I spent much of yesterday reading yet another book (instead of doing all those other things on my list, including working on my own book…). It’s Crazy for God, by Frank Schaeffer, son of Christian apologists and leaders Francis and Edith Schaeffer. He’s a wonderful writer, and beautifully portrays the challenges and gifts of growing up in an intensely God-focused family.
Is it a good thing to be intense about your faith and ministry? What does that mean for family life, at least in this one family? What happens when a Christian leader gets famous? Because Schaeffer grew up mostly in Europe, he also has something of an outsider’s view of American society and Christianity which is valuable. And he’s experienced the reactivity of evangelicalism both as an insider and as someone who has moved away from the fold.
I found this book as much of a page-turner as a novel.
Margaret Marcuson
One of the things I like about Frank Schaeffer’s book is the way he is honest about his perception of the gifts and challenges of the God focus. Thanks for both your comments, Rebecca and Israel. I do think the “God” factor in and of itself is not determinative. Some PKs do fine, others have challengs.
I first went to church at 3 weeks!
Israel Galindo
Two other good books by Frank Schaeffer are Portofino (a novel) and Dancing Alone: The Question for Orthodox Faith in the Age of False Religion.
Rebecca, good question. Religion and religiosity provide an interesting set of functions in family emotional process. Sometimes it binds anxiety and sometimes it’s a source of grace. I suspect you are correct in that it is emotional process that is determinative.
In my seminary class today I asked the 16 students in my May term class to share “What was your first ‘home church’ and how old were you when you first attended?” ALL of them attended their first home church from infancy (One said, “Since before I was born,” and another “at six weeks.”). No surprise that these folks are in seminary!
Rebecca Maccini
I think that you ask a great question about a very God focused family. Does the “God” factor take some of the anxiety away from the relationships of the other family members? Does it produce more anxiety? We always hear about PK’s. Does the God factor impact PK’s in some way? or is God just ‘content’ and it is the multigenerational family processes, projection, and other emotional process qualities that affect the family?