WIELDING THE SWORD
Preachers and teachers of God’s Word
By Linda Finlayson
Christian Focus 4 Kids. 175 pages. £6.99
ISBN 978 1 781 912 959
This is the second book in the series ‘Defenders of the Faith’, for ‘tweens and teens’ (although this is nowhere indicated).
It is described as ‘a great introduction to the men who preached and the women who taught God’s Word throughout history… (who) stood up to heresy and held out God’s truth to the world’. The book tells stories of various preachers and teachers, with connecting chapters of church history. The accounts of individuals are told as stories; the connecting chapters are more simply factual.
Well told
The stories of individuals are well told and engaging; the chapters of church history are less easily accessible. They give considerable detail briefly and the choice of words is sometimes difficult. There is a lengthy glossary (although this is nowhere referred to); the use of simpler words in the text instead would make it more understandable. The explanations of church history are sometimes complicated and would, for most children, need further elucidation from a (well informed!) adult. My guess is that many children would skip over the history chapters, but would enjoy the stories.
It’s not clear what has driven the selection of preachers and teachers, nor the amount of detail included. Further, in the second chapter, which explains that ‘God chose men and women to speak his words for him’, the distinction between the prophets and apostles who were writers of Scripture and subsequent teachers and preachers, whose role was to teach and defend what they wrote, is not clearly made. Nor is it clear that all the men and women whose stories are told were committed to the ministry of preaching and teaching as primary. Space is given to outline various heresies, but the importance of Reformation teaching could be more prominent.
The book could nonetheless be a good introduction to church history, particularly if an adult is able to help a young person as they read it.
