyter or someone delegated by the presbyters to tackle this theme, but now I think I could perhaps help them.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Modesty is more than I thought it was. It's funny when you look at Modesty thru the lens of the Gospel, there is always more than meets the eye. This short book did just that. Taking the culture, legalism, and any other ism, you see that the Gospel must be centered to have any heart change and impact others for Christ. Because anything we do, it does affect others. I think that gripped me the most. Since modesty can come in many different forms, you can see the affect you have on others. Some of the highlights in the book that spoke to me. "When we build theology without clear reference to the gospel, we begin to take refuge in rules....We need to be sure that our understanding of modesty flows from the gospel and leads to gospel love...There was much more and you can apply the truths found in this book of gems else where. That is what is so wonderful about the gospel. It fits in every area of our lives.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book departs from most books and teaching on modesty by emphasizing looking to our culture to discover what is modest. While most may believe that culture plays a role in determining what is modest, I have not seen any other Christian writing that gives culture such a large role and in this I believe it deviates from historic Christian teaching on the subject (though such writings have sometimes mentioned living “according to our place and station”, they have seldom, if ever, given such a great emphasis to the role of culture in determining what is modest). This book, it must be said, doesn't give culture the last word, it says there are times when we should not "cross clear biblical lines" regardless of what our culture does, (p.71) (it doesn't say what those lines are and of course that seems to be the problem with modesty, the Bible doesn't give any clear lines). However, the overwhelming emphasis of this book is on seeking to base our clothing choices on what our culture regards as appropriate, even saying that we can “violate” modesty by dressing more “conservatively” than our culture does (p.70). It even goes so far as to say "you may be disturbed by our culture's apparent jettisoning of the virtue of modesty simply because you have embraced an earlier (or different) standard that you then uncharitably demand that other people live up to." (p.25) So this book is not just saying that I can dress as (im)modestly as my culture, it seems to be saying I should!

This book bases the high regard it gives to culture on two things that I can see. First, this claim is based on CS Lewis's teaching that modesty must be distinguished from chastity. That is, the thinking goes, modesty is not a matter of sexual purity and therefore it can change drastically from culture to culture (Lewis writes: “A girl in the Pacific islands wearing hardly any clothes and a Victorian lady completely covered in clothes might both be equally ‘modest’, proper, or decent, according to the standards of their own societies.”) But historic confessions, such as the Westminster, have listed immodesty as a breaking of the commandment against adultery. The traditional Christian understanding has been that modesty is a matter of sexual purity and not just a “social rule” (as this book claims on p.21).

Second, is the fact that Paul speaks against braids in I Timothy 2. This is likened to wearing a French braid, which few people today would say is immodest, with the conclusion that what is modest changes from culture to culture. But that is not an accurate comparison. William Hendriksen in his commentary on this passage writes, "But what about these braids which were popular in the world of Paul's day? No expense was spared to make them dazzling….The braids were fastened by jewelled tortoise-shell combs, or by pins of ivory or silver….Braids, in those days, often represented fortunes. They were articles of luxury! The Christian woman is warned not to indulge in such extravagance.” Furthermore, even if what is immodest in regards to extravagance may change from culture to culture, it does not follow that what is immodest in regards to revealing certain parts of our body is equally flexible.

Certainly the relationship between modesty and culture is tricky. I believe Biblical principles would point to clear implications in our dress were our minds not darkened by sin and by our culture, therefore looking to culture for our answers will just further darken our minds. A better solution is to seek to have our minds renewed by Biblical teaching on modesty and purity and prayerfully arrive at our convictions. Then, if our culture expects more than we believe God expects, we should be willing to live by its higher standards, but we should not lower our standards. And as we live faithfully by the light God has given us, willing to endure the ridicule of the world when necessary but never seeking it out unnecessarily, we have warrant to believe that God will give us more light to better understand what is modest and immodest.

This book also does a poor job of expounding the two main texts on modesty in the Bible (I Timothy 2:9 and I Peter 3:3). It says of the I Timothy passage that it "doesn't add much to the English dictionary definition." But that passage uses three different words (Greek: Kosmios, Aidos, Sophrosune, ESV: respectable, modesty, self-control) to show what a woman's dress should be and this book takes only a surface glance at one of the words (modesty). I’m not aware that the I Peter passage is mentioned anywhere.

