By George Carey
Kingsway. 238 pages.
ISBN 0 85476 773 8
We look at our grandchildren with deep, deep love and, foreseeing them on the threshold of adult years, ask what we would like to give them for their Christian understanding and direction of life.
This is the question the Archbishop has set out to answer for his six grandsons and one granddaughter. He writes them 10 letters covering all the major Christian doctrines: thinking about God, Creator, Father, Holy One; the importance of Jesus, Jesus in the Gospels, his resurrection, the Cross, the Holy Spirit, and eschatology. Each letter is given a 'catchier' title than this bare statement of topics, but throughout, the catchiness stands in contrast to a serious style of writing that makes few concessions to the reader.
Abundant quotations point to a wide range of reading, always appropriate even if some are maybe too demanding to be illuminating. Dr. Carey stands firm on the authority of the Bible and in affirming the 'empty tomb' reality of our Lord's resurrection and the objective accomplishments of the cross. A fine letter about the Holy Spirit roots pneumatology in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and there is no equivocation about heaven and hell. These are serious plusses in a book which could provide a starter for serious enquirers who are ready for a demanding 'read'.
Is it 'picky' to wonder if such a strong emphasis on tradition distracts attention from the sole authority of the Scriptures, why the affirmations about the death of the Lord Jesus as sacrifice, reconciliation, redemption and victory stop short of the terminology of substitution and if the End includes the personal, visible return of Christ? Well, no, I don't think so, but I remain grateful for having been given so much so thoughtfully and with such conviction.
