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Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father
One of the ambitious dreams that Reclaiming Adoption and its authors share with the Apostle Paul is that when Christians hear the word “adoption,” they will think first about their adoption by God. As it now stands, Christians usually think first about the adoption of children. Reclaiming Adoption sets out to change this situation by providing breathtaking views of God’s love for and delight in His children—views that will free you to live boldly in this world from God’s acceptance, not in order to gain it. Reclaiming Adoption begins by examining Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son because it ultimately puts God the Father’s love on display—a love that embraces the younger son with uninhibited joy (Luke 15:20) and goes out to entreat the self-righteous older son to come join the celebration (Luke 15:28). Reclaiming Adoption believes that behind the Parable of the Prodigal Son(s) is Scripture’s teaching on adoption. The story of the Bible is that God the Father sent His only true and eternal Son on a mission, and that mission was to bring many wayward and rebellious sons home to glory (Hebrews 2:10), to adopt them into His family. That is the Story behind the story of the Prodigal Sons. That is the only story that gives our stories any meaning or significance. Dan Cruver and his co-authors are convinced that if Christians learn to first think about their adoption by God, and only then about the adoption of children, they will enjoy deeper communion with the God who is love, and experience greater missional engagement with the pain and suffering of this world. That's what this book is about. What the orphan, the stranger, and the marginalized in our world need most is churches that are filled with Christians who live daily in the reality of God’s delight in them. Reclaiming Adoption can transform the way you view and live in this world for the glory of God and the good of our world’s most needy.
114 pages, Paperback
First published December 9, 2010
14 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 17, 2022
Maybe 2 of the chapters were groundbreaking. Possibly the most impactful portion was Pipers adoption letter of his daughter at the end.
February 21, 2011
Fantastic book! What a joy to be reminded of the great truth that we are adopted children of God. And, what a great picture of that adoption of children is - this book made me so grateful for my own adoption through Christ, and for my two adopted children. It also encouraged me as we await our first foster care placement. A reminder to extend the gospel to these children, as Christ has done for me.
March 31, 2011
so excited about this book...with co-authors: John Piper, Scotty Smith, Richard D. Phillips, and Jason Kovacs.
will keep you posted!
will keep you posted!
April 20, 2014
Adoption is something near and dear to the heart of my wife and I given we are the adoptive parents of a 12 year old daughter. Thus, the range of emotions involved in adoption to include the personal expense, time, and effort that is part of the overall adoption process is something very familiar to our family. Many likely know someone who has adopted a child whether that is a child from the United States or a child from another country. Arguably, the biblical doctrine of adoption is something people are more unfamiliar with, something that is rather tragic considering the great doctrinal and relational ramifications involved with God adopting us as His children. In the book Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living Through the Rediscovery of Abba Father edited by Dan Cruver with contributions by John Piper, Scotty Smith, Richard Phillips, and Jason Kovacs, the authors seek to rectify this relative unfamiliarity with the doctrine of adoption, along the way helping the reader understand the nature of adoption by God and why it should reflect in how we live our lives missionally as believers.
Dan Cruver begins this excellent book by noting the importance of grasping adoption on both a vertical and horizontal level. Most understand what takes place on the horizontal level as that involves the adoption of a child into a new forever home with the adopted child receiving all of the rights and privileges that come with being a member of that family. Vertical adoption, as noted by Cruver, is “about the reconciliation of the rebellious…The gospel is joyful news because it speaks to us of the Father’s love that has come to us freely in Jesus Christ.”
Adoption also reveals to the believer the nature of the Trinity, another element of this doctrine likely overlooked by many. Cruver aptly states as beautiful as adoption is, “it is the Story of the Trinity behind it that gives God’s work of adoption its ultimate meaning, beauty, and significance.” In eternity past, the triune Godhead planned our adoption as sons of God. Furthermore, Cruver explains that it is out of the perfect love and communion found within the Godhead that makes adoption such a necessary component of God’s plan for His creation, specifically those He has called to be His own. Cruver brilliantly declares that “Through adoption God graciously brings us to participate in the reciprocal love that ever flows between the Father and His Son. Not only is this the very heart of adoption; it is also the very heart of the gospel.” Rooted in the good news of the saving message of God’s grace is the plan from eternity past for God to bring us vile sinners back into loving relationship with God.
