Joel Biermann
Concordia Publishing House, 2011, 152 pp., $9.99
This book contains a lot of praiseworthy material; but in order to enjoy it, I had to get past one thing: Despite the title of the text and the sheriff’s badge cover art, there is no official connection between this book and the film Courageous. Though this might seem a bit misleading, the content of this book make up for the confusion.
First, Biermann knows his Bible; each of the 12 biblical fathers featured in Courageous Fathers is given an in-depth treatment. I love how Biermann smoothly transitions from verse-by-verse explications of Scripture to treatments of theological topics to practical applications of each chapter lessons. Each chapter is followed with 10 rigorous questions that will keep readers on their toes—some questions can be up to a paragraph long!
Thanks to the equally generous sample answers that are provided at the back of the book, I benefitted from reading this book on my own. However, I am sure my learning would be greatly increased if I were to use Courageous Fathers as a 12-week study with a group of dads in my local church.
Though there are no explicit connections made between Biermann’s discussion of fatherhood and the life of a youth worker; connections can be made on every page by the observant and teachable reader.
