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Gum, Geckos, and God: A Family's Adventure in Space, Time, and Faith

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I don't think it takes very many years of child raising before every parent realizes that he is in over his head. I am no stranger to this feeling. As I was walking my eight-year-old son to school just last week he turned to me and said, "Dad, why is it that people think killing one another will solve the world's problems?" My first instinct was that it would be a simple question to answer. But a moment's reflection made me realize that a proper answer would have to touch on all kinds of issues of theological significance. Thankfully my son is quite a good listener and we were able to turn his question into a good chat.

Author James Spiegel, professor of philosophy at Taylor University, did not realize the challenges he would face in talking about God to his children. Perhaps as a philosopher he felt he would be equipped to answer. But he quickly learned that even seemingly simple questions are often difficult to answer adequately. What is God like? Why does God love us? Why is it hard to be good? If heaven is so great, why am I afraid to die? These questions offer ideal opportunities to teach children while challenging our own assumptions about the Christian faith. These questions, and the answers to them, are the subject of Spiegel's new book, Gum, Geckos and God: A Family's Adventure in Space, Time and Faith. As Spiegel says, "If you can probe the sticky topics of faith and life's meaning with a kid while he probes the sticky recesses of his nasal cavity, then you can discuss theology with anyone."

Parents will enjoy this book as they will no doubt realize that they have faced many of the same questions and have struggled to provide adequate answers to them. These words may well sound familiar from your experience: "Whenever Amy and I see an opening for some theological discussion, we dive right in. Sometimes we land in the deep well of our kids' hearts, gaining insights into their perspectives on life and God. Other times we hit dry land." This is not a book that seeks primarily to teach parents how to communicate to their children about Christian topics, though certainly through example it models ways of doing so (try "Everyday Talk: Talking Freely and Naturally about God with Your Children" by John Younts for that purpose). Instead it is, as the subtitle indicates, a sort of adventure with the family. The back cover says rightly, "As you read, you'll step into a new depth of Christian doctrine as you come to know and enjoy the Spiegel family and follow their journey of spiritual growth."

The book teaches rich theology and in a way that is engaging and deeply applicable. It wonderfully mixes narrative with teaching, humor with depth. Spiegel's background in philosophy allows him a unique perspective on the issues. Though his answers are generally simple, he avoids being simplistic. The reader will not only absorb some ideas for talking about faith with his children, but he'll grow in his understanding of doctrine as well. Both reflective and profound, Gum, Geckos and God is the kind of book any reader can enjoy.

As a single who wishes someday to be a parent, picking up this book was an experience between my dreams for the future of my family and the memory of my own childhood. Growing up as a Christian, many of the conversations Dr. Spiegel has with Bailey and Sam reminded me of some of the questions I had growing up. Who made God? Where do things come from? How will I recognize Jesus when I see him? Why does God love us? These childlike questions are not uncommon, but the seriousness with which Spiegel takes them is. This is courageous. In this book, Spiegel faces straight on these questions, and in the end produces what I think is a unique catechism, a teaching experience first shared within his family, and now with readers.

Often Christians will quip about having faith like a child, but sometimes will not deeply consider the shape and form and fearlessness of childlike faith. Often, we find ourselves squelching the questioning nature of childlikeness, uncomfortable as it can be, and untolerated as it is among our culture. At the books outset, Spiegel, through the story of Socrates, exposes the congruency between Ancient Athens and our own day when it comes to questions. Above all what I think this book gets right is to expose a graceful and tender attitude to the questions of children. This piece of wisdom is a theme throughout the book, the respect for questions; they do not act in disrespect of faith, but rather are the nourishment of it.

In this regard, as a single person, this book is about the experience of growing in faith as much as it is about parenting. You won't find any quick fix tips, check-lists, or nifty quote answers to give children the next time they ask those stumper questions. What you will find in reading this book are reflections, thoughts, and conversations that will help you imagine differently. Spiegel engages with readers to help them imagine conversations with their children, and even peers, proceeding in a different direction then they often do. For example, in one scene, Spiegel struggles to find balance between authoritarian dictums and over indulgence, yet maintaining a relationship of trust with his son. Its this kind of seeking an imagination which inspires others not to copy and paste simplistic principles, but virtuously improvise within the dramas of their own families and societies.

This book has a catechismic quality to it. Each chapter is made on thematic questions, shifting between conversation and essay and personal reflection. Speigel does a good job sketching the characters of his family, making the dialogues fun and multidimensional. Sam and Bailey keep the conversations lively and the tangents realistic. They are not just mouhtpieces for Spiegel, but real children asking and doing and behaving as children do. But this catechism is not merely interested in baldly answering rote questions for a test. Rather, its relational quality makes for much richer theology than would otherwise take place. The questions Spiegel chooses to entertain in this book are certainly pressing, not only for children, but for adults. Cosmology, Chirstology, Morality and Ethics, Epistemology, Eschatology, and many other theological themes are spoken of in a way that is pertinent, and moldable to different contexts. One gets the feeling that this book is a time-slice of conversations the Spiegels will continue to have with each other for many years to come.

Centered on conversations that Spiegel has with his young children about the Christian faith, Gum Geckos and God effectively takes topics that can often be abstract and difficult and presents them concretely and clearly. Questions that his kids ask (and that we've all wondered about) such as "What is God like?" (chap. 1), "Why do some people not believe in God?" (chap. 5), and "Why is it hard to be good?" (chap. 8) are addressed through the family's dialogue and Spiegel's thoughtful, personal reflections.

The result is a book that's delightful to read. It's engaging and insightful throughout with plenty of humor and tenderness mixed in.

