Protocol Matters: Cultivating Social Graces in Christian Homes and Schools: Cultivating Social Graces in Christian Homes and Schools

by Sandra Boswell

Etiquette and protocol are ways of showing Christian love and kindness in small ways. With an easy, engaging style and lots of helpful details, Sandra Boswell outlines the meaning and purpose of protocol education, and describes ways of practicing it. She draws on her experience from the successful Logos School protocol program to guide the reader through all the basic protocol topics table settings and foods, social skills, personal grooming, appropriate dress, and more. This book is a must-read for parents and teachers who wish to recover the social graces for the next generation of believers."

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Education

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2007

Reviews

[Abigail Danfora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! We read this last year in my Rhetoric II class. At first I was skeptical, but it turned out to be well worth it! From the title, it sounds like it's going to be a long drawn-out list of what to do and what not to do in following protocol, but it's actually very well-written and Boswell gives many practical examples of the principles she illustrates that help make it less formulaic and more interactive.

If you're like me and agree that manners and social graces are mostly lacking in today's world and that we should try to incorporate them into our lives as much as possible, this book is for you!

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read: Chapters 5-8

Helpful tips and rules. Not as concise or clearly and tightly-written as I would like. It could use more illustration and organization. Overall, a pretty useful book. Will weigh in this review as I read and compare other manner and etiquette books.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Protocol Matters is an excellent book on etiquette as a part of the Christian's life. It is an excellent resource for parents who want to teach their children how and why to show deference and respect to others, as well as for adults who want to learn themselves.

Protocol is not just about the stuffy "rules" of formal dining. Instead,
"Protocol training promotes the valuable character-building habits of self-control, humility, and thoughtfulness. Good training is practical, providing our children (and ourselves) with a working knowledge of how the Christian worldview applies to social actions, relationships, and culture." Protocol Matters explains how the rules of etiquette allow us to demonstrate God's love in a practical way. It also details what the rules of protocol are for different situations.

This is a great etiquette handbook covering protocol for many situations, ranging from casual to formal. It is thorough in detail, but written well enough to be accessible even to those without training in the social graces. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to improve their own social behavior, teach their children or students etiquette, or dig deeper into how etiquette is a practical application of love. I give this book 5 stars.

[Emily Woodham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fantastic! I though Sandra Boswell did an excellent job of laying out etiquette as a way of "showing love in the trifles" rather than in a bunch of dos and don'ts for putting on airs. I enjoy etiquette books as a way of looking at society, and this is among the best!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fabulous handbook. Wish I could live up to it.

[Natalya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good guide for etiquette. The author talked too much about the school where this is taught.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book on loving our neighbor and noble living.

[Hezekiah Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to protocol. Although it is not as extensive as book's like Emily Post, it still covers most of the basic etiquette that you will need. One of the major things that it does well is that it shows that etiquette is not only good to know, but it is one of a Christian's callings. We are called to love one another, and one of the ways that we do that is through etiquette.