Book Review: "Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture" by Mary E. DeMuth

“ You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:2-3

As the mother of 5 very unique individuals, I am constantly reminding myself that although parenting IS indeed a ministry that God has called me to, HE alone is the one faithfully creating and producing the results in my children’s lives!

Using Paul, the writer’s, analogy…our children are truly a letter from Christ himself, written by his Spirit on their hearts.

These thoughts reach the very ESSENCE of Mary DeMuth’s latest parenting book, “Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture”. It could easily have been called Authentic Parenting in Today’s Culture, as well. Unfortunately, not many Christians- myself included- have fully realized it yet, but our culture is in the midst of a huge paradigm shift in thought and principles. This cultural shift was titled at some point by “the powers that be”-- postmodernism.

Hold on now, and don’t let that big “educated” sounding word scare you off! Though Mary is kind enough to give a very brief explanation and overview of just what postmodern means for those of us who really might not know, her main goal is to encourage us to be AUTHENTIC Christian parents, regardless of what society may bring.

The truth is that many of us can feel the change going on around us, but just haven’t put our fingers on it yet.

In “Authentic Parenting…”, Mary is sharing a vital and beautiful message that God has given to her. It came through the experiences that she, her husband, and children encountered while living in the south of France, a country where the influences of postmodernism are already the norm.

Mary shares insight that brings us to the heart of "Christ-like" parenting. She addresses the important issues of truth, honesty, community, refuge, encouragement, grace, forgiveness, purpose and selfish abandon, as we nurture our children and lead them through the example of our own journey with Christ!

“Gulp”, some of you say…me included!!—but, NO that doesn’t mean you have to do the impossible--be perfect Christians first!

Rather, Mary encourages us to model walking with Christ for our kids in a realistic way—we seek, we stumble, we may even fall on our faces, then we get back up again, and continue on, allowing him to write with his Spirit in our own lives along the way. She also takes the time to teach us, with tangible methods, how to prepare our kids for the future by leaving them with “three foundational truths: community, the kingdom of God, and gratitude.”

Having two of our five children in the throes of their first few years of early adult life just now, my husband and I were keenly interested in what Mary had written on the subject. After reading "Authentic Parenting..." we can clearly see the importance of them being prepared for, rather than protected from, the culture they’re immersed in. We came to agree with each other, that her message is crucially in order!!

It is not too late for us as parents with young adults to benefit from this book, neither is it too early for those who are freshly initiated to the world of parenting either! In fact, I think this is a fresh message for anyone seeking to have a godly influence on today’s youth.

Don't forget to enter the drawing for an autographed copy of this book!! Click here for a link to Mary’s site--and be sure to check out the other blogs participating on the Authentic Parenting Tour this week:
Abundant Blessings
Actual Unretouched Photo
Bluebonnet in the Snow
child of divorce/child of god
Geaux2Girl
Good Word Editing
Halland
RappFamilyAixtremeLife
Spaghettipie
So Many Books...So Little Time
The Point
Tiffany Colter
Toni V. Lee
For a complete listing of the blogs participating in the six week tour, visit here.


With hope and joy in grace,

Rebecca