Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ

by D.A. Carson, Andrew David Naselli, J.D. Crowley

There is an increasing number of divisive issues in our world today, all of which require great discernment. Thankfully, God has given each of us a conscience to align our wills with his and help us make wise decisions. Examining all thirty New Testament passages that touch on the conscience, Andrew Naselli and J. D. Crowley help readers get to know their consciences—a largely neglected topic—and engage with other Christians who hold different convictions. Offering guiding principles and answering critical questions about how the conscience works and how to care for it, this book shows how the conscience impacts our approach to church unity, ministry, and more.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity, Audiobook, Faith

167 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2016

About the author

Donald A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been at Trinity since 1978. Carson came to Trinity from the faculty of Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he also served for two years as academic dean. He has served as assistant pastor and pastor and has done itinerant ministry in Canada and the United Kingdom. Carson received the Bachelor of Science in chemistry from McGill University, the Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto, and the Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from the University of Cambridge. Carson is an active guest lecturer in academic and church settings around the world. He has written or edited about sixty books. He is a founding member and currently president of The Gospel Coalition. Carson and his wife, Joy, reside in Libertyville, Illinois. They have two adult children.

Reviews

[Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, and I appreciated portions of this book; however, in the end, I determined that I disagree with the conclusion that it reaches. I contacted Dr. Naselli regarding my concern and appreciate the fact that he took time to respond to my note. However, neither his response nor my continued consideration has removed my concern.

The basic proposal of this book is that there are "matters of conscience" or "disputable matters" in which every believer should "calibrate their conscience", within the bounds of truth, to the culture, so that they might better reach that culture with the gospel. The book recommends that every believer perform "theological triage" to distinguish what is in fact a "matter of conscience." This triage should resolve each issue into one of three categories: 1. Those Essential to Christianity (I might describe this as the Gospel), 2.Those Reasonable Boundaries (denomination distinctive, polity, etc.), and 3. Disputable matters (one example being how Christians view the "Sabbath").
My concern with what is proposed is threefold.

First, I would contend that the Bible has truth to influence our practice in these "disputable areas." While people may disagree on the implications of that truth, and while it may not be perfectly clear, it is still not to be ignored. I believe that the authors would agree with this, but my concern is that someone reading this book would conclude that if it’s a matter of conscience, where there is not explicit clarity, then I am free to "calibrate my conscience" to the culture around me. For instance, the observing of one day out of seven (commonly referred to as the ‘Sabbath issue’), is foreign to most contemporary cultures. Sunday is just like Saturday for most people. However, the Bible roots this one-in-seven observance in creation, and John refers to the first day of the week as "the Lord's Day" in the book of Revelation. While we don't know what it is exactly, it is something, certainly more than our culture is observing. I'd argue that a "day" is also more than one-hour from 11-12 on Sunday, but I digress. So, while this is a ‘disputable area’, it is not something that is to be ignored simply because that is what our culture does.

Second, the Bible warns us that all that is in the world (1 John 2:16) is corrupt. Our hearts are deceitful as well. Using the culture to calibrate the conscience just does not seem to reconcile to that truth. I agree that Peter was instructed by God to change his dietary practices so that he could reach Cornelius and his family (Acts 11). However, Peter had explicit instruction that the ceremonial law was not binding. He was not responding to the culture; he was responding to the revelation of truth. The Scriptures are the basis for our faith and practice, and they are sufficient, right? While there are some amoral things in our culture, there are far fewer than contemporary evangelicalism seems to be promoting. Music style was another issue raised, yet nobody really believes music to be amoral. Difficult to define, certainly. Yet it should be influenced by that which is good, and righteous, and holy if it is to bring glory to God.

Third. After making this basic point regarding the need to calibrate the conscience, the authors go on to make application to missions. One point regards how varying cultures view women's dress differently. In one culture having the hair uncovered is immodest, in another having the thighs uncovered is immodest, and in another having the chest uncovered is immodest. While I accept the point that Christians need to be sensitive to foreign cultures so as to not project unintended messages, I think this point goes further than intended. If modesty is defined differently by varying cultures, then is its definition flexible within a changing culture? In times past the limitation of mixed-swimming was the norm in many conservative circles. Such limitations now are viewed as prehistoric, and mocked. Now our culture is telling us that girls shouldn't be troubled with a transgendered individual sharing the same changing area. While modesty is undoubtedly difficult to define, my point is that the culture certainly doesn't seem to be the proper basis for that definition. And rather than encouraging erring toward being culturally relevant, we would be wise to favor God rather than man.

