Reviewed by Abigail Kessler, a professional writing major at Taylor University.

Introduction

Title: Known by God

Author: Brian S. Rosner (general editor Jonathan Lunde)

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: September 12, 2017

Format: Paperback

Length: 274 pages

OVERVIEW

The latest instalment in Zondervan’s Biblical Theology for Life series tackles a much more personal subject: identity. As with all the books in this series, Brian Rosner attempts to create a very comprehensive study of the subject, going through almost every reference made to personal identity found in the Bible. Unsurprisingly, there is a lot of information here. This is the book’s greatest strength, but can also be its shortcoming. Though Rosner does a good job of putting the information into a context that helps readers understand its relation to the topic, there is just so much to say that it can become overwhelming. Casual readers who pick up this book in search of quick, easily applicable answers to their questions may be disappointed, but we also need to remember that this is the nature of those questions. In the end, the book works more effectively as a reference guide than anything else, but it is a very good one. People who are looking for a biblical perspective on personal identity will have a lot to think about after reading this.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

4 stars

Suggested Audience

Pastors, missionaries, seminary students, Sunday school teachers, and others looking for in-depth analysis of this topic.

Christian Impact

I was impressed by the amount of detail included, and I could tell that Rosner was both passionate about the subject and concerned with making it accessible to most readers. Though it might take a little more time than usual to study the material in this text, for serious Bible students in can worth the effort. This book takes a topic that is on many people’s minds recently, and seeks a biblical answer. People who are struggling to determine how their faith interacts with who they are as individuals will find this book helpful.

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