Becoming God's Family by Carmen Joy Imes Book Review

About the Book:

Does the church still matter in our modern world?

After waves of disillusionment, #churchtoo movements, and political divides, it’s easy to question the value of investing in the church. Yet Carmen Joy Imes offers a profound answer that resonates through the pages of Becoming God’s Family. Exploring the familial and communal identity of the church, Imes traces the thread of God's presence in the gathered community of faith across the entire Bible. She invites readers into a vision of the church that is rooted deeply in Scripture and speaks directly to the challenges we face today. Imes reminds us of a powerful truth―God delights in the global, intergenerational family He has created.

Through this book, you'll discover that God keeps His promises. When God’s people gather together, God shows up. Whether you’re struggling to reconnect with the church, seeking a constructive vision for its role in our world, or longing to better understand its biblical foundations, this book offers clarity, hope, and encouragement.

What you'll find in Becoming God’s Family:

• A biblical foundation: Trace the theme of God’s presence through the entire biblical text, gaining new understanding of His communal and familial design for the church.
• Modern relevance: Imes addresses the disheartening realities of scandals, political polarization, and deconstruction with a constructive and hopeful perspective.
• Engaging and accessible content: Written by Imes, a respected Old Testament scholar, the book offers rich insights while staying accessible to a wide audience.
• Encouragement for community: Discover the global and intergenerational nature of God’s family and the joy of his presence among his people.

Becoming God’s Family is perfect for students and scholars of the Bible, church members looking for renewed purpose, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the church's biblical foundation. Step into God’s enduring promise―when we gather as his people, he is always present. Order your copy today and rediscover why the church still matters!

My Review:

This is definitely a book worth reading for Christians to better understand what it means to be the church. Imes' teaching from the Old Testament is full of insights. That area is definitely her strong point. She has good teaching from the New Testament too but perhaps not as insightful or new, at least to me. There were a couple of pleasant surprises in the book. One was her critique of Christian nationalism. The other was her understanding of Israel. Just because they have the same name does not mean we equate covenant Israel of the Old Testament with the modern day secular state and treat them the same.

Imes adds a review of major points at the end of each chapter as well as discussion questions. This makes the book a good choice for a church study group. I listened to the audio which was a very good experience.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Carmen Joy Imes (PhD, Wheaton) is associate professor of Old Testament at Biola University. She is the author of Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters, and the editor of Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends.

IVP Academic, 256 pages.

I received a complimentary audio edition of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)