The book reminds us of some good things, especially relating to the gospel, but I believe it undermines the very foundation of modesty. If modesty is about following our culture’s lead, then Christians today are doing a terrific job of being modest! This may be what many people want to hear, but I am convinced it is not the truth. I am afraid that many will be so won over by the emphasis on the gospel that they will not carefully evaluate the claims this book is making, but as Bereans we must do more than just make sure the word gospel is used lavishly before embracing a teaching.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to reading this book in preparation for some junior high and high school level teaching on the topic. The book's length and approach seemed very attractive to me.

Pros:
I loved the authors shared approached to address the heart and go to the gospel with modesty. I believe that they are completely right to see the root causes (idolatry) of immodesty and then to connect the reader to the gospel. Truly, the hope of the Cross is the only answer to the twin dangers when approaching this topic - lawlessness and legalism. This is exactly the approach I want to take in the application to my own life and my teaching. Great stuff!

Cons:
I disagree with the authors' continual opposition to ANY guidelines, standards, or lists. There is such thing as too low. There is such thing as too tight. There is such thing as too short. While we absolutely want to avoid and warn of the danger of legalism (and having grown up in an extremely conservative church culture, I certainly understand and agree!!), people also need examples and at least some basic guidelines. In fact, the authors admittedly contradict themselves in the Appendix by doing exactly that - providing some general and basic examples of what they are talking about regarding modesty and men. Why didn't they do more of this during the whole book? Warn about legalism and warn about judgmentalism! But don't cast off all examples and guidelines. I believe that there must be some.

I also disagree with the authors' overemphasis on culture determining the God-honoring course of action. I don't completely disagree with their point (I especially like the bathing suit at church fellowship time example), but even with their casual warnings, in my humble opinion they do overemphasize culture. And I know, this probable makes me sound like an old prude too. Don't judge!

Overall, this was still a good read and quite helpful to me as I prepare to teach on modesty. I can't recommend this book to everyone though, so 3 stars it is.

[Marguerite Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a great book to read and very different from any kind of Modest book to read. Addressed to both Men and Women. There isn't any a set of rules what not to wear or what to wear in that book. Yet a very challenging book to read and hitting the nail in your motivate and your heart desire. This is Christ-Center and Gospel-Center book. Great book to read.

[Craig Hurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of modesty for Christians has been predominately cast within the framework of a set of rules about what kind of clothing (mainly for girls) is considered to be appropriate. Whether its shirts below the knees, dresses to the floor or necklines for shirts no lower than the collar bone, the list of do’s and don’ts can be long – really long. But is this kind of list what God intends for us to have and hold others accountable to when it comes to modesty? Where do we get such a list from anyways? Who gets to make it and by what criteria? Is there possibly another way to both define and live modestly?

Tim Challies and RW Glenn think there is. In their new book, Modest: Men and Women Clothed in the Gospel, Challies and Glenn pave a new road for understanding modesty that centers on the gospel and lacks a set of do’s and don’ts – no matter how bad they know you want one!

Feeling that the gospel has been largely silent in most discussions of modesty the authors set forth their plea:

"We want to see your heart so gripped by the gospel of grace that modesty becomes beautiful and desirable to you, not just in your wardrobe but in all of life. We want you to understand that modesty isn’t just motivated by the gospel, it’s an entailment of the gospel – it flows naturally from a solid grasp of the good news of the gospel." (Loc. 99)

This plea for gospel-centered modesty is a response to the legalism that has dominated the topic for far too long in far too many Christian circles. The consequences of a gospelless modesty are devastating. “When we build theology without clear reference to the gospel, we begin to take refuge in rules….the regulations become our gospel – a gospel of bondage rather than freedom.” (Loc. 176) A view of modesty that is void of the gospel will have nothing more than the appearance of godliness. Thus, a rules based modesty for dress can produce a kind of spiritual immodesty. “Pursue modesty outside of the gospel and not only will you fail to be genuinely modest, but everything you do in the name of that supposed modesty will undermine the very gospel you profess to believe.” (Loc. 455)

Defining Modesty

So if modesty should not be defined by a set of rules then how is it to be defined? This is where it can begin to get sticky. For Challies and Glenn there are two aspects that play into defining modesty. First, there is the situational aspect. Here the idea is that what may be viewed as appropriate or modest in one context (like a one piece bathing suit for women at the beach) is not in another (a women wearing that one piece bathing suit to church on Sunday or to work at her fortune 500 job on Monday). Even the most diehard rules based proponents of modesty could agree with this.