It is true that we are no longer under law; we are under grace. But grace does not give us license to live and look like the world around us. Grace permits us to live holy, righteously, and godly in this present world.

[Josh Roland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that makes me wish there were either 6 stars or that I had been more restrictive in giving out 5 stars. I cannot over emphasize the value of this little book. It was quite helpful! The conscience and Christian freedom is so often misunderstood from both conservative and “liberal” angles. This will be a book I highly recommend and will read several times. Thank you for your valuable insight and practical advice.

[Luke Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

If books could be taken like medicine, I would prescribe this book to every believer I know. Of course, books do not magically cure us. But I wish they could. Most of the conflicts and disagreements in our church would fizzle out very quickly if everyone just understood the truth in this short book.

This books is written to help Christians work through what we call disputable matters or matters of conscience (the theological triage in chapter 5 should help you identify what should be filed in this folder). In this areas, we do not have clear answers from the Bible about what every Christian should do or believe. Unfortunately, we all have the tendency to conflate what we think and feel with what God actually said, so we are left with this challenging task - applying the Scriptures as the final authority for our lives AND obeying Christ's command to pursue unity with believes who differ with us on how it applies.

The easy route, of course, is simply to hop from church to church until you finally conclude that you have been led to start a home church with your family. But even then, unity is not automatic. Just wait until the kids turn 18. So that's one route. The other route is laid out for you in this book.

This book carefully and thoroughly unpacks all of the texts that deal with a Christian's conscience. Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 are especially highlighted in this book, which was refreshing, because those passages are frequently hijacked by legalists who twist the passage to mean the exact opposite of what it says.

To illustrate the types of disagreements that arise between believers, the authors referenced many examples - modesty, entertainment, music, etc. But the scope of the book did not allow for a thorough defense of the positions they were taking on those issues. So if you miss what they unpack in the early chapters of the book, you're probably going to be offended by something they say in the later chapters. As evidenced by some of the reviews below, preferences and opinions die very slow deaths. Don't worry, though. If you don't like the book, you can just hop to another one. Good news. Switching books is even easier than switching churches.

[Ben Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already shaping up to be one of the more influential books for me this year I'd imagine. Mainly because I have never come to realize how chock-full the Bible is on direct references to "conscience" or clear "conscience themes". I have grown up using/hearing other terms, and almost thought this understanding of "conscience" as synonymous with the guiding of the Holy Spirit. It is certainly not unconnected, but conscience itself is a specific gift of grace that has been given and comes with the God-given exhortation to be cultivated and grown.

The most helpful portion of this book for me was the chapter that listed every reference to conscience in the Scriptures alongside a brief summary of the context in each case. Super eye-opening. If I want to be nit-picky, the dual-authorship showed its rough edges a few times with overlapping examples or illustrations between the two that were a bit distracting, but over all a solid book that has impacted me for the better.

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work is relatively short and fairly easy to digest. This is easily the type of book that could descend into an argument over alcohol, music, dress, you name it, but the authors avoid this nicely by engaging briefly, then moving on. The first few chapters are fairly straightforward, but the authors saved their best for last in discussing how to love other believers with differing consciences and applying those principles in multicultural contexts (thank you J.D. Crowley!). The text repeatedly engages and analyses Scripture and clearly instructs the reader to elevate God above what we might consider our own good conscience (see Peter and Paul) all while exhorting us to cultivate our consciences by humbly asking God "what needs to go, what needs to stay, and what needs to be added."

The only thing that made me cringe was the quoting of John MacArthur on matters of the conscience, but I don't think that ruins the book. I found myself thinking, "There are so many people I know who needs to read this!" But that just reinforces the need for me to be gracious to those around me and to work on myself so much more. Nicely done, and glad I read it.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic food for thought and careful reflection throughout this book. As a cross-cultural worker, chapter 6 about relating to people from other cultures when our consciences disagree was especially convicting to me and worthy of further study.

