DSMN 610 – B01 Annotated_Bibliography.docx.pdf | DSMN 610

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY

Annotated Bibliography

Submitted to Dr. Dan Burrell

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of

DSMN 610 – B01

Family Discipleship

Brian Mclaughlin

June 14th, 2019

Bengtson, Vern L., Norella M. Putney, and Susan Harris. Families and Faith: How Religion is

Passed Down across Generations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.

One of the hardest areas in a parent’s life, is watching their child or children walk away

from their faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, children are so inundated with ways to remain distracted

from social media platforms that will demand their attention. It seems that there is a breakdown

in the way their faith in Christ is communicated by the parents. This book will examine ways to

find out the results that families need today. The author of this book sheds light on not only the

church, but also looks at a variety of families throughout history. Bengston et. al, reveal how

families lived and kept their faith or not through wartimes, financial struggles, to the wave of

technology that is experienced by modern day culture. Through the broad scope of time that this

book portrays, a common denominator is noticed. The children preferred to stay close to their

family instead of abandoning it. No matter the religious background the family instituted in their

home, what really meant the most was families who cared about one another in general. This

book shows what is most important to a child. This is their faith and belief in Jesus Christ.

Peters, Shawn Francis. When Prayer Fails: Faith Healing, Children, and the Law. New York:

Oxford University Press, 2008.

There are times where families must face an uncertain set of circumstances. This world is

a fallen world; a world born into sin, the moment a newborn is alive. As a result, no one is

exempt from the frailties of life that can and will occur. This book examines the real issue that

comes upon families in the event of sickness and healing beliefs that one might express to their

family member who has been ill for some time, or in recent months. Peters also looks at this

issue from a realist point of view. His desire is to show the reader that God does not always heal

someone on this side of life. No matter how deep the person’s faith in Christ might be, the loved

family member that is ill could still not be healed on earth but, in heaven. This book looks at the

history of deaths and illnesses that have occurred and how the child has been impacted by it.

Kinnaman, David, and Lyons, Gabe. 2007. UnChristian : What a New Generation Really Thinks

about Christianity... and Why It Matters. Grand Rapids: Baker Books. Accessed June 14,

2019. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Christianity is viewed in today’s modern culture as one sided and close minded. From the

late teenage years to young adults, this young generation believes that Christianity does not love

or desire to help anyone who does not fit into their bubble. Those who classify as atheists,

homosexuals, Muslims, etc., have already made up their mind that Christians are going to shun

them or be judgemental of them. As a result, young people have been turned off to what being a

Christian truly means. Kinnaman and Lyons look at these different types of people and point to

how Christianity can still be explored in these critical areas today. They shed light on the

significance of being able to explore creative ways to reach out to people by showing who Jesus

is in the heart of a believer. There is hope that can be given and direction to life that makes sense

even to a non-believer of how the Bible can truly be applied to their lives. Kinnaman and Lyons

lay out the groundwork necessary to reach the hurting and lost in the communities Christians live

in today. They show how vital it is to share the gospel with the young person as well as the old,

leaving a sense of purpose once more to the Christian man or woman of today.

Gandolfo, Anita. Faith and Fiction: Christian Literature in America Today. Vol. 1. Westport,

Conn: Praeger Publishers, 2007.

The human mind is such an amazing gift that God has placed upon man ever since He

chose to create Him. For example, some one can read a book and be taken right to that place in

time described, as if he or she is in the story. Christian fictious books are no different than the

other fiction books too. The difference though, is that these fictious stories are widely gaining

popularity in life now. The other troubling factor is that some of the books that are written have

little to do with Biblical context that the reader needs in order to have a better grasp on God’s

word. Gandolfo directs the reader’s attention to the issue of fiction on the rise at hand. Young

people whose minds are so impressionable well into their young adult lives, are easily connected

to these fictional stories and characters the author writes about. The author uncovers what the

difference of having faith to fiction is, and how to correctly identify when either one or the other

is prevalent.

Brodzinsky, David M., Daniel W. Smith and Anne B. Brodzinsky. Children's Adjustment to

Adoption: Developmental and Clinical Issues. 38 vols. Developmental Clinical

Psychology and Psychiatry Series. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc., 1998.

Ever since the ruling was given to take the Bible out of public schools, the issue of being

rebellious caught on like wildfire to the teenager and young adult groups. Resulting in teenage

pregnancies, rape, drugs and alcohol, were all being used by the young generation in the 1960’s

up through the present day. Resulting in mothers having to give up their babies for adoption. The

issue with this is that these children grow up not knowing who their real mom or sometimes even

their dad is. The child is placed into a family that hopefully raises him or her up right, and

sometimes that is not the case. With the absence of their biological parents, the child often will

need to learn how to do things on their own. Brodzinsky and Smith flip the adoption on its head.

