Flawed Families of the Bible

Take a close look at family life in the Old Testament and you will find the same dysfunctions that plague families today--betrayal, jealousy, physical and emotional violence, infidelity, and mean-spiritedness. In Flawed Families of the Bible, David Garland and Diana Garland offer an honest and careful reading of scripture, showing that the families of the Bible were not so different from imperfect families today. Even so, God worked through those imperfections to reveal hope and grace to families then, just as he does today.

This book's message is crucial for contemporary families. Everyone--those in the church and those outside of the church--struggles to sift through the dysfunction and build healthy and close families. The Garlands combine their expertise in scripture study and family life to unpack issues like feeling unloved by your spouse, family shame, betrayal of family members, abuse, and loss.

Flawed Families of the Bible will be valuable to pastors and counselors, as well as anyone looking for encouragement in family issues.
-Publisher.

Publisher Description

Most Christians believe that the Bible holds the answers to their questions about daily living, and that reading the Scriptures will show them good examples to follow for their own lives. Think for a moment and try to list a few examples of healthy families in the Bible who are ideals worth emulating. Having trouble? The families of the Bible were far from perfect, and not so different in that regard from our imperfect families today.

In Flawed Families of the Bible, a New Testament scholar (David) and a professor of social work (Diana) take a real and close look at the actual families of the Bible. This honest book will inspire and encourage readers with its focus on the overarching theme of hope and grace for families, showing that it is in the "imperfect places" that we can catch a glimpse of grace. Perfect for pastors, counselors, and anyone in a flawed family.