I think I received a copy of the book Conscience back when if first came out in 2016, but I didn’t read it then. That was a mistake. I just finished the audiobook version last week and believe it is one of the most practical, theologically-rich, biblically-saturated books I have ever read. The table of contents reveals what the book covers and its practical nature:
- What Is Conscience?
- How Do We Define Conscience from the New Testament?
- What Should You Do When Your Conscience Condemns You?
- How Should You Calibrate Your Conscience?
- How Should You Relate to Fellow Christians When Your Consciences Disagree?
- How Should You Relate to People in Other Cultures When Your Consciences Disagree?
- A Closing Prayer
This book gives a biblically-grounded definition of the conscience, an explanation of the importance of never ignoring your conscience, advice on how to conform your conscience to God’s word, and how to navigate conflict when your conscience clashes with someone else’s.
I was challenged personally on a number of points—especially whether I have allowed my own conscience to be dulled by persistent sin. The older I get, the more aware I am of my propensity to get set in my ways and to become desensitized to things that my conscience ought to be sensitive to. Anyway, I’m not going to make this blog into a confessional. Sufficient to say that I have had to wrestle with my own conscience in reading this book, and that’s a good thing.
Many thanks to Andy Naselli and J. D. Crowley in their work on this book. It’s a job really well done, and I commend it to you.
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Andrew David Naselli and J. D. Crowley, Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016). 160 pp. $15.99.
