Book Review Of:
Where Are All the Brothers?: Straight Answers to Men’s Questions About the Church
Book Details
• Title: Where Are All the Brothers?: Straight Answers to Men’s Questions About the Church
• Author: Eric C. Redmond.
• Publisher: Crossway Books (June, 2008)
• Category: Church, Men’s Ministry, African American Christianity, Reformed Theology
Reviewed By: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., LCPC, Author of Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends, Beyond the Suffering, Sacred Friendships, and God’s Healing for Life’s Losses. See all Bob’s Reviews at: www.rpmministries.org.
Recommended: A practical and powerful defense of the relevance of theology in the Church for everyday life.
Review: In Defense of Christ and His Church
Author Eric C. Redmond is a leading light in the movement of African American Christians back to Reformed theology. In Where Are All the Brothers?, Pastor Redmond writes with a burning passion for revitalization in the African American church. For Redmond, such revival begins with theology. While that word (theology) may terrify some, Pastor Redmond realizes and explains how relevant theology is to everyday life.
In fact, Where Are All the Brothers? is “theology in disguise.” It is a practical manual written with wit and wisdom in particular for the black male who has a litany of reasons for being unchurched.
Chapter by chapter in bite-size chunks, Redmond helps men to digest biblical and practical answers to questions they have about the value of Christianity and the Church. He challenges men to give him ten minutes for nine days. His prayer is that his male readers will be transformed by truth, and in turn African American churches will experience a reformation as an army of African American men march back into leadership in church and society.
In many ways, Pastor Redmond writes like the great African American pastors of the past—Rev. Richard Allen, Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne, Pastor Peter Randolph, Pastor Lemeul Haynes, Pastor Jupiter Hammon, and so many other stalwarts of the faith. He also writes like his current colleagues Pastor Thabiti M. Anyabwile and Pastor Anthony Carter. They each share in common the courage of their conviction that God’s truth sets men free.
Instead of making excuses or side-stepping critical issues, Redmond converses with his readers about their reasons for not going to church. Chapter after chapter, Redmond disabuses men of lies about Christ, Christianity, and the Church.
*Chapter One: Addressing hypocrites in the church.
*Chapter Two: Explaining the inspiration of Scripture.
*Chapter Three: Interacting about the role of men and women in the church.
*Chapter Four: Exploring the preacher’s calling.
*Chapter Five: Contrasting what Islam claims to offer Black men and what Christ offers all men.
*Chapter Six: Discussing the church and money.
*Chapter Seven: Defending organized religion.
*Chapter Eight: Honoring the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
*Chapter Nine: Outlining eight marks of a healthy church.
On each topic, the author speaks truthfully on matters church-goers and skeptics alike talk about in private, at the barber shop, or hair salon. Redmond provides a forum to have a public discussion that rests on the truth of Scripture.
The intent of the book is threefold. First, the book is intended to be evangelistic. Redmond designs it as a tool that explains the Gospel and the Church as the bearer of the Gospel message.
Second, the book is intended to be apologetic. For the maturing Christian reader, Where Are All the Brothers? provides knowledge to answer skeptics’ most significant questions about Christ and the practices of local churches.
Third, the book intends to be reformational. The content will deepen maturing believers in basic, overlooked truths about the faith.
What we have here is the ability to communicate. Redmond goes directly to the heart of the matter with a straight-forward, candid approach that includes a flavorful mix of biblical and seminal wisdom presented in a conversational tone. Pastor Eric Redmond has penned an “ecclesiology for everyday life”: a practical defense of the relevance of the church—especially for the black male who has his doubts.
However, this book is not only for the black brother. It is for all brothers and sisters. And it is not only for those who are not attending church. It will strengthen the faith and resolve of church members also. Where Are All the Brothers? is enticing, educating, equipping, and empowering reading for all believers.