I cannot say anything more productive than what other reviewers have said, so I will simply write that this is one of the best books I've read in the past ten years. That is not an empty superlative--I actually mean it is one of the best books I've read in the past ten years.

It is a remarkable book in its clarity, its truth, its honesty, and practical usefulness--in terms of modeling how to engage in natural, real conversations about truth. Spiegel is a masterful writer and has created a work of beauty.

Spiegel has created a lovely work in Gum, Geckos, and God. Let's face it, each of us at one time or another are going to have to answer - probably at the kitchen table - those deep, philosophical questions that we mostly relegate to the halls of colleges and universities. But, when a toddler earnestly looks to you to explain, "What God's like?" any idea what your answer is going to be?

Spiegel can help. He has taken conversations with his children and turned them into something of the modern day Socratic dialog. His patient responses not only demonstrate his love and commitment to his children, but also gently leads them to that "Aha!" moment Socrates was renowned for. You will laugh at the innocence of seeing the world through young eyes. You will cry at the faith of a young heart. And you will learn. A lot! Spiegel doesn't just stop at the Socratic-like dialog; he moves on in each chapter to elaborate upon the chapter's topic - again, in approachable language to even the most novice philosophy student.

If you want to sound like a philosopher in explaining the mysteries of theology and orthodoxy to your children (or, let's face it, yourself), but fear you have the articulation of Balaam's donkey, pick up this book.

What is more, this is perfect fodder for a young parent's sunday school class or church small group.

It's no small task to write an engaging, humorous book mixing the mundane and the metaphysical in a way that opens up a fresh perspective on orthodox Christian theology. But in Gum, Geckos and God, James Spiegel explores the commonplace and sublime side-by-side, and in fact intertwined, through his interactions with his young children and their questions about God, sin, heaven and hell and daily life.

I've often felt (and complained) that when it comes to discussing Christian faith, creativity tends to fall by the wayside. Sermons present the truths of God using the same words used a hundred years previous, different books about Christian theology present identical concepts in identical ways. No doubt, truth bears repeating. But in Gum, Geckos and God, age-old concepts become full of life while remaining orthodox. This is partly due to the fact that Spiegel uses his children as a frame of reference and is constantly creating interesting analogies to help them to understand profound ideas. But a major reason why reading theology as Spiegel presents it here seems new and different is the intersection of fascinating philosophical concepts (Berkeleyan idealism, for one) that rarely make their way into a sermon with the dirt-throwing, nose-picking, question-asking moments of everyday life, particularly life with children. Definitely recommended.

In "Gum, Geckos and God," Dr. Spiegel records the development of the faith of his family. With special attention focused on his children's questions about God, virtue, sin, and the Christian faith generally, Dr. Spiegel offers his readers a heuristic for raising children in a theologically mature environment. Don't be intimidated, however, by the alleged formidable stature of the theological issues confronted in the book. Dr. Spiegel clearly and humorously discusses some of the most popular questions children ask their parents in a fashion accessible to everyone. The book is a great help to parents who want guidance in dealing with their children's tough questions that might have them stumped. For those who do not have children but have questions themselves or are receiving questions from inquiring peers, the book will also prove to be a valuable tool.

Children are excellent sources of questions. "Why is the sky blue" is an all-time classic. In "Gum, Geckos and God," Spiegel takes a handful of questions that seem to come naturally to children, but are mysterious and deeply profound to adults. Often times, the probability of answering these questions sufficiently seem to be about the same as (to use a baseball analogy, which seems to be somehow fitting for this book) hitting a 100 mile per hour fastball out of a major league park with a toothpick. Fortunately, what Spiegel offers here is not a toothpick, but sound Biblical wisdom and philosophical rigor.

Questions regarding Ethics, Theology, and Christology are especially abundant, though other topics (like immortality, sin, evil, belief) are also treated with care. I believe everyone can benefit from the content of the book, since everyone has once been a child and has understood the questions and deep emotions that children experience. It would especially be a fantastic book for families to read together. It captures the emotions of children almost perfectly, not an easy task for an author, which make the questions and answers all the more genuine.

As a father of three boys I jumped into this book head over heels. Not so much in an effort to learn and think about philosophical queries or life's ultimate meaning, but more to see how my experience with three boys who ask questions stacks up against the experience of another father of kids who ask and say the darndest things. The book certainly kept me engaged, but more importantly it helped me to appreciate the wonder that is inherent in little people. It caused me to consider how I can be more intentional with all the important teaching moments that can easily be brushed asided in the midst of a busy family life. The questions that kids often have are the most important quetions in life, and Spiegel's frank yet appropriate discussions with his children offer help to us, both as parents trying to answer our children's questions, but also us as humans who wrestle with all the same questions throughout our entire lives. This is a great read for parents, but it would also make great material for adult discussions as it provides easy to digest thoughts about difficult subjects. As a side note, I have given it to my 13 year old son to read as I believe he will be able to easily interact with its conversational approach and fun, light-hearted vignettes. It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend this book!

Gum, Geckos and God is a fun look at theology in the context of the family. Speigel unpacks some of the deepest theological issues such as original sin, atonement, sovereignty, and heaven through the thoughtful, winsome, and sometimes hilarious conversations he and his wife have with their children. I felt affirmed and challenged in my own personal theological understanding throughout.

With each passing chapter, I felt increasingly drawn into the journey of the Speigel family. While not an outright parenting manual, there is certainly a lot to be learned through the honest glimpses into the Speigel household. Despite not yet having any children of my own, this book served as a great big-picture overview of what it means to have a Christ-centered family.