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This Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World






This Child of Faith by Sophfronia Scott & Tain Gregory

This new book by novelist and writer Sophfronia Scott and her son Tain Gregory bring together their experiences of faith amidst certain grief and joy, through the connection of relationships and family.  The book is wonderful in that it captures the voice of Sophfronia with the actual words of Tain sprinkled throughout the pages.  You get the feeling also that Tain is being real honest in the book about his time at church, his mom and dad, but also some real tough experiences. 

Sophfronia's father stopped going to church at one point and this left, possibly over money issues.  Her experience of faith was more attuned to the movies, such giants as The Ten Commandments and Jesus of Nazareth.  She writes of her prayer life in high school with insight saying, "It seemed to me this is what you went to God for - the big things, not basketball games.  I don't recall praying for my college applications...Only in areas of need would my prayers kick in." (12)  This is a fascinating view that I think many teenagers and adults have, go to God in the time of cancer, marriage, children, but not the times where we can figure it out on our own.

After 18 months of Veggie Tales and many themes coming out of the Bible sinking into the mind of young Tain, he says, " I eventually asked my mom who God is and what Sunday school is.  She thought this was a strange question from me.  But because of this question, she decided that we should go to church.  And it was all because of that one song." (The Hairbrush Song from Veggie Tales)  Going together as a  family, all three of them, was something Scott decided to do to set a good example for Tain.  Daryl, Scott's husband was a lapsed Catholic with Buddhist tendencies but decided to go anyway. 

The traditions and worship of the Anglican church, Trinity Church that Tain, Scott, and Daryl were a part of began to feel more like home to them in the coming years and months.  At one point, Scott was asked to teach church school, she reluctantly decided to take the plunge.  Part of the change from being on the fence to diving in was because of Tain, he would come home with answers from his church school lessons and this made her more hungry for more (127).  The beauty here is that whether we see it or not, our faith is being formed in the midst of this community and this kind of weekly study. 

This was a unique book in that the Christian faith is seen from two points of view; a child and a parent.  Often I felt as if the faith that Tain held and his beliefs were much more in keeping with orthodox Christianity than the things Scott thought about and believed.  Nevertheless, this was a good book about how faith forms our lives both in our minds and hearts.

Thanks to Paraclete Press for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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