The second criteria for defining modesty is where some are going to cheer and other will no doubt squirm. This aspect draws on the cultural context. That’s right, the authors believe that cultural norms regarding modesty are a big factor in defining modesty. For those who are flipping through their Bibles right now for verses to counter this claim, wait one minute. The authors are already ahead of you. In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 Paul tells Timothy “that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness— with good works.” (Loc. 232-46) There are two things that can be seen here. First, Paul does not define modesty. Second, whatever Paul does define as modest he is clearly using the contemporary culture as a reference point. The authors point out that no one is going to claim Paul’s words here as a claim upon every Christian for all ages. The reference to “braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire” is a clear reference to something within the culture. So wearing these items in Paul’s day would have been viewed as immodest and they were not to wear them at church. Notice also how Paul grounds his example of external immodesty first in internal modesty.

These two aspects of defining modesty boil down to three parts:

1. Virtue. Modesty is first and foremost a virtue— an inner attitude that may be internalized and largely unconscious, or very intentional.
2. Respect. This virtue is grounded in respect for an appropriate cultural standard (the broader, general context) and appropriate situational standards (the narrower, specific contexts).
3. Result. This respect is ultimately made evident in dress, speech, and behavior that willingly conforms to these standards. (Loc. 291)

These three parts then boil down into one defining statement – “Modesty is that virtue which is respectful of a culture’s rules for appropriate and inappropriate dress, speech and behavior in a given situation.” (Loc. 291) From here the authors make the following statement:

"When the gospel controls your modesty, everything changes. You want to be modest because God sent his son, Jesus, to die for your immodesty and especially because Jesus willingly died for it. When the gospel controls your modesty, you won’t see it as a way of putting God in your debt because you don’t need to twist God’s arm to accept you— he already accepts you freely and fully in Jesus Christ. This gives you both the ability and the desire to respond to him by joyfully being modest in appearance and character." (Loc. 447)

In the end, Challies and Glenn want the gospel to be the root from which modesty grows from. “Don’t see your immodesty as the root of the problem; see it as the fruit and go after the plant where you can do the most damage— the tangled roots of your idolatrous desires. (Loc. 834)

Conclusion

If I were to have written a book on modesty I would hope it would have been like this. Challies and Glenn have rightly taken the list of rules out of modesty and replaced them with the gospel. This is a book for both men and women because men struggle with modesty as much as women albeit in different ways. My only contention with the book is I think the authors have misunderstood Mark Driscoll and the discussion he tried to have with sex in his book (Loc. 572-98). Having read and reviewed the book myself, I don’t think he commits the error they think he does.

That difference aside, I would recommend Modest to anyone especially teens and their parents. The position offered by Challies and Glenn would help a lot of people be freed of the legalism and rules that have dominated the discussion on Christian modesty.

NOTE: Thanks for Cruciform Press for providing a ecopy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Edy Gies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit I went into this very skeptical. I've heard a vast number of lessons and sermons on modesty that left me cringing and angry. This book is so desperately needed in every ministry. They start with the gospel and the foundational importance of trusting in Christ. All actions and policies must come out of an understanding of the gospel. Throughout the book, they talk about culture and context but refuse to give a list of dos and don'ts as most modesty messages do. They also only address men when talking but clearly, the principles apply to women as well. I didn't see this as them ignoring women but avoiding being men telling women how to dress. They also called out some women for calling younger or pretty women for being immodest as acting out of jealousy instead of a Biblical desire for modesty. I was so encouraged and deeply appreciated the book.

My only pushback was at the end when they were talking about modest speech. I agree that talking about uncomfortable things for shock value is wrong but there are times when discussions must be had. I know people who have dealt with sexual abuse (not from within the church) who felt shamed by the church because no one would talk about it out of a sense of modesty. This is a very delicate conversation, but I think it is important to consider.

Overall, highly recommend.

[Robert Meredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

The problem with this book is that it was written in an absolutely hypocritical way. The guy was sleeping with his church secretary and writing a book on modesty? C'mon, seriously? This is a joke. How can you listen to anything that a man writes while he's banging his employee. You might say, oh this was outside that context. No it wasn't. His affair was long and hidden and deceptive while he wrote books and preached, even preached at Bethlehem Baptist, John Piper's church. Throw this book out with the bathwater.