In their book they point out that adoption does not always have to be looked at as a bad

alternative for the children. They argue that there is only a small percentage of adoptees who

need the care and love of a welcoming family. However, they do not hinder the issue of being

sensitive to cultural and religious differences though, or ethnicity. Adoption is an ever-changing

cycle and is a catalyst to the way a child will develop well spiritually or not based on the family

upbringing the child is raised in.

Roffey, Sue. School Behaviour and Families: Frameworks for Working Together. London;New

York;: Routledge, 2002;2013

In society today, people are too busy with their lives to pay attention to the real things

that matter the most. Namely, their children and the schools that they attend, have a huge impact

of how their child’s brain is developed to be one of integrity, honesty, and character, or that of

negativity, depression, hopelessness, and anger. Roffey suggests that there is parental abuse to

the child in the home and families who simply do not even see their children much because they

are always on the go. Yet, this is the true culture that families are in today. All too often parents

look for ways to send off their children to a boarding school, private school, or place them in a

juvenile facility for the troubled teens. It seems that the parents choose to not take on the

responsibility of raising the child themselves. Yet, the child is on earth because of their parent’s

choice to have them born. Roffey offers helpful insights on how the school systems and parents

can work together and have it a healthy process that aids in the child’s development.

Borcherdt, Bill. Making Families Work and what to do when they Don't: Thirty Guides for

Imperfect Parents of Imperfect Children. New York: Haworth Press, 1996.

There has only been one man on earth who was considered perfect. His name is Jesus

Christ. That leaves everyone else who has ever lived as less than perfect. Borcherdt puts together

this book about all the different experiences that parents go through with their children. He

delivers to the reader ways to conquer their weak points and how to develop their stronger traits.

A young person’s greatest influence is their parents. With the parent’s attitude on how to handle

life, it bleeds into the youth today. Meaning, if the parent is always angry all the time, then there

is a great chance that the child will be violent or angry as well. He places emphasis on the way

the parents were raised as a child, could be the reason why they raise their children in the same

respect. His desire for the reader is for one to take what is learned and do things differently in

their family for the betterment of themselves.

Tripp, Tedd, and Margy Tripp. Instructing a Child’s Heart. Wapwallopen: Shepherd Press. 2008.

Molding and shaping a child while they are young is of the utmost importance to how

that child will be like as an adult. Tedd and Margy Tripp home in on getting to the child’s heart

by having the reader see the world in a way that the child sees it. From there, they provide

practical tips and direction on how to help the child understand the importance of living for God

in home, or wherever they are in life. In this book, their hope is that the parents can show

children how to be forgiving, loving, caring, compassionate, servant-hearted men and women of

God. In this way, when the child is ready to face the real world, they will have the same type of

attitude and respect for other adults.

Tripp, Tedd. Shepherding a Child’s Heart. Wapwallopen: Shepherd Press. 1998

When an adult has a newborn baby for the first time in their life, he or she is now faced

with the wonderful news that they are now a mother and father of this baby boy or girl. As time

goes on the responsibility of raising the child increases as well. Some parents can take on the

responsibility with little adjusting needed, while others find ways to avoid parenting altogether.

Tripp addresses this problem in this book. He reveals how vital it is to have the parents who are

role models be active in every part of their child’s life. Parents from the moment the child are

born must teach the child what to do and what not to do. Parenting is never done even after the

child leaves the home. A man or woman are catapulted into this and must do whatever it takes to

rear up their child in the ways of Jesus Christ and teach them ways to remain safe. This is what

Tripp is teaching to the reader when it comes to shepherding the child. Parents need to remain

committed and faithful to their child in every humanly possible way that they can.

Wray, Bruce, and Lynn Wray. Charting a Course for Your Family’s Future – A Purposeful Guide

to Parenting. 2013.

There are ways for parents to receive help in raising their children. Children are sponges

by nature and need to soak up good qualities in life. There are and will be times that are more

challenging than others. Yet, through all the idiosyncrasies and nuances of life, parents still need

to exude positivity to the children they have grow in their house. Not to the effect where

everything is super fine but, to the point that there is even temper when struggle is present. Life

lessons are learned and not forgotten. Bruce and Lynn Wray present a book that teaches the

reader how to have a better future for their family. They help one be able to navigate through the

waters of life on having a more secure future.

Bibliography