Customer Reviews

When a Baby Dies

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.)

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.

It is common experience among Christians to wonder about questions upon which the Bible doesn't directly speak such as "Who did Cain marry?" or "Will there be animals in Heaven." One of the more profound questions concerns the eternal disposition of those who for one reason or another, cannot comprehend God's salvific provision though Jesus Christ before they die - namely, infants and the mentally incompetent.

Ronald Nash's "When a Baby Dies" is an attempt to answer this crucial question. In an easy-to-read style, Dr. Nash addresses this question by first refuting four heresies upon which infant salvation has previously been based: Pelagianism, Universalism, Salvation after Death (the opportunity to receive Christ after dying) and Baptismal Regeneration. He then presents his own argument supporting infant salvation.

The book could begin and end with his initial argument for infant salvation. It is clear, logically consistent, and most of all, biblical. Its elegance lies in the fact that it is an exception to both the Calvinistic and Arminian understanding of salvation. Therefore, it can be claimed equally under both belief systems. Unfortunately, Nash spends the rest of the book trying to deny his own initial argument to Arminianism - effectively refuting it, and relying on purely Calvinistic arguments for infant salvation.

I have read a few other books by Nash, but I have never seen him with his Calvinistic fangs bared as aggressively against Arminianism as he does in this book. And it's all completely unnecessary. Fortunately, the opaque walls he attempts to use to box out Arminianism from a coherent doctrine of infant salvation are not as solid as he thinks them to be and can be easily parried away - if by nothing else than his own initial argument in Chapter Five.

Those approaching this book looking for comfort will find it. Those simply curious about this issue will also be satisfied. But, one need only read the first five chapters. After that, the book descends into a near-irrational, and needless, apology for Calvinism.

This book was recommended to me as a resource for how to deal with the plight of aborted babies. Very thought provoking as author Nash walks you through many non-biblical and finally biblical grounds to support the belief that all infants (as well as the mentally impaired) go to heaven when they die. A worthwhile read!

I will start by saying I have not lost a child, but I am constantly asking for theological answers to what happens when children die. I have 3 children and am constantly worrying about them passing before they come to know the Lord. Baby baptism does not assure heaven. I know that sin separates us from God, and that all of us are born into sin. Therefore, I needed theological reasons why I could feel safe in the Lord if my young children were taken from me. I know God is a good God, but that is not reason enough for me to understand the theology behind this book. This book really gave me some much needed answers. I also recommend, "Where is My Baby?" by Nancy Ferrin for a more comforting view on the loss of a child.

A got this book as part of an attempt to study out the issues of infant death and age of accountability. It was one of only two books I could find on the subject. However, it was not at all what I expected.

In the first couple chapters the author is constantly blaming liberal Christians, pastors, and theologians for every false teaching, for any misunderstandings, and pretty much everything wrong in the church. Whether he is right or wrong in his assessment of their beliefs, he comes off as very arrogant and offensive. Readers from mainline denominations who picked up this book for comfort may not even make it through the first couple chapters. He sets up several straw men by telling fictional stories with made up characters and paints a liberal pastor as uncaring, unintelligent, and having a bad marriage. Interestingly though, when he tells a story about a FICTIONAL, MADE UP baptist preacher and seminary in chapter 3, he spends time cleaning up that story by prolonging the story to tell how the seminary returned to conservative, traditional values. Again, this is a made up seminary! He just wanted to make sure to put all the blame for bad theology on liberals and not leave any negative marks out about his own kind.

He consistently uses the term "mental incapables." that is neither a term nor an actual word. I work with people who are disabled and he is very inhumane when referring to them.

On pages 42-43 the author admits he is drawing his logic from a parable which he says are "difficult" to interpret but then excuses this basically saying it's ok because those on the other side of the argument use problem (or difficult) passages of Scripture too.

In the first chapters of the book he uses more stories and theory than personal, practical truth. Like many theologians, he is more concerned about his doctrine than the real hurts and needs of his readers.

The last half of the book are then an all out assault attempt on Armenian theology. He is more concerned with disproving arminianism than comforting parents who have lost a child. He could easily be taken to be saying that Calvinism is more important than Christianity with quotes such as "the reformed faith" and "the choice is either Calvinism or agnosticism."

Again, I bought this book as part of a theological study but was amazed at the lack of compassion and empathy and how impersonality he came off in his writing. Never does he attempt to speak directly to hurting parents. Rather he is obsessed with disproving liberals and arminians and then calling them names and making fun of what he determines is their poor or "sloppy" reasoning.

Don't buy it! Worst book I've read this year!!

"When a Baby Dies" is a good book, especially for those who minister to hurting, grieving parents. It gives sound theological answers in very readable language so that even non-theologically trained people can read with clarity and understanding. It can be a source of great comfort and hope to parents, like myself, who have lost a child to miscarriage or an early death. The book fails, though, when it delves into a discussion of Calvinism vs. Arminianism. While some may find the arguements interesting, I found them to be out of place, given the theme of the book. Additionally the views concerning Calvinist theology are presentd with a cetain arrogance that irked me. No one of us is completely, 100% on target in our theology (no matter how brilliant a scholar we are) and we had all better admit it! Many of the arguements presented in defense of the salvation of infants are compatible with both Calvinists and conservative elements of Arminianism. In spite of my hesitations concerning the arrogant tone of the last third of the book, I believe you can use it, whether for yourself or for those in your ministry, with a great deal of confidence.

This is the first book to be published on this subject in almost a century. What happens in the case of babies who die in infancy or before birth?This book answers that question in a careful and helpful way, as it also explores a number of related issues. Very helpful.

Almost every reason Ronald Nash gives for the wholsale saving of babies (and the like) goes against conservative Christian Dogma. One obvious example is his statement that babies are 'sinless'. Well, sin has nothing to do with the REQUIREMENT of belief in Jesus. 99.999999999% of heaven's occupants are/will be massive sinners. This all boils down to what has been referred to as the 'Exception' or 'Exemption' rule. I can come up with about a dozen logical exceptions to the 'belief' requirement. Unfortunately we on Physical Earth will not know until we depart the physical.