When a Baby Dies [Paperback]

Ronald H. Nash (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1999

'Is my baby with God now?' What does the Bible say to such a question? What hope does it offer parents grieving the loss of a precious child? The answers are merciful. However, the implications are not simple. Is God a Universalist? Is there salvation after death? What is the role of infant baptism? And what about the doctrine of depravity? If a baby is born into sin, then what? What happens to the unborn -- to the miscarried and the aborted? For pastors looking for biblical grounds to offer comfort and assurance, and for parents seeking solace for their grief, When a Baby Dies offers insights that are rich in hope and grounded solidly in Scripture.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Is my baby with God now? What does the Bible say to such a question? What hope does it offer parents grieving the loss of a precious child? The answers are merciful; however, the implications are not simple. Is God a universalist? Is there salvation after death? What is the role of infant baptism? And what about the doctrine of depravity? If a baby is born into sin, then what? For parents seeking solace for their grief, and for pastors looking for biblical grounds to offer comfort and assurance, this timely book offers insights that are rich in hope and grounded solidly in Scripture.

From the Author

Ronald H. Nash is professor of philosophy and theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He is the author or editor of many books, including Faith and Reason and Is Jesus the Only Savior

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (February 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310225566
• ISBN-13: 978-0310225560
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815,410 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Eckankar
  • #25 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Christian Living > Counseling
  • #36 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > Theology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding! Extremely helpful for grieving parents., May 20, 2003

By 

Bob Wilson (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When a Baby Dies (Paperback)

This book means so much to me. Someone gave me a copy of this book when my three-year-old daughter died in a car accident. This book gave me the comfort that I needed. I recommend it for any parent who is grieving because of a lost child. I know how it feels to lose a child, and this book will comfort you. It will answer all the questions you may have.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Theology of Death, October 25, 2004

By 

Berean "berean24" (Nowhere, Fast) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When a Baby Dies (Paperback)

There are many different types of books on grief; I think on that we can all agree. Some have personal stories of how parents survived the death of their child. Some are based on the psychology of grief, reassuring us that we're normal for having the kinds of questions we do. Some are strictly theological in nature and attempt to answer the questions "why" and "what now." Those are questions I asked myself after our daughter died halfway through my pregnancy. This book is not an attempt to console and IT IS NOT MEANT TO! For me, understanding the theological elements involved in her death gave me the kind of comfort I was looking for. Don't criticize the title or the style just because theological answers don't comfort you.

Look at who the author is and you'll quickly see that he's not trying to give you a hug and comfort you. He's trying to help you THINK correctly about the death of your child. For some people, that helps. Nash's theology of death is based on Calvinist theology, so don't let that irk you either. If he believed any other way theologically, he wouldn't have the kind of answers he does. He's not arrogant- he's stating those beliefs which he holds that he also believes are factual. Its a shame then whenever people get assertive about their beliefs these days, its called arrogance.

This book is for those who need to organize their THOUGHTS about the death of their child, not their feelings. For feelings, read Empty Cradle, Broken Heart (another one I recommend.) KNOWING that my daughter is in heaven is not a feeling. It stems from a theological understanding of prenatal/neonatal death. Understand that THIS is the author's objective in writing this book. This book IS for grieving parents- just not for parents who are looking for someone to comfort their feelings (and there is NOTHING wrong with needing to have one's feelings comforted.)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than superficial answers for a difficult matter., June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: When a Baby Dies (Paperback)

This little volume will be helpful for those thinking about this troublesome issue. The book's handling of this matter is brief, well written, easily read and soundly argued. Nash presents inadequate views of dealing with this very sensitive matter and then argues, on Scriptural and theological grounds, for his own position. This work is also a strong polemic for Reformed (Calvinistic) versus Armenian (Wesylian) theology; a discussion which runs throughout the book. Nash discusses many biblical passages which relate to this topic (although not all, for example the very difficult passage about David and his son, 2 Samuel 12:23, is not mentioned) and reasons his position carefully while examining the perspectives offered by various Christian theological systems. Nash also touches on related issues like a persons positon in heaven. It is especially recommended for those who have questions about the future of an infant who has died and is not satisfied with superficial answers.