Also vital to grasping the doctrine of adoption is looking at what it means to be united with Christ. When my wife and I adopted our daughter, her identify changed meaning that she now belongs to our family. Cruver identifies the Greek word used by the Apostle Paul for adoption as a “compound of the words for son and to place.” Thus, adoption is the placement of a son into a new family with a new sense of belonging or union to that family. Therefore, just as our daughter will begin to imitate us as her parents, being in Christ means as Cruzer rightly comments, “the imitation of Christ as we participate with him in his mission in the world.” Understanding adoption provides us the ability to better understand our relationship with Christ and what He has done for us at the cross.
Richard Phillips builds on this concept of relationship noting several privileges that come from being adopted to include the privilege of prayer, the privilege of provision, the privilege of discipline, and the privilege of inheritance. Phillips states that the privilege of prayer affords us the ability to “come to God the way a child goes to a loving father…God the Father longs for you to talk to him, and you have access to him in Jesus Christ.” The privilege of provision means that as our Father, God “takes upon himself the obligation of our care and provision in this life.” Phillips aptly states that as His adopted sons, we can place our full confidence in our Father in heaven to provide and care for our needs. Perhaps the overlooked privilege is that of discipline. Certainly a child will not view discipline as a privilege; however, Phillips reminds the reader that God disciplines those whom He loves. Finally, we have the privilege of inheritance, something Phillips describes as something of a now and not yet phenomenon stating “We will not experience all the blessings of adoption in this life, but we have our Father’s promise that we will enter into his glory.”
The chapter I personally enjoyed the most was by Scotty Smith as he truly drives home the practical aspect of adoption as it relates to our daily Christian walk. He begins his chapter with the declaration that “As with our justification, so with our adoption, God generously gives us a stunning status that has absolutely nothing to do with our effort, deserving, or feelings.” God redeemed us through the cross, something decided in eternity past. This knowledge should bring about in the life of the believer a sense of wonder and a longing to please the Father. Smith makes the marvelous statement that “Adoption is not just a great doctrine to be intellectually understood as part of a good systematic theology. It’s meant to rock our world, to move us to “palm up” adoration and worship of such a God who would love such a people like you and me. The objective reality of our adoption should generate within us an unspeakable joy – one that brings much glory to God.” I challenge you to read that statement everyday so as to grasp anew each morning what adoption is all about.
The final two chapters by Jason Kovacs and John Piper provide a challenge to the body of Christ to put adoption to practice on the horizontal level. Sadly, there are millions of orphaned and fatherless children around the world with estimates of over 130,000 in our own country waiting for a forever family. Kovacs asks the very pointed question, “in a country as wealthy as ours, why are there any waiting children?” For some, the issue may be funds; however, as Piper notes, God gave everything, even the very life of His only begotten Son to rescue us from sin and death. Adoption admittedly a very lengthy and hard process; however, God decided in eternity past a long time ago to go through what would be a difficult thing for Him, namely watching His Son die on the cross for our sins. Both Kovacs and Piper encourage and rightly so churches to partner with adoption and other agencies to give these children what they deserve, a loving and stable home filled with the love of God.
I very highly recommend this book to all believers, in particular those who have even noodled around the idea of adoption a child. I came away from reading this book challenged and better understanding what God did for His people by adopting us as His children. May those who read this book also come away challenged to not just understand the doctrine of adoption, but to understand the missional aspects of that doctrine in a world full of children and people who need to hear that God loves them and calls them His own.
Dan Cruver begins this excellent book by noting the importance of grasping adoption on both a vertical and horizontal level. Most understand what takes place on the horizontal level as that involves the adoption of a child into a new forever home with the adopted child receiving all of the rights and privileges that come with being a member of that family. Vertical adoption, as noted by Cruver, is “about the reconciliation of the rebellious…The gospel is joyful news because it speaks to us of the Father’s love that has come to us freely in Jesus Christ.”
Adoption also reveals to the believer the nature of the Trinity, another element of this doctrine likely overlooked by many. Cruver aptly states as beautiful as adoption is, “it is the Story of the Trinity behind it that gives God’s work of adoption its ultimate meaning, beauty, and significance.” In eternity past, the triune Godhead planned our adoption as sons of God. Furthermore, Cruver explains that it is out of the perfect love and communion found within the Godhead that makes adoption such a necessary component of God’s plan for His creation, specifically those He has called to be His own. Cruver brilliantly declares that “Through adoption God graciously brings us to participate in the reciprocal love that ever flows between the Father and His Son. Not only is this the very heart of adoption; it is also the very heart of the gospel.” Rooted in the good news of the saving message of God’s grace is the plan from eternity past for God to bring us vile sinners back into loving relationship with God.
