The Storm-Tossed Family by Russell Moore: A Book Review

I’ve honestly been putting off writing this review. It’s not because the book is bad and I like the author and had him for a seminary class. It’s not because I’m lazy. Quite frankly it is because I don’t know how to do it justice. This book may be the best book I will read this year. At 300 pages in small type, it’s intimidating. Don’t let that discourage you. It is so worth your time and effort.

Russell Moore is the president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). According to the ERLC website, “The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention. The ERLC is dedicated to engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ and speaking to issues in the public square for the protection of religious liberty and human flourishing. Our vision can be summed up in three words: kingdom, culture and mission.”

I have several books from Dr. Moore on my shelf, but to be honest, this is the first one I’ve read. Without reading the others, I feel pretty safe saying that this is his best. Why would I say that? In The Storm-Tossed Family you will like Dr. Moore knows you and is speaking to you or about you. Child, Single, Married, or Divorced, this book is for everyone and will impact everyone.

Dr. Moore shows the beauty and blessing of family in this book while at the same time showing that family can be the hardest thing to navigate and live with. He says, “Family is like that too: the source of life-giving blessing but also of excruciating terror, often at the same time.” He continually shows us that the only way to navigate our family lives with any success is by going to the cross.

No stone is left unturned in this book. Dr. Moore doesn’t skirt around the touchy subjects. He speaks to infidelity, divorce, wayward children, singleness, and death. He masterfully paints the picture of the church as true family. He brought me to tears as he spoke about aging and how it will lead us home.

Rarely do I read a book and think that it may be worth a reread. Even rarer is when I think it may be worth a reread every year. The Storm-Tossed Family is a book with such great truth and value that I want to read it annually. Dr. Moore has given the church a gift with this book. May we be wise enough to learn from him.