Being Young: A Biblical Theology of Youth

by Paul G Kelly

“Long overdue, Paul Kelly asks a question that simultaneously embarrasses and heartens old-timers like Is there a theological framework about adolescence revealed in Scripture that ought to give shape to the way we practice youth ministry?”-Dave Rahn, from the forewordYouth live in the They’re no longer children but not exactly adults, growing through a God-designed season of life that is tumultuous, exciting, and essential. How can we best love, encourage, and challenge the young people in our lives, helping them live into their gifts and grow toward spiritual maturity? And where should we look for these answers?“The church has a need for a deeper understanding of the purpose of the teenage years. And our understanding of this time of life should be informed by our faith,” writes author and youth ministry professor Paul G. Kelly in this book of theology. “The Bible should guide our understanding of culture, not the other way around.”In these pages, Kelly combines careful research and practical takeaways, bringing readers along for a sweeping study of youth in the Old and New Testaments that results in a better understanding of the nature of youth. This book shows that young people today are much as they’ve always full of immense gifts, inherent weaknesses, and staggering potential. The stories of people like Mary, Joseph, Rebekah, and Rehoboam offer a collective wisdom, creating a picture of youth that applies just as much today as it did centuries ago.

162 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2021

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful—albeit brief—treatment of what the Bible says about youth and youthfulness. I really appreciated the biblical foundations and the theological framework that Kelly demonstrates here. His takeaways and practical applications in the final chapter are worth the price of the book itself. In short, Kelly proposes that biblically youths (teenagers and young people in our culture) should be viewed as adults-in-training, not children waiting to grow up.

[M.J.Swan]

It was a pretty good book. Had to read for class. I think it missed the mark in a few areas but overall it was pretty well done.