Book Review: Life in the Balance

Book: Life in the Balance - Biblical answers for issues of our day

Authors: Joni Eareckson Tada and friends
Published: 2010

This book examines those big ethical and social questions but unlike most discussions, this is from a biblical perspectives - chapters cover the following topics:
  • violence
  • Autism and the disabled
  • self-image
  • stem cell research
  • abortion
  • eugenics and genocide
  • end-of-life issues
  • greed, wealth and selflessness
These are very important topics and well covered in the book - each chapter also provides a personal story of someone who has experienced first hand one of these issues eg a child born with a disability, suffered violences, had an abortion etc..  It certainly got me thinking about my own personal views on each of these topics and to look much closer at the scriptures than perhaps I have done in the past. It was also a good reminder on some of these topics, for example disability.
As never before in human history, we're bombarded with news stories about people facing physical and emotional crises that result in lifelong suffering.  Many of these dilemmas are compounded by ethical conflicts, medical technology and social injustices.  It is so overwhelming tat we can become calloused - until it homes. Then we cry out for answers, but we won't dins them on CNN. Only God's Word offers solutions to our world's most pressing question.  God's Word is the source of truth!  (page 12)
The book can be used in group discussions and to assist with this, each chapter ends with a series of thought provoking questions.  These are still useful if reading alone. 

In summary - it has been a very good read and well written.  I found it an easy read as it doesn't get bogged down on technicalities eg with stem-cell research, however it is one of those books that would be good for someone who perhaps was uncertain about their views or needed to be reminded.

I would give it 4/5. 

~oOo~


Comments

  1. It sounds very interesting, Jo! Some of those topics are not discussed very often, while others are quite controversial... Did you agree with all the points of view through the book?

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  2. Strange, I wrote a comment and now it has disappeared!! So I will write it again.

    Clara - most of what i read I agreed with, however I understand why people make the decisions they do. Life can be very tough and some people make difficult decisions for a variety of reasons and I'm not going to judge them for doing this such -such as euthanasia. The book covers those difficult topics that have no easy answer.

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