What can the past teach us about what it means to be a “good” Christian parent today? Today’s parenting guidance can sometimes feel timeless and inviolable—especially when it comes to the spiritual formation of children in Christian households. But even in the recent past, parenting philosophies have differed widely among Christians in ways that reflect the contexts from which they emerged. In this illuminating historical study, David Setran catalogs the varying ways American Protestants envisioned the task of childrearing in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Comparing two main historical time periods—the colonial era and the Victorian era—Setran uncovers common threads, opposing viewpoints, and the cultural and religious influences behind the dominant parenting “postures” of each era. The implications of his findings matter for today’s big questions about parenting: Should children be viewed as basically good, in need of protection from corruption, or as fundamentally sinful, in need of moral correction? How should parents address misbehavior? Should a parent’s primary role be that of teacher, disciplinarian, or nurturer? What importance should be attributed to devotions and prayer, church involvement, Sabbath-keeping, home decorating, and fun family activities? What consideration should be given to gender? Should boys and girls be raised differently? Do mothers and fathers have essentially different responsibilities? As he surveys these historical perspectives, Setran reflects on the legacy and future of Christian parenting, concluding that the Protestant heritage encourages the importance of intentional devotional practices, the development of close parent-child bonds, and the creation of godly household environments. In the end, he argues that all of these historical values are critical to the full expression of Christian parental love. This is a love that teaches because it wants to help children understand true goodness; that admonishes and restrains because it wants to protect children from whatever keeps them from true pleasure and joy; that fosters strong relationships so children might experience the lavishness of God’s love; that models Christlike sacrifice and guides children into the arms of their Creator.

"The Connection Gap explores the new loneliness of people who are overcommitting and underconnecting. Laura Pappano takes a passionate look at the pressures and desires of modern culture by drawing on personal experience, academic studies, and perceptive observations of our culture as reflected in advertising, literature, and popular magazines."--BOOK JACKET.

Massachusetts-born poet, author and critic Ralph Bergengren ponders the joys of domestic life in this series of essays, vignettes, and sketches centered on the family home. It's a charming volume to curl up with in front of a roaring fire or to read as you stretch out in your favorite chair after a long day.

Stepfamilies are not a modern phenomenon, but despite this reality, the history of stepfamilies in America has yet to be fully explored. In the first book-length work on the topic, Lisa Wilson examines the stereotypes and actualities of colonial stepfamilies and reveals them to be important factors in early United States domestic history. Remarriage was a necessity in this era, when war and disease took a heavy toll, all too often leading to domestic stress, and cultural views of stepfamilies during this time placed great strain on stepmothers and stepfathers. Both were seen either as unfit substitutes or as potentially unstable influences, and nowhere were these concerns stronger than in white middle-class families, for whom stepparents presented a paradox. Wilson shares the stories of real stepfamilies in early New England, investigating the relationship between prejudice and lived experience, and, in the end, offers a new way of looking at family units throughout history and the cultural stereotypes that still affect stepfamilies today.

"Finding Eve follows Eve's journey to find her way back to God's heart and to discover her true identity as a daughter of God. If you're facing disappointment, the fallout from bad choices, or the pain of unfilled dreams, Finding Eve will equip you with the tools and encouragement to find redemption and be all you were intended to be in His great kingdom"--