[Kayla Uphoff]

Best resource on modesty I've read. Does an excellent job addressing the heart and motivations in how we dress and speak and act. Leaves room for culture, personal conviction, and maturity over time-- modesty is a conscience issue and a biblical command.

[Michael Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about modest that doesn't address what to wear. It needed to say much more.

[Dave Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Popular magazines, fashion and television glorify the “modern” woman as dressing in tight or form fitting clothing. The modern “woman” our culture teaches is be dressed in clothes that show off her body, and men are to do the same. In our culture there is a lot of confusion about what modesty is even in the church. Into this culture book authors Tim Challies and RW Glenn wrote Modest Men and Women Clothed in the Gospel to speak to this important issue.

When some read the title Modest they may immediately think this book is about clothing, but to do so is to miss the point of the book. This book isn’t about our clothes but about our hearts which gravitate towards sin. Modesty is an issue because we are sinners living in a sinful world where we make sinful choices about what we wear under the guise of attracting people towards ourselves. Modesty is an issue precisely at this point, because attracting people’s attending toward ourselves and away from God is not only wrong its idolatry.

The authors state that they wrote this book “not because we have a bone to pick with women or because bathing suits make us nervous but because we want to help men and women both discover the joy and freedom of gospel modesty in all of life” (7). The authors write because modesty “is neglected” (10). The focus of this book is on the fact that “Christian modesty must be rooted in the gospel of grace” (12). Along the way the authors confront legalism and modesty an issue that many struggle with. In confronting cultural issues the authors confront the culture head on with the Gospel challenging Christians that “when the gospel controls your modesty, you won’t see it as a way of putting God in your debt because you don’t need to twist God’s arm to accept you—he already accepts you freely and fully in Jesus Christ. This gives you both the ability and the desire to respond to him by joyfully being modest in appearance and character” (36).

Modest is an important book for readers to consider because it confronts an issue every Christian man and woman deals with everyday whether they are in a mall, at work, or in church. This book will help Christians to think through what a grace-centered approach to modesty is which is why I recommend Christians struggling with immodesty and those who think those who wear tight or form fitting clothing are second class people read this book. In this book Glenn and Challies help us avoid pitfalls related to modesty by focusing our attention on the life-giving and life-transforming grace of God that transforms not just what we wear, but also our hearts, and renews our minds so we can walk not in the flesh but in obedience to God and His Word.

Title: Modest: Men and Women Clothed in the Gospel

Author: RW Glenn and Tim Challies

Publisher: Cruciform Books (2012)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Cruciform Press book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Den Autoren ist es ein Anliegen, ihr Buch da anzusiedeln, wo Gnade und Tugend ihre Wege kreuzen. Sie wollen die Tugend der Bescheidenheit und des Anstands im Evangelium verwurzelt sehen und nicht in einer moralisierenden Gesetzlichkeit. Auch ist es ihnen wichtig, sie nicht nur zu einem Frauenthema zu machen oder allein auf die Kleidung zu beziehen und eine Liste von Regeln aufzustellen. Sie wollen an die Wurzel des Problems, das wir alle mit Anstand und Bescheidenheit haben. Und als diese Wurzel identifizieren sie unsere Neigung zum Götzendienst und geistlichen Ehebruch, d.h. dass wir etwas anderes statt oder neben Gott zum Gegenstand unsrer Zuneigung machen. Das ehebrecherische Herz glaubt Lügen und falschen Glücks-Versprechungen. Im Falle unbescheidenen Auftretens lassen wir uns meist von der Sehnsucht nach der Anerkennung anderer leiten.
Der Begriff "modesty" ist nicht ganz leicht zu übersetzen. Die zutreffendsten Vokabeln sind wohl Bescheidenheit und Sittsamkeit. Ebenso nicht ganz einfach ist die Definition. Die Autoren stellen fest, dass Sittsamkeit immer eine Frage des kuturellen Kontexts ist und von der jeweiligen Situation abhängt. Z.B. wird ein Badeanzug im Schwimmbad als anständig empfunden, so wird ihn doch niemand zum Bewerbungsgespräch anziehen. Schon von daher kann es keine Checkliste geben, was anstädig oder unanständig ist, sondern sind wir darauf angewiesen, Feingefühl für die Situationen zu entwickeln und unser Gewissen von Gott prägen zu lassen. Und eben wegen des Kultur-Faktors und unterschiedlicher menschlicher und geistlicher Reife warnen sie uns davor, die Herzensmotive anderer zu beurteilen.
An den Grenzen der Unbescheidenheit liegt das bewusst unmoralische Verhalten, das andere sexuell reizen will und die Lieblosigkeit, die findet, die Prüden sollten sich mal nicht so haben.
Die Autoren raten uns, die "Wurzeln auszugraben", um die eigenen Motive zu erkennen und vielleicht auch einen guten Freund /eine gute Freundin zu bitten, uns zu sagen, wie er/sie uns wahrnimmt.
In einem ausführlichen Anhang weisen sie noch mal auf die speziellen Gefahren männlicher Eitelkeit hin, weil man Probleme mit Bescheidenheit oft mehr den Frauen zuweist. Beide Geschlechter sind aber auf ihre Weise gefährdet.
Fazit: Ein hilfreiches Buch, eben weil es unter der Oberfläche des Verhaltens schürft. Es lässt sich schön zusammenfassen in einem der letzten Sätze: "Bescheidenes Verhalten ist ein Lebensstil des Dienens. Wir gehen aus dem Weg, damit andere Jesus sehen können."

