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William Gouge, edited by Brown, Scott and Beeke, Joel. Building a Godly Home. Vol. 1 Grand Rapids, MI.: Reformation Heritage, 2013. 192 + xiii pp. $18.00

Of Domesticall Duties, originally written in 1622 by Puritan minister William Gouge, was the seminal volume on the Christian home for generations. His thorough exposition of Ephesians 5:21-6:4 provided wise guidance and biblical counsel for those seeking to pattern their home after the Word of God. But due to its sheer size and antiquated language, the work has largely been lost to history. Seeking to introduce Gouge to a new generation of believers, Scott Brown and Joel R. Beeke have taken the monumental task of editing Gouge’s work and modernizing some of the language, while striving to remain faithful to his instruction.

As already written, the book is itself an exposition of Ephesians 5:21-6:4, and stands as an wonderful example of Puritan teaching. It is biblically-grounded, Christ-exalting, and vast in scope. Unlike many contemporary voices who work diligently to bend the Scriptures to tickle politically-correct ears, Gouge does not hesitate to allow God’s Word to speak clearly on the subjects of submission, headship, and authority. In good, Puritan style, Gouge frequently allows the text and the portrait of marriage to lead him into deeper theological discussion concerning baptism, communion, atonement, the nature of the Trinity, and other such doctrines leading the reader to ponder what length and breadth did Gouge’s original work travel without the work of the editors.

Critique

The editors ask in the Preface, “Have you ever desired a seasoned friend, thoroughly grounded in Scripture, to help you troubleshoot a family problem?” They then encourage the reader by writing, “In these pages, we hear the voice of a wise and loving mentor, calling us to the old paths laid out for the family in the Bible. Reading it is like sitting down to coffee with a gentle grandfather and wise pastor” (vii). This is a fantastic description of Gouge’s words and helps the reader understand the impetus behind the editing and republishing of such a work. But editing for the modern reader comes at a cost.

At several points in the book, the authors footnote that they are omitting certain grammatical arguments in support of Gouge’s interpretation on particular issues. Though this may seem a slight omission to many (if not most) readers, it leaves those well-versed in Greek wanting for a peek into the study of the author. One particular instance (page 67) cites Latin comments by Erasmus and Theodore Beza. Another occasion (page 112) eliminates a discussion of the genitive case and Greek prepositions. Once more, while seemingly insignificant for most audiences, scholars understand the significance of such discussions. Gouge was not an unlearned pastor and author. He handled the text in the original languages and no point was too minor to emphasize. While such edits are necessary for the sake of brevity, some readers will long that the editors include them in the appendices in future volumes.

At another point in the book, in a digression on the subject of baptism, Gouge expounds the meaning and beauty and wonder of the ordinance while defending a paedo-baptistic view. While it must be noted that this was the majority view in Gouge’s day, and remains such in many modern churches, Baptist readers (such as this reviewer) will be left to question how a man so steeped in Holy Writ could fail to see the inadequacy of his view, and the breath-taking imagery and biblical fidelity that demands the full immersion of believers in baptism.

These few critiques aside, Gouge’s work is one that this reviewer will continue reading as the second and third volumes are released. In a world where the definition of marriage is under attack even in churches, perhaps a voice from the past can help a generation find its way back to “the old paths laid out for the family in the Bible.”

William Gouge, Building a Godly Home, Vol. 1 A Holy Vision for Family Life

I received this book free from the publisher through the Reformation Heritage book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Wilson, Douglas. Father Hunger: Why God Calls Men to Love and Lead their Families. Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson, 2012. viii + 252 pp. $15.99

In Father Hunger, Douglas Wilson addresses the current generation’s lack of comprehension of fatherhood. Many, however, do not recognize the dearth as the problem. In fact, many do not believe it exists. He writes, “As we look around, we know that we are broken, but we somehow assume that our notions of fatherhood are intact… Perhaps our world is as broken as it is because our understanding of fatherhood was shattered first” (2).

Never one to shy away from controversy, Wilson jumps into the shark-infested waters of gender roles almost immediately and declares the problem as he sees it. “Much of what will be argued throughout the course of this book will not seem very enlightened or progressive to today’s average reader, and so we must begin by addressing the problems created by something called egalitarianism” (5). Modern culture’s failure to clearly articulate and understand equality has led to dramatic problems.

Men and women, according to Wilson, are equal in the sense that they are to be given the same treatment in such arenas as a court of law, but the right to the same treatment does not, in fact, mean that they are the same. He explains, “A man might be called up to take care of all his tools, treating them all with the same kind of respect. But treating a hammer with respect and a screwdriver with respect means treating them differently – you don’t twist screws with a hammer and you don’t drive nails with the handle of a screwdriver” (6-7).

After making an initial proclamation of society’s ills, Wilson then traces the lack of true masculinity – genuine fathers – through various arenas and enterprises including religion, education, government, the workplace, and economics revealing society’s longing and need for such a thing. However controversial Wilson may be (and he has ruffled many feathers), one cannot accuse him of a failure to be thorough.

Chapter 13, “Some Father Mechanics,” is worth the price of the book alone.

While I found myself repeatedly nodding my head, making notes to myself, and committing to become a better father throughout this book, chapter 13 provided insight to some of my greatest weaknesses as a father. Naturally, this was terrifying and convicting, and was both my favorite and least-favorite chapter in the entire book. As a father of five children (four boys), I simply cannot afford to get this wrong.

You will undoubtedly find disagreement with portions of this book. The author’s opinions do not lack for conviction. He articulates those opinions clearly and forcefully. But despite whatever points of disagreement one finds, the message is clear. We suffer from father hunger. Our society, our culture, our workplaces and churches need men. They need men who are willing to be men – not in the feminine sense that society has attempted to shape us, nor in the obscene machismo that has risen as a response – but in the manner in which God has created them for and called them to.

Douglas Wilson, Father Hunger

I received this book free from the publisher through the Thomas Nelson book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.