Also vital to grasping the doctrine of adoption is looking at what it means to be united with Christ. When my wife and I adopted our daughter, her identify changed meaning that she now belongs to our family. Cruver identifies the Greek word used by the Apostle Paul for adoption as a “compound of the words for son and to place.” Thus, adoption is the placement of a son into a new family with a new sense of belonging or union to that family. Therefore, just as our daughter will begin to imitate us as her parents, being in Christ means as Cruzer rightly comments, “the imitation of Christ as we participate with him in his mission in the world.” Understanding adoption provides us the ability to better understand our relationship with Christ and what He has done for us at the cross.
Richard Phillips builds on this concept of relationship noting several privileges that come from being adopted to include the privilege of prayer, the privilege of provision, the privilege of discipline, and the privilege of inheritance. Phillips states that the privilege of prayer affords us the ability to “come to God the way a child goes to a loving father…God the Father longs for you to talk to him, and you have access to him in Jesus Christ.” The privilege of provision means that as our Father, God “takes upon himself the obligation of our care and provision in this life.” Phillips aptly states that as His adopted sons, we can place our full confidence in our Father in heaven to provide and care for our needs. Perhaps the overlooked privilege is that of discipline. Certainly a child will not view discipline as a privilege; however, Phillips reminds the reader that God disciplines those whom He loves. Finally, we have the privilege of inheritance, something Phillips describes as something of a now and not yet phenomenon stating “We will not experience all the blessings of adoption in this life, but we have our Father’s promise that we will enter into his glory.”
The chapter I personally enjoyed the most was by Scotty Smith as he truly drives home the practical aspect of adoption as it relates to our daily Christian walk. He begins his chapter with the declaration that “As with our justification, so with our adoption, God generously gives us a stunning status that has absolutely nothing to do with our effort, deserving, or feelings.” God redeemed us through the cross, something decided in eternity past. This knowledge should bring about in the life of the believer a sense of wonder and a longing to please the Father. Smith makes the marvelous statement that “Adoption is not just a great doctrine to be intellectually understood as part of a good systematic theology. It’s meant to rock our world, to move us to “palm up” adoration and worship of such a God who would love such a people like you and me. The objective reality of our adoption should generate within us an unspeakable joy – one that brings much glory to God.” I challenge you to read that statement everyday so as to grasp anew each morning what adoption is all about.
The final two chapters by Jason Kovacs and John Piper provide a challenge to the body of Christ to put adoption to practice on the horizontal level. Sadly, there are millions of orphaned and fatherless children around the world with estimates of over 130,000 in our own country waiting for a forever family. Kovacs asks the very pointed question, “in a country as wealthy as ours, why are there any waiting children?” For some, the issue may be funds; however, as Piper notes, God gave everything, even the very life of His only begotten Son to rescue us from sin and death. Adoption admittedly a very lengthy and hard process; however, God decided in eternity past a long time ago to go through what would be a difficult thing for Him, namely watching His Son die on the cross for our sins. Both Kovacs and Piper encourage and rightly so churches to partner with adoption and other agencies to give these children what they deserve, a loving and stable home filled with the love of God.
I very highly recommend this book to all believers, in particular those who have even noodled around the idea of adoption a child. I came away from reading this book challenged and better understanding what God did for His people by adopting us as His children. May those who read this book also come away challenged to not just understand the doctrine of adoption, but to understand the missional aspects of that doctrine in a world full of children and people who need to hear that God loves them and calls them His own.
April 13, 2023
This was a mixed bag. Several authors contributed and so it is difficult to be thorough with a review like this without addressing each contribution on their own merits. But I will say that Piper and Richard Phillips had the only 2 essays that I thought were helpful. This was supposed to be on the topic of adoption, both our adoption in Christ and the theological parallels with human adoption. The constant equating of Abba father with "daddy God" is overused, incorrect, cringe. Almost every author said this in their essay which probably made it worse.
July 16, 2020
An ok book but one I wouldn’t recommend. I enjoyed the last 2 chapters the most. I am trying to be fair because I really don’t read Reformed/Calvinists authors that much so I am probably judging the boom too harshly. But at the same time it is hard for me to determine who the book is for. I found it to be much to shallow and very repetitive. But I guess there is an audience for that.
January 3, 2019
Focuses on our adoption by God (vertical adoption). After fleshing out this doctrine and it’s relation to redemption, only then looks into how it shines light on human parents adopting children (horizontal adoption), an important but minor part of the book.
March 5, 2020
Short, but meaty. Perhaps the best treatment of the doctrine of vertical adoption I have ever come across and its implications within Christian living to take care of the poor through foster care and horizontal adoption.