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Modest" is a refreshing study on applying the Gospel to modesty. Instead of laying out legalistic rules or telling the reader that no rules or boundaries apply to modesty, the authors simply discuss what modesty means, how and why we are immodest, and discuss both legalism and Antinomianism. I was overjoyed to finally find a book on modesty that I could recommend because of the balance and truth filling its pages.

The authors state that they wrote this book "...because modesty is a neglected field of Christian study, because modesty is a pastoral concern, and most importantly, because we cannot let Christian modesty fall into moralism. It is and must remain one of the many outcroppings of the gospel of grace."

"Modesty, apart from the gospel, becomes a self-made religion that can give some appearance of being the genuine article but that is in the end of no value (none!) in our battle with the sinful and inordinate desires of our hearts. If we reduce modesty to certain rules of dress, we are completely separating the concept of modesty from the person and work of Jesus Christ. As a result, we may have the appearance of godliness, but not a whole lot more."

This short 85 page book is a power-packed, convicting heart checker. I found myself realizing wrong philosophies that I had allowed myself to believe. I think I'm fairly modest, in both dress and speech, but what motivates my modesty? Is it a heartfelt, grateful response to the work Jesus did for me on the cross? Or am I motivated by the fear of man, by pride, and by self-seeking worship?

"Modest" cuts through meaningless debates on "how short is too short, how tight is too tight" and others and breaks through to the heart of the matter. Whether you are "ultra conservative" in your dress, or fairly "liberal" in your dress, this book will search your heart and point you back to the person you should be dressing, speaking, and living for. If you want to be challenged in how you view the gospel of Christ in the little details of your life, I'd encourage you to read this book.

[Tim Woody · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Let's say that we could agree on a one-piece bathing suit as modest...Is this modest? Suppose you said yes. Very well, then, if you're a woman, wear your one-piece to church next Sunday...This illustration brings up one of the most difficult aspects of the subject of modesty- it seems largely like a contextual question."

Tim Challies and R W Glenn take a good crack at modesty in this modest book. They are able to breathe some fresh air into a room filled with misconceptions and misapplied scripture. They give good reflection to how modesty is not primarily about protecting men from looking at a women with lust. And I especially liked the section on what cultural context says about how we understand modesty.

Ultimately I felt that the book just didn't get down to the bottom of the issue. Their emphasis on the gospel, and a difficult position to not be legalistic left their points out in space to float around. They don't get down to real practical matters because they are afraid they will drive people into legalism.

While they do a great job about talking about how modesty takes some of its ques from the culture around us. But they never talk about how Christians should change culture. Maybe this is due to their pessimism of the Churches growth in history. Either way it left me asking what happens when Christians get to decide the cultural context?

Over all this book is great and I would recommend it to anyone working through the issue as a counter balance to those more practical books that like to talk about the what not to wears.

