This book is like a spiritual motivational call to action and commitment. It contains profiles of members of the milennial generation and the expressed target audience is this generation. Each person, deemed as a profile in courage by this author, is linked with a Scriptural character who was called to take actions requiring courage and these Scriptural heroes are profiled after the the modern character. At the end of each chapter are questions that require soul-search and self-examination, and relate to the chapter material. This book begins with a Preface by the author Tony Perkin's father, who shares about his son and his own example of courage. This book is arranged into 13 chapters. The author ends this book with Acknowledgments of those who made this book possible. He wraps up this book with an author bio. Tony Perkins is the President of Family Research Council of Washington, D.C.. Family research Council is a politically conservative "think tank."
This book is the opposite, speaking of content, of the MIDNIGHT JESUS book I had reviewed recently. I found myself getting turned off by some of the material in NO FEAR and in the unspoken messages of this book. The author accomplishes his goal of motivating today's milennial generation to courageous and public advocacy on behalf of the vulnerable, as well as letting God be God in the public square. We are commanded in Scripture, if we follow Jesus, to be bold and open in our faith and in being voices for the voiceless. The author uses much Scripture, as well as Scriptural examples linked to each of his modern profiles, to drive his point home. I agree with his principles that underly this book, that we should uphold the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, as well as the sanctity of traditional marriage. I guess my issue with this book lies in how this book is written, in the messages it sends and who is left out of these profiles in courage. For example, almost all of the people profiled grew up in Christian homes, had spiritual foundations laid early in life, and most grew up in comfortable, middle-class backgrounds. All of them did/do show courage, but they had the advantages of parents or others who lifted them in prayer, and laid strong foundations in their youths. Also, the principles these people profiled, stood for, are those that are considered conservative. I was not surprised by who was included in this book, as I know that the author heads a conservative "think tank." I was disappointed that the author left out any profiles in courage among those from disadvantaged backgrounds, from working-class or poor backgrounds, or among the kind of people who showed up in MIDNIGHT JESUS. Most of what is wrong with this book is what is left out. I do commend the author for presenting the Gospel at the end of his book.
I recommend this book for pastors and church leaders in "progressive" local churches. The issues stressed in the book are those they are typically silent on and should not be. I recommend this book for any and all middle-class young people and milennials (twenty-somethings). I do not recommend this book for those from disadvantaged backgounds, the sick, the poor, those with disabilities, or others who would be turned off by all the stress on "conservative values" and the profiling of persons who fit the conservative criteria of what constitues a person of courage. This book would discourage many people, as I found it could have had such an effect on me if I was not aware of the bias of the author. This book may especially trigger many who have not resolved past abortions, as well as members of the LGBT community.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for books, in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review of this book.
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