“Christian liberty is not about you and your freedom to do what you want to do. It’s all about the freedom to discipline yourself to be flexible for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of weaker believers.” p. 132

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I was introduced to this book was as pivotal as the book itself. I was at a youth retreat with my daughter, and the speaker was about to say some convicting stuff to help the teens see the need for repentance. But he made a brief aside that went something like this: "Many people have a deadened conscience, but there are those who have a hyperactive, inflamed conscience, who feel guilty all the time for stuff they don't need to feel guilty about. To those people: This next part does not apply to you. But for you, read the book Conscience by Andrew Naselli."

I am infamous among my friends and nuclear family for constantly feeling guilty. I obeyed the speaker, buying the book at the church bookstore the very next day--or, trying to buy it, when a member of my church bought it for me instead. That same morning, the Scripture reading in our church was, "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience" (Heb. 10:22). All this together felt like God's confirmation: "Yes, I want you to know this." After all, He did not deliver me from the guilt of my sin...so that I could proceed to feel guilty all the time.

So much of the heart work that this book had to offer was already done by the supernatural conglomeration of "ordinary" events. I walked through the next week with a new spring in my step, and I've been enjoying the gift of the possibility of a clean conscience ever since.

But that's not all Conscience has to offer. It also has a chapter on how to handle differing consciences between Christians, which my church actually copied and handed out during Covid. Like all of the book, it is clearly explained from Scripture.

Everyone falls into one or the other category: a deadened conscience or an inflamed conscience. Sometimes we're inflamed on one issue and deadened on another. Regardless, the conscience is a neglected area of much Christian teaching, and this was a wonderful, game-changing introduction. I'm so glad I now have the categories this book has given me. It will make me a wiser friend and a better handler of my own thoughts.

[Brian Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Every Christian should read this book on Christian liberty. I read it with my pastor in Brazil.

[Michael Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the teaching on conscience in the Bible and how to apply that teaching. Most of the examples deal with the "weaker and stronger conscience" issue. I would have liked more on the "searing of the conscience" passages and what the consequences are to such searing.

[Tori Samar · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are enough points in this book I agree with, that I'm considering my 2 stars to be more like 2.5. But the book's overall approach didn't sit well with me.

As always, when I give a book a low rating, I like to begin with the good:
-I’m pleased that the authors devoted an entire chapter to defining conscience. They understand the need in good writing to define key terms: “People often disagree on a given topic because they are talking past each other at the basic level of definition. They are defining key terms differently. That’s why it’s so important to define terms when you’re studying and discussing a subject.” I agree wholeheartedly. And because they took time to define their key term, conscience, I as the reader was able to understand and evaluate their message.
-I was encouraged by the hope offered in chapter 3 about what to do when your conscience condemns you. For the unbeliever who carries immeasurable sin and guilt in his life, the gospel offers the hope that for those who place faith in Christ, “God forgives and covers all their sin, and he never counts that sin against them for all eternity because he counted that sin against Christ instead.” And for the Christian overwhelmed by guilt every time he falls back into sin, he can count on the faithfulness and justice of God seen in 1 John 1. Because Jesus Christ has already propitiated God for us on the cross, God will be faithful and just in forgiving us when we confess to Him. He will not make us pay for sin that Christ already paid for!
-I appreciate that this book made me examine how society and culture add rules to our consciences. It’s quite true that many of us hold personal standards that are rooted in where we live rather than what the Bible says. I have no doubt that I have some standards living in my conscience that are more American than Christian. And I agree that this awareness is important for effective missions and evangelism. I don’t ever want to be guilty of promoting ‘the gospel + the American way.’
-I appreciate the reminder that spiritual liberty is not something to flaunt in the face of weaker believers. In imitation of our Savior, who took on the form of a servant, we are called to restrain our liberty out of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

But now onto my concerns with this book, the primary one relating to this set of statements from the authors: “[W]e believe that you should generally always follow your conscience. . . . God didn’t give you a conscience so that you would disregard it or distrust it. . . . As a general rule, you should assume that your conscience is reliable, even if it isn’t perfect.” Sorry, but I’m wary of this assumption that conscience is usually reliable. When we were born, our consciences didn’t somehow escape the reaches of sin. As sinners, our capacity for judging right and wrong is twisted. Just look at what’s going on in the world today, and you’ll see how many people sincerely believe good things to be evil and evil things to be good. Even for the Christian who is being sanctified, we’re still battling those sin effects. Yes, I understand the need to refrain from doing certain things so that you don’t sin against your conscience. I understand that, even for unbelievers, the conscience can send warning signals when sin has been committed. But what if you mistakenly do something because you think it’s right (i.e., you have a clear conscience on the matter), but it’s actually displeasing to God? Then you’ve also sinned. So no, even as a Christian, I’m not yet ready to assume my conscience is reliable.