January 20, 2019
Repetitititititive but is a good collection of essays.
June 29, 2020
Solid theological base for adoption and a good reminder that our love for the orphan and desire to take them in is rooted in our love for our father who first took us in.
October 30, 2020
It was OK—a book about the theology of adoption. Might revisit later and get more from it?
March 31, 2025
Five stars for theological solidness though the writing was a bit cumbersome and overly technical.
March 14, 2013
When folks ask me about books on adoption, they usually want an overview of the process, picking an agency, domestic vs. international, etc. I typically recommend Successful Adoptions for Christian Families by Natalie Gillespie for that but suggest they begin with Fields of the Fatherless by Tom Davis. I now need to recommend folks consider starting with this Reclaiming Adoption edited by Dan Cruver as well. Maybe a one two punch of Davis/Cruver or vice versa.
Back to Reclaiming Adoption. It's true, that when we speak of adoption, we automatically default to earthly adoption (horizontal) rather than thinking of eternal adoption (vertical). I would agree that our understanding, appreciation, and focus on vertical adoption are the best way to understand, appreciate and focus on horizontal adoption. We are born in a state of lostness with no home and no Father, but through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Father adopts us eternally and leaves behind our lostness. We are found. We are adopted. We have a Father.
Cruver correctly argues that the church has endured struggles over doctrines such as the Trinity or Justification and the doctrine of Adoption is worthy of struggling and "reclaiming." This book is worth your time whether you are involved in adoption or not and whether you are a Christian or not, remembering that "he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" - Eph.1:5.
Back to Reclaiming Adoption. It's true, that when we speak of adoption, we automatically default to earthly adoption (horizontal) rather than thinking of eternal adoption (vertical). I would agree that our understanding, appreciation, and focus on vertical adoption are the best way to understand, appreciate and focus on horizontal adoption. We are born in a state of lostness with no home and no Father, but through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Father adopts us eternally and leaves behind our lostness. We are found. We are adopted. We have a Father.
Cruver correctly argues that the church has endured struggles over doctrines such as the Trinity or Justification and the doctrine of Adoption is worthy of struggling and "reclaiming." This book is worth your time whether you are involved in adoption or not and whether you are a Christian or not, remembering that "he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will" - Eph.1:5.
January 17, 2014
I must begin by saying that this book is not primarily about people adopting children, it is primarily about the theological doctrine of adoption and its relation to other doctrines in Christian theology. It is, of course, presented as laying the foundation for "horizontal" adoption (actually adopting children), but that aspect is only rarely discussed.
J. I. Packer in Knowing God said, "Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption." -
Author Dan Cruver's Reclaiming Adoption affirms Packer's statement but goes on to show that not only our understanding of Christianity but also our individual and corporate practice of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of the biblical doctrine of adoption.
He unpacks the importance of the doctrine of adoption, he shows us just how much it impacts everything. As you read through this little book one wishes that the author’s had spent more time fleshing out some things.
I found the chapters entitled “Adoption of the Prodigals” & “Adoption & Our Union With Christ” to be thought provoking but also left me wanting to see these topics developed more fully 7 thoroughly.
J. I. Packer in Knowing God said, "Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption." -
Author Dan Cruver's Reclaiming Adoption affirms Packer's statement but goes on to show that not only our understanding of Christianity but also our individual and corporate practice of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of the biblical doctrine of adoption.
He unpacks the importance of the doctrine of adoption, he shows us just how much it impacts everything. As you read through this little book one wishes that the author’s had spent more time fleshing out some things.
I found the chapters entitled “Adoption of the Prodigals” & “Adoption & Our Union With Christ” to be thought provoking but also left me wanting to see these topics developed more fully 7 thoroughly.
August 17, 2011
If you have adopted or planning to adopt or even foster care, this book would be a great encouragement to you. If you have not or not planning, this book will encourage you and show you the greatness of your salvation. When redemption reaches its intended goal, the bible calls it adoption. The very act of adoption is a rescue. A church would do well on a teaching of adoption. I have belonged to several churches that embraced adoption and supported their members and when they did, the spirit moved. Adoption not only rescues, it breaks thru barriers that easily divide us. Adoption changes all those who are involved to their attitudes to how they do things. Adoption is a great show of unconditional, pure, love. In short, adoption is the Gospel. My favorite thing about the book was how the trinity fits so well in adoption and gives the reader some understanding of how the trinity works together. Because you will be convicted reading this, be prayerful as you read.