[Brian Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book suffers from false dichotomies. The authors wrongly conflate concrete applications of Scripture with Paul's warning in Colossians to beware of "self-made religion and asceticism." Thus if a father tells his children, "'only this low,' 'at least this long,' 'never in this combination,' and 'never so tight that ______ shows'" he is not necessarily replacing "the gospel . . . with regulations." He may simply be helping his son or daughter apply the Scripture to their lives in a concrete way. The same can be true of a local church or a Christian school. Such families, churches, and schools may be legalistic. They may think they're earning God's favor by adhering to their rules. They may look down on others who draw their guidelines differently. Or they may be a group of believers who really want to please God in all that they do—not to earn his favor but because they love their Savior and his church.
I enjoy Challies's blog and his other writings, and I understand the danger that they were trying to avoid. However, I think in this case they ended up with an over-correction.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a helpful little book about a subject that I haven't read much about. I like how the author's root modesty in the gospel, meaning it we don't earn any points or gain anything by our modesty or immodesty, that only comes through the cross of Christ and being justified by him. But grace also influences the way we live, making us to be a modest people.

It is a book that is addressed to both men and women (thankfully), and encompasses not just dress, but modesty in speech and behavior. The author's root immodesty in idolatry—a powerful punch indeed. There is also a helpful Appendix written specifically to men on how we can be more modest in our lives.

Written by two pastors, they definitely approach the subject from a pastoral perspective that is informed by the gospel.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modesty is more an issue of the heart than clothing, according to Challies and Glenn. The strength of their argument is their refusal to produce pharisaical lists of what Christians can wear, watch, and so on. While many gravitate to such guides, the legalistic tendency of self-made righteousness inherent in those lists often produces attitudes that can undermine the gospel. Though presented well, the book is very short and could have used a more thorough treatment.

[KC McCauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a refreshing perspective on modesty. Instead of looking at a list of rules, it analyzes the desires and intentions of the heart and how immodestly is ultimately rooted in idolatry and adultery. The authors paint a picture of modesty in light of the gospel, which refutes legalism and a license to sin. Also, there is a section on modesty for men, which is very helpful and informative. This book is a must read for a generation of immodest dressing and behavior.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked how the authors framed the issue, I liked their intended approach, and I think they did okay. However in the end it was just okay, I think we make way too much out of peripheral issues. I truly believe that if one is growing in the grace & knowledge of Christ this issue will be resolved. If it remains an issue it has more to do with the heart, in fact it has everything to do with the heart. The book does state that but I still say it was just okay.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok. I think their definition was too subjective (just as beauty has its objective basis in God so modesty has an objective basis in relation to God). They begin well with a lot of gospel framing, but I think the gospel dry wall is missing. A good working out of how the gospel, and our being clothed in Christ relates to modesty was mostly absent. A good start that petered out and failed to cross the finish line.

[Amy Lee Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars An interesting read that deals not just with the outward look of modesty, but also with the inward issues of the heart involved. I found it challenging even though I wished there had been more specific guidance. My complete review is at Making a Joyful Home: http://makingajoyfulhome.blogspot.com...

[Bob Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An attempt to give a biblical foundation of modesty without resorting to a legalistic list of dos and don'ts. Reasonably successful. Bases the concept of modesty on the gospel ��for God's honour, not for personal perfection. I felt like they came really close to accommodation of current culture, allowing culture to define standards of modesty.

[Davina Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book to remind us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and not focus on rules. I appreciated how the book was written for men and women and was challenging us not allow our hearts to make idols with our dress, behavior or speech. Overall encouraging and challenging read to become closer and more dependent on God. Our behavior etc will follow where our hearts and minds dwell.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two men provide an excellent analysis of modesty and the purpose that one must seek in serving God. Although I draw some conclusions slightly differently, the analysis and method are very good. The conclusions will help many form guidelines, not rules, for practical living.

[Victor Chininin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A short but not simplistic book on how the gospel affects modesty. It is not all about rules or complete freedom from rules but from whether or not your heart believes the gospel. A helpful corrective to "Modesty issues? Wear longer skirts" ideas of modesty. Very helpful.

[Beatrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book put the church discussion on modesty back where it belongs - and with no lists.

[Annie Jeshrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a good job on showing us modesty through the eyes of the gospel. Short read, but convicting and thought provoking.

[Jonathan Seger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful corrective to many legalistic & antinomian approaches to modesty.