But here’s what I am confident in: God’s Word. Now, at this point, I must mention that the authors said more than once that we shouldn’t obey our conscience when it contradicts God’s will (and His will is found in His Word). Rather, we should calibrate it to match His will. But even keeping that good principle in mind, I don’t think this book emphasizes the primacy of God’s Word over and above conscience enough. Twice, the authors describe the conscience as our compass. I disagree. God’s Word is our compass. Psalm 119 says that the Word is a lamp to our feet and light to our path. Not the conscience. There’s an old hymn that expresses this idea memorably: “Thy Word is like a starry host—a thousand rays of light / Are seen to guide the traveler, and make his pathway bright. / Thy Word is like an armory where soldiers may repair / And find, for life’s long battle-day, all needful weapons there.” Maybe this seems like I’m just parsing words. But there’s a subtle, yet important, distinction here in my opinion. I don’t want to have the mindset of obeying a conscience that’s only usually reliable. I don’t want to live by the precept “You should generally always follow your conscience.” I want to have the mindset of obeying the Word that’s always reliable. I want to live by the precept “You should always, always follow God’s Word.” Therefore, if my conscience pricks and prods me about anything, I’m not going to assume it’s right and follow. I’m going to turn to the Word and check whether my conscience is pushing me in a biblical direction. I want my moral compass to be external to me, given infallibly by God. Not internal to me, still subject to lingering sin.

I also think the authors neglect to demonstrate how the Bible can really help us work through disputable matters (also called matters of indifference or conscience; these are different from matters that are central to the Christian faith—like the deity of Christ or His resurrection—or matters that establish boundaries between Christians—like denominations). Examples included in the book were getting tattoos, listening to contemporary music styles, celebrating Halloween, eating out on Sundays, etc. I think the Bible has more to say about disputable matters than we give it credit for. Where an explicit command for a disputable matter does not exist, other commands and principles do (love God with all you are, love your neighbor as yourself, do all to the glory of God, “all things are lawful” but not all things are helpful or build up, etc.). These biblical truths can and should greatly influence our thinking in disputable matters. God hasn’t left us to wander around in the dark and hope we’re doing His will. He’s given us His all-sufficient Word (and the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth)!

My final major criticism is with the position the authors (who approach this topic from an evangelical perspective) take as "strong conscience" believers. First of all, let me include their description of strong-conscience vs. weak-conscience believers (this will become very important in a moment): "the position that the 'strong' hold is theologically informed, and the position that the 'weak' hold is theologically uninformed but not heretical." In the chapter on calibrating the conscience, the authors mention a few areas in which believers could subtract rules from their conscience, areas such as getting tattoos and listening to certain music styles (I'm just going to assume that anyone reading this review knows what kind of music styles Christians generally debate about). In other words, the authors believe that Christians have the freedom to get tattoos and listen to the music style of their choice (though Christians may not exercise these freedoms out of love for other believers and for the sake of spreading the gospel more effectively). Now, I mean this with all due respect, but what makes the authors so sure that they hold the "theologically informed" positions in these 'disputable matters'? Regarding music at least, I know (and know of) many believers who have diligently studied the Scriptures and considered issues of aesthetics, holiness, worldliness, associations, worship, etc. And after all that study, they have still chosen to take the more conservative/fundamentalist/traditional position. So is it really fair of the authors to imply that these people are actually just weak-conscience, "theologically uninformed" believers? Who's actually right? I think the authors are more convinced than they should be that they've figured things out.

I am thankful for the way this book made me think. I just wish I could support more of its approach!

[rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Naselli and Crowley do a good job of defining exactly what one’s conscience is, which may be an unfamiliar concept as I haven’t heard very many messages preached on this topic. They also provide charts/graphics for those with a more logical mindset and analogies for those with a…less logical mindset. Creative/emotional people like me. Also, it's a fast read!

