Dad Difference: Creating an Environment for Your Child's Sexual Wholeness

by Josh McDowell, Norm Wakefield

Book by McDowell, Josh, Wakefield, Norm

173 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1989

About the author

Josh McDowell is a bestselling Christian apologist, evangelist, and author of over 150 books, including Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter. Once an agnostic, he converted to Christianity while investigating its historical claims. He went on to earn degrees from Wheaton College and Talbot Theological Seminary. For decades, McDowell has been a prominent speaker with Campus Crusade for Christ, addressing issues of faith, character, and youth culture worldwide. His work emphasizes historical and legal evidence for Christianity and tackles challenges posed by skepticism and non-Christian beliefs. He lives in California with his wife, Dottie, and is the father of four children, including fellow apologist Sean McDowell.

Reviews

[Danielle Routh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially thought this book would be an examination of how the active presence of a dad affects a child as they grow up, and it's sort of about that but with more of a focus concerning the child's view of sex and sexuality.

I realized halfway through that the Josh half of this duo was the same Josh McDowell behind Don't Check Your Brains at the Door, which I've read and enjoyed, so the fact that this 1989 tome is surprisingly progressive really shouldn't be all that surprising to me, especially regarding single moms, the treatment of divorce, and taking down the macho man ideal. The contents basically boil down to showing your kids what a relationship with God should look like, what a relationship with a wife should look like, and making sure that they know parents aren't perfect and are there to listen. If a child receives the right intimacy at home from Dad and is given a good example of how to treat the opposite sex, they won't seek intimacy elsewhere until the right time.

There were a few citations that seemed suspect to me, so I might check those out, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the relevancy of this middle-aged book.