Abstract
Anne Richards, Children in the Bible: A Fresh Approach, SPCK: London, 2013; 146 pp.: 9780281066889, £12.99 (pbk)
Children in the Bible offers a resource for conservative Christians interested in children in the Bible as well as today. The book is easily readable, although the unsuspecting reader will be surprised by its political agenda. The misleading title was probably supplied by the publisher for maximum marketability. A more appropriate title would be ‘God’s Care for Embryos, Fetuses, and Children in the Bible and the Modern World: One Christian Perspective’.
In addition to the requisite introduction and conclusion (‘Final Reflections’), the book contains five chapters and two brief appendices. Each chapter’s title expresses a view that God has about children, according to the author: ‘God finds children worthy of calling’, ‘God finds children worthy of life and salvation’, ‘God finds children worthy of commission’, ‘God finds children worthy of healing’ and ‘God finds children worthy of blessing’. Chapter titles are also paired with a theme word: ‘Be … ’, ‘Grow … ’, ‘Act … ’, ‘Whole … ’ and ‘Grace … ’ The author suggests that these terms ‘represent the God-language manifested to us by and through children’ (p. xi), although what she means by that is not entirely clear. Each chapter combines discussion of biblical passages that either contain children or relate to children (in the author’s view), along with shared anecdotes and reflections. The close of each chapter provides a few questions for discussion and an activity, although these often seem like an afterthought.
The book has distinct strengths and weaknesses. The writing is lively and engaging. The author is passionately committed to her subject and seeks to alleviate the plight of many children around the world in ways that she hopes will be effective. All of this is very laudable.
The problem is Richards’s confidence in speaking for God. This always makes me nervous because when people speak for God, God agrees with them one hundred per cent. (It’s the most amazing coincidence.) Richards is anti-abortion and so (according to her) God is also. For example, her assertion that ‘if an unborn child has recognized Jesus, if the leaping the womb is a “Yes! I am here”, then as far as I am concerned the new or unborn child who has died can meet God face to face’ (p. 15) will please conservative Christians and make other readers cringe. Richards’s anti-abortion agenda emerges in the first chapter and continues relentlessly through the first half of the book, easing up in the latter half.
The appendix on vocabulary related to children in the Bible is not entirely accurate. Some key terms are omitted and others are ill defined. For example, the most common Hebrew word to indicate a girl, bat (literally ‘daughter’) does not appear, even though ben, ‘son’, is listed. The appendix on the list of scriptural passages referring to children is incomplete.
In sum, Christians who oppose reproductive rights will find this book a helpful resource; other readers will not.