I changed my rating to 4 stars because the explanation under 1 Corinthians 10:28-29 in Chapter 2 was vague and confusing. We had a hard time discussing his question in our discussion group, although I'm not sure how this was intended to be read, since the blurbs under each verse listed were fairly brief.

The focus is on the Gospel pretty early on (Chapter 3). I’d never recommend a Christian book that did NOT mention the Gospel. Also, the authors delve into Christ’s example of humility in Chapter 6, which gives food for thought to those who think of Christ as “counter-cultural” or a “revolutionary.”

Especially loved Chapter 3 about what we should do when our conscience condemns us. I was encouraged by the graphic on page 48 that poses the cross as the bridge sealing the gap between our obedience to God’s laws and what those laws actually are.

My biggest takeaway is to keep things in perspective in regards to the three levels of importance: 1) theological issues that are core to our faith (the Gospel, the Trinity, etc), 2) important issues that a church denomination should generally agree on to prevent division, and 3) more trivial issues. No two human beings have exactly the same conscience, even a married couple who is considered one flesh. It’s helpful to keep these things in mind as we’re in a time where our current issues have a large capacity to cause division in our churches and relationships. It’s important to remember that the Gospel is the most important unifying factor and to love others by giving them the benefit of the doubt on tertiary issues. You can disagree on tertiary issues while agreeing that your purpose is to glorify God.

[Kevin Halloran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biblical, clear, and insightful. As the authors promise from the outset, reading this book is a "buy one, get ten free" offer because the topic of conscience touches on so many other issues like "salvation, progressive sanctification, church unity, evangelism, missions, and apologetics" (15). I found myself reflecting on dozens of past experiences with greater clarity after reading. Every Christian would benefit from reading this, and it should be required reading for pastors, elders, and missionaries.

[Philip Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello hello hello.

Ahoy to my first mate Fraser.

Ahoy to the cook Jethro.

Pretty good book. The lads unpack Scripture's teaching around conscience as a fallible yet essential and God given gift that must be both trained and listened to in order to live morally. Some good thoughts around the difference between searing and ignoring your conscience, and altering it because you are convinced it is not right on a particular issue. Some good thoughts also around how culture and location can impact conscience differently, and the need to show some critical reflection on the origin of certain aspects of your own conscience. The guys spend some time unpacking things that they believe ought to be either areas of Christian freedom or non negotiable Christian morality. They deliberately don't unpack how they reach these conclusions beyond a surface level explanation, which I think will lead any morally reflective person wanting more. I found myself stricter than them at certain points, and looser at certain points, so would have loved a bit more detail there.

[Billy Osei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Learning how to love others who think and believe different from me is a good resource. Understood more what Christian liberty is all about... it's not about me 😜

Amateur review: lots of repetition. Felt like I was reading the same thing alot (which should make things easier to remember) just thought it was excessive- and would strongly recommend the book over the audio. Unless you want to hear the word conscience repeated often, lol.

[Kristopher Schaal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have profited so much from this book! It has really helped influence how I think about "Christian liberty issues." I recommend it highly, have taught it to our church, and we now carry it in our bookstore.

Reading it through a second full time 5 years later, I have two minor critiques.

1) I wish the authors would have clarified that the person with the stricter conscience is not always the "weaker brother." They assume as much by stating multiple times that we all need to be continually adding to our consciences in some areas and subtracting from it in others. However, the reason Paul calls one group "weaker" is because they are weak in faith. Therefore, to automatically label the person with the stricter conscience the weaker brother is to beg the question of whether he is right or wrong on that point. I wish that the authors would have stated the possibility that the person who thinks he is the "stronger brother" might also just be worldly in that particular area.

2) I wish the authors would have given slightly more weight to contextual factors in deciding not just conscience but whether something is actually right or wrong. Is it possible for something to be right in one context but wrong in another? The authors seems to imply "yes." However, their discussion of "God's will" or "right and wrong" seems to focus on what is intrinsically right or wrong. For instance, "wisdom" issues are secondary. But at what point is it a sin for me to act unwisely? I still think it is very important to distinguish between intrinsic right/wrong and what might be wrong because it's unwise or because of contextual factors, but I would still love to see those questions clarified.

On the other hand, I am extremely thankful that this is a short book. This makes it much more useful pastorally. And I know it is probably impossible to cover the issues with the kind of clarity I might desire in less than 150 pages.

Thankful for the ministry of this book!

[Jessica Welsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heads up! This book is available for free through the Hoopla app if you have a library card. It was a quick four hour listen and I loved every bit of it. Our pastor encouraged this read during 1 Timothy and I’m so glad! I learned so much about how to train my conscience to be strong in matters of utmost important through theological triage (read to learn more!) and how to love my neighbor who may have a weaker conscience. It was also humbling to read that the weaker conscience brother or sister is no less loved by Christ, and the stronger conscience brother or sister is no more “accepted” because of it. This is what enables us to love those different than us. One of the greatest strengths of this book I think was the direct application between our conscience and missions. As the authors explored this relationship I had a lot of “Why didn’t I see this before?!” moments. Our ability to love other Christians and preach the Gospel to our unbelieving friends and neighbors is directly impacted by the way we train our consciences, or the ways we fail them.

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conscience might be one of the most underemphasized topics in the church today. This is an excellent primer, filled with evenhanded biblical engagement as well as pastoral and missions-minded applications.

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear and practical, great for any believer!

I think a great follow-up read would be Finding the Right Hills to Die On by Ortlund, this gives more practical help when diving into differing with other believers on matters of doctrine and even conscience and how to work through those.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book on the subject. I had a couple of points that I'm not sure I agree with, but for the most part, I think this book is spot on. I think this book could really be a great tool for helping people within the church on opposite sides of an issue get along without compromising what they believe.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

In writing this book, Naselli and Crowley aim to help readers get to know their conscience better and to put conscience on their daily radar (15). Their purpose is “not to referee controversies” nor to provide “an exhaustive theology of conscience” (17). They just want to provide a quick introduction to the topic and offer some practical advice to help Christian disciples.
They define conscience as a human capacity, a priceless gift from God, that shines “the spotlight of your moral judgment back on yourself, your thoughts, and your actions” (23). It was designed to reflect God’s will, though it never does perfectly in sinners (27). From the first chapter, they offer two guiding principles with regards to the conscience: it should only be submitted to God and it should always be obeyed (30).
As they turn to the Scripture, the next chapter does a word study on “conscience” in the New Testament. This approach is not necessarily wrong, but it is insufficient if we know what the whole Bible teaches. Are there no Old Testament texts that teach us about the conscience? Psalm 50 or the story of Joseph come to mind. At the same time, in a short book like this, it can be understood why they turned to passages where the conscience is explicitly invoked.
One helpful observation that the authors bring out of 1 Timothy 1:19, “… holding faith and a good conscience,” is that “there is a connection between a bad conscience and apostasy” (37). You need a good conscience in order to have good doctrine. Surveying thirty texts, the authors bring out categorize the positive and negative ways the New Testament speaks of the conscience. They summarize the functions of the conscience and then proceed to define it.
“Conscience is your consciousness of what you believe is right and wrong” (42). The helpful part of this definition is that it clearly paints the conscience in moral terms. Conscience has to do with the moral law. However, it lacks the divine orientation present in earlier theologians (see William Ames), where within the very definition of the conscience the law of God is brought forth.
The authors proceed by giving advice to those whose consciences condemn them, in the next chapter. Forgiveness and a clean conscience can be found only in Jesus Christ, to him all troubles of the conscience should be brought and in him resolved. But what about the troubles of the conscience that bother Christians? Naselli and Crowley helpfully point out that increasing Christlikeness in a believer will necessarily bring more awareness of sin. A Christian’s growth in knowledge of his own sinfulness will always outpace his growth in conquering and killing that sin. Therefore, the gospel is not only the “entry door” for the lost into the Christian life, but the bread and butter of every day life for the saints.
The authors emphasize that the conscience can and should be calibrated (30, 55). God alone is the Lord of the conscience and we have his Word by which we are to be guided. We should not confuse the opinions of man, even good opinions, with the words of God. “You must take the time and effort - the due process - to calibrate your conscience by educating your conscience with truth” (81).
The second part of the book deals with the question of interacting with the consciences of other people. Both authors share their experiences in different Christian circles where consciences differed on certain issues. There are certain matters on which a disagreement can create a critical breach, essential doctrines of the gospel and of our faith, but there are also matters of applying the Scriptures where we should learn to live with differences (87). If we are dealing with a Christian who disagrees with us on tertiary matters, our first reaction should not be to correct them but to love them. Paul sought to be “all things to all people.” The book focuses largely on Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8-10 as the key texts that should lead Christians into friendly and brotherly disagreements, seeking to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Naselli and Crowley encourage readers to assume the best of their brothers and sisters, whether they be across theological camps or cultures. We see that the apostle Paul “assumes that both sides are exercising their freedoms or restrictions fo the glory of God” in the divergent opinions of Romans 14 (106). The authors apply Paul’s advice to be willing to give up certain things that are allowed, for the sake of building up another in Christ. We should not be condescending towards those with whom we disagree. “If God himself allows his people to hold different opinions on third-level matters, should you force everyone to agree with you?” (100) At the same time, the authors recognize that we will face “controlling Christians who want to force their scruples on everyone else” (103).
Love and wisdom are required in issues of conscience. “We must never allow the conscience of others to determine our own conscience. But we must always consider the conscience of others when we determine our own actions” (111).

[Jasey Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Loved how it got me thinking about my conscience and a good reminder that it’s okay to not have the same convictions as other believers. Although they layer a solid foundation, the first 4 chapters we really repetitive. The last chapter was where all the good stuff is at!

[Jordan Southerland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible resource on the conscience and Christian liberty. Influenced me a lot and will be taking a lot of things away from it. Will most likely use as a resource in the future.

[Meghan John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Christian would do well to read this.

[Becca Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. Would recommend to any fellow believer- I think the church would be a more unified, uplifting place if everybody read this book!

[Ryan Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book almost two weeks ago, but simply haven't reviewed it yet. But I mention this because this is a book which has come into my mind almost daily over and over in these last couple weeks—and I think that's very unique. Long story short, their treatment on the conscience is great, and especially helpful is their applicable points how to use your conscience to love others and further the cause of the gospel.

The whole book is worth it even just for the first chapter. In this chapter, they explain what the conscience is and how it is a gift from God. It truly is very helpful. And it is uniquely clear on a topic that is evidently biblical, but often dismissed (or just quickly 'explained').

Then the rest of the book they dig into differences between people's consciences, and how to love those who differ from you in their consciences. Much more could be said here, but this was by far the most practical part of this book—and this is why I've been thinking about this book a lot. They convicted me and educated me about how to love people well with your conscience, and how to obey 1 Corinthians 9 and do everything with your conscience for the furthering of the gospel. Again, more could be said, but I recommend this book for this too.

In short, I was tempted to rate this book only 4 stars because some of the detail wasn't too unique. But I'm glad I waited two weeks to review it. I read a lot of books which I finish and then don't think about. But their thoughtful, practical advice—often based on mission work from around the world—is more precious than I at first appreciated.

I do wish a longer treatment on the conscience was available. (And maybe that will be written by Naselli soon!) But this book is a great conscience, thoughtful, and practical work. Definitely worth reading, and then acting upon what you learn.

[Adam Solorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this short book. It’s not a thorough treatment of the conscience but it’s close. A terrific introduction to a Biblical framework or conscience and the inner man. Packed with insights, corrections, and deeply necessary Bible teaching. It should be required reading for ministerial training. I’d very much recommend reading. Also, Naselli is quickly becoming one of my favorite commentators and teachers.

[Rick Dobrowolski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing

This book was very thought-provoking and engaging of Scripture. I appreciated some of the challenges to my conscience. It’s a short and quick book, but one that must be interacted with more in the future. I especially appreciated the categories of areas of the conscience that were presented towards the end of the book.

[Matthew Sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sheds much-needed light on an aspect of our humanity about which, to our detriment, we think so rarely of: our conscience. Quite unlike anything else I’ve ever read. Thoroughly biblical and practical. Easy and delightful to read. Informs well our horizontal relationships, and ties our conscience to Scripture. Exposes our libertine and legalist idolatries. Add this to your reading list.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me think and rethink more than possibly any other book I’ve read. It really challenged some of the things I’ve been brought up with and made me think differently about the conscience, what it is, and how it works. My viewpoint has definitely shifted after reading this book.

[Brian Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful book. Very organized and clear. Helpful charts and diagrams. Particularly helpful for missionaries or cross-cultural workers. Could have been improved by exploring more deeply when and how to help others "calibrate their conscience".