Adopted for Life [Book Review]

—PJ King

I was born into an adoptive family. 

You see, my oldest sister was adopted by my father before I was born. She has never been my half-sister—only my full-sister. We have the same parents, the same family, and we shared the same home. We are equal heirs to our family’s estate. There is no distinction between us.

I was baptized into an adoptive family.

You see, when I was younger, my Father called me to himself, by his Spirit, through faith in Jesus—his only begotten son. I was adopted into his family, as are all of his children. We are equal heirs to our Father’s estate—his righteousness and everlasting life. There is no distinction between us

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About the book

Adopted for Life, by Russell Moore, is about adoption—both kinds of adoption.

Dr. Moore is senior vice president for academic administration at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is also dean of the School of Theology. More importantly, he is the father of four boys: some were adopted into his family and some were born into it, but they are all his sons.

The Moore adoption story is a significant part of this book. Dr. Moore and his wife were seemingly infertile for a significant amount of time, and then they struggled through a series of miscarriages. While his wife was convinced about adoption some time before he was, eventually Russell was enthusiastic about adopting children of his own. Through the expertise of an agency, the Moores were able to adopt two toddlers from Russia. Some time later, they were also blessed with the births of two more sons.

This book spends a good deal of time on both our adoption by our Father and the earthly adoption of children. Moore’s intention in writing this book seems to be to encourage families to consider adopting and to show Christians that all of us must be involved in adoption, somehow. His topics vary widely; in this single book (only 220 pages long) he discusses the Gospel in terms of adoption, the blessings and difficulties of adoption, how to properly respond to others’ adoptions, how to encourage adoption, and a host of practical issues for those preparing to adopt.

My take on it

Adopted for Life is a good introduction to adoption because of the many facets addressed at a topical level. It is useful for people considering adoption, individuals and churches hoping to support adoption, and those who need to be convinced of the merits of adoption.

Because my wife and I are considering adoption, I found some of the practical, adoption-process oriented chapters enlightening. This book was also helpful in teaching me how to relate to families who have already adopted children: don’t ask “which ones were adopted?” especially in the presence of the children. Don’t treat the children who were adopted into the family differently than those who were born into the family—even in an effort to make the adopted ones feel special—because this ends up making them feel out-of-place. Dr. Moore also provided excellent advice for promoting adoption through the church as part of the commands of Christ and as an effective evangelistic and missional practice.

The numerous topics in the book, however, bring with it a distracted feel. Covering so many unique (even if related) themes, in so few pages, pulls the book in too many directions. Additionally, the writing seems repetitive. Sometimes, Moore stays at the same level of discussion on a topic for too long, where I would expect either a deeper discussion or a transition to the text topic.

Should you read it?

Adoption is intrinsically important—especially for Christians, who have all been adopted into our Father’s kingdom. Over the years, however, a significant portion of the Church has lost the proper focus on pure religion as defined in James 1:27, to care for the orphans and the widows. Thankfully, we are seeing an important resurgence of adoption and orphan-care within the Church. This book is a result of the resurgence so far, and stands to serve as a catalyst for an even greater emphasis on adoption among Christians.

Despite any criticisms I might have, this is a good book for those of us who are beginning the adoption process, a great book for those who need convincing, and a must-read for those who want their local church to be more involved in adoptions.

This book certainly increased my own desire to adopt. I definitely recommend it to you.