May 1, 2013
Super encouraging. I've realized that I want to learn more about the Trinity -- about the LOVE of God as Father (a totally unique concept in light of most world religions!). And about which JI Packer writes:
"You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator. In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one's holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all." (Knowing God, 182)
"You sum up the whole of New Testament teaching in a single phrase, if you speak of it as a revelation of the Fatherhood of the holy Creator. In the same way, you sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one's holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all." (Knowing God, 182)
January 13, 2011
Wow. Dan Cruver has assembled an amazing collection of authors who break down the glorious riches of adoption. Often thoughts of adoption only bring to mind images of new babies or kids in foster care; but the foundational image should be God's gracious work in adopting sinners as forgiven heirs of his kingdom. God's gracious adoption is central to the gospel and sets the believer free to experience a radical transformed life.
This is not a long book but it is packed with weighty truth that should be read by all believers. My prayer is that Christians continue to grasp the beauty of God's adoptive work and how it leads us to care for the orphans all around us.
Don't pass up this book...read it and then read it again. It will challenge you in ways you would never expect.
This is not a long book but it is packed with weighty truth that should be read by all believers. My prayer is that Christians continue to grasp the beauty of God's adoptive work and how it leads us to care for the orphans all around us.
Don't pass up this book...read it and then read it again. It will challenge you in ways you would never expect.
April 9, 2011
This book has important and insightful thoughts into the trinitarian nature of adoption and what it means for all christians. And some great quotes from Keller, Ferguson, Plantinga, Macdonald, Piper, and Torrance.
Quote:
"In grace God has moved outward in mission to bring us into his communion of love forever. You may not have thought about it this way, but God's missional movement into the world IS his adoptive plan at work."
The one down side is that the best essays are the first two or three; the rest are just variations or copies of those ones. But the first three are worth the price of admission. The world is about adoption. Pure and simple.
Quote:
"In grace God has moved outward in mission to bring us into his communion of love forever. You may not have thought about it this way, but God's missional movement into the world IS his adoptive plan at work."
The one down side is that the best essays are the first two or three; the rest are just variations or copies of those ones. But the first three are worth the price of admission. The world is about adoption. Pure and simple.
September 9, 2013
This book is a fantastic picture of the gospel through the perspective of horizontal adoption. A+++ It has been awhile since I have read a book that is so clear, so concise, so on point. This book is not hard to read, and yet it is not shallow, and worthy of multiple reads. There is a fantastic chapter on the Trinity in this book as well. This is going to be a book that I measure other "Christian" books by for some time to come.
December 30, 2013
Five authors swipe their brushes to collectively paint a canvas of adoption. They begin with God’s adoption of His children in Christ and then extend to our adoption of orphans. A proper understanding of God’s adoption, they argue, is necessary for seeing how our adoption of others is to play out. This is a poignant resource, full of gospel-centered truths and reminders for all of those who are considering adoption—and for those who should be.
September 24, 2013
I do wish that everybody in my church family to read this book. At first, I did struggle reading this until it clicks on with me. Thankful for this book. Great book to read. I also do wish that our Outreach team can do something to reach out to the orphan local even though who are age out to be adopted by law but never age out to be adopted into Christ's family.
February 28, 2011
Whenever people hear the word "adoption" they automatically think of people adopting children (the horizontal approach to adoption). This book takes a look at the most important approach to adoption....God adopting each of us (the vertical approach to adoption).
March 1, 2012
Received this as a gift - and it IS a gift - to the Church!
Adoption is central to understanding our relationship to God as Father and the template for our mission and engagement as families and a Church community towards the orphan, widow and maligned.
Adoption is central to understanding our relationship to God as Father and the template for our mission and engagement as families and a Church community towards the orphan, widow and maligned.
January 5, 2014
Very good book, but for a short read and eight small chapters, Dan Cruver is too much. May be a preference thing by me, but have read deep theological content presented better from other pastors and authors. Jason Kovacs' and John Piper's personal insight save the book...
February 21, 2011
I appreciate the constant pull of this book from the easy-to-understand horizontal adoption to the often ignored fact of our vertical adoption.
January 27, 2011
This is an outstanding little book on the topic of Adoption. Cruver's chapter, "Adoption and the Trinity," alone is worth the price of the book.
CB
CB
Want to read
March 16, 2011recommended by Westminster bookstore
September 24, 2015
Another winner from Cruciform press.
January 25, 2013
Loved this book! Especially chapters 5 and 8 - although all of it is great!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews