 |
One of the issues many church leaders feel is plaguing modern Christianity is the lack of in-depth biblical knowledge among the majority of its adherents. This has led to not only general confusion about the various characters and events in scripture but also to a lack of understanding of the core doctrines of the faith. The author seeks to remedy some of this ignorance in his well-written guide to the expected attitudes, behaviors, and principles of followers of Christ.
In an organized and effective manner Walker shows Christians through scripture and thoughtful admonition what the Bible teaches about often controversial subjects such as divorce, drinking, and appropriate attire. However, the larger focus of the book is not on what a believer should not do but rather on what one should do in regard to tithing, fasting, living a holy life, etc. Divided into seven parts covering broad topics such as family, submission, moral obligation, and leadership, the sections are divided even further into subtopics. Unfortunately, the subtopic titles inadequately describe the wealth of information included under them, making it difficult for the reader to quickly find teaching on more specific subjects. An index would be a welcome and useful addition to any new editions of the book.
Walker's thoughts are very much in line with the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ (Apostolic), the denomination he belongs to, which differ somewhat from the doctrines of many other evangelical groups. However, he does an excellent job of explaining in clear and straight-forward language, not only his church's views in disputed areas such as baptism but also beliefs that are held in common by the majority of Christian churches.