This anthology is heartfelt and hard-hitting. It is not without bias, and in this case, that’s a good thing. The purpose of this collection is to be a light in the dark landscape of unwanted, unexpected, and difficult pregnancies. More than political rhetoric, it is a passionate and biblically based argument for the sanctity of life beginning at conception.
It’s also a collection of stories – some fiction and some nonfiction – poetry, and artwork. Each entry is no more than a few pages long and followed by a relevant Bible verse. The entries are at turns beautiful, gut-wrenching, encouraging, logical, and compassionate. There is no hated. Each piece is honest, even when it is painful, and leads to hope and life. The only negative I found is a piece that improperly handles the doctrine of original sin. I’ll leave that soapbox for another day.
It’s not my place to impose my conviction on anyone else, or expect anyone who is not a follower of Jesus to have the same morals. It is, however, every person’s place to speak for those who cannot and fight for justice and truth. This anthology does just that. I am so glad that this work exists and am happy to support the authors in their stand for life.
The Verdict
Image Bearers sets out to discuss and demonstrate the preciousness of every life with a foundation in the biblical concept of humanity being made in the image of God. The pieces are quick and easy to read in a single setting, but the topics they address and situations they detail run the gamut from exciting to heartbreaking. With a full span of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and artwork, there is sure to be something that will appeal to any reader looking for pro-life themes. Because of the subject matter, I recommend it to teens and up with a content note that should be rather obvious. Characters reference making poor decisions and endure the consequences of traumatic situations. The specifics are usually vague but include mentions of drugs, abuse, mental health struggles, and premarital sex. This probably isn’t a book that I will sit and read through entirely again, but I will likely pick it up from time to time to revisit some of the poems and possibly other pieces. Five stars, with an awareness of the context and purpose for which the collection was compiled.