Book Talk: Redeeming Singleness: How the Storyline of Scripture Affirms the Single Life ~Barry Danylak

Redeeming Singleness: How the Storyline of Scripture Affirms the Single Life ~Barry Danylak

“This book is not like many others you will pick up about a Christian perspective of singleness. It does not focus on the personal experience of singleness, or on a cultural analysis of the phenomenon of singleness in the contemporary church. Nor is it a conventional presentation of the biblical teaching on the subject, or an attempt to glean from exemplary models of single people from Scripture or church history. This book is also not a how-to manual either for living the single life well or for most expediently relieving oneself of the status. There are many other well-written books that focus on all these areas. The starting point for this book is to reflect on the purpose of biblical affirmation of the single life by exploring how singleness itself fits into God's larger purpose of redeeming a people for his glory. The fruit of such reflection will contribute toward constructing a biblical theologyof singleness.” (Introduction 15)

As singles it can frequently feel as though we fall outside God's plan for the Church. We find it difficult to know what our place is in an institution that is structured primarily around family. Barry Danylak outlines the history of singleness in the church, showing how the Cultural mandate given to Adam and Eve (“be fruitful and multiply” Gen 1:28), the covenants made with Abraham and his descendants, and the changes in focus which occur in the New Testament church are all connected to God's ultimate purpose: redeeming His people.

“Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promised seed of Abraham, and in him are Abraham's true offspring, heirs of the eternal inheritance promised by God. Since all the blessings of the new covenant are realized through our reconciliation to God through Christ, marriage is no longer a fundamental marker of covenantal blessing as it was in the covenant of Sinai. Singleness lived to the glory of God and the furtherance of his kingdom testifies to the complete sufficiency of Christ for all things. The Christian is fully blessed in Christ, whether he or she is married or single, rich or poor, in comfort or duress. The distinctive calling of singleness within the church testifies to this truth.” (Epilogue 213)

Danylak distinguishes between being called to be single and having the gift of singleness: “[T]he gift of singleness is not simply the situation or status of being unmarried. Unless one marries the day after puberty, one will inevitably live part of his or her life as a single person. There are some who may have to live their entire lives as single people, without the gift of singleness—not ever finding a suitable mate. As we noted earlier, Jesus recognized that some are eunuchs not because they chose to be but because of factors outside their control. However, those who have the gift of singleness can remain single by choice” (200).

Having a clear theological basis for singleness as an acceptable (though still difficult) role in the New Testament church is a real comfort. It feels at times as though as singles we are being left on the sidelines and are not living full Christian lives. Danylak's book assures us that our lives as singles in the New Testament church are just as theologically sound and complete as those who are married.

This definitely a book to have—as a single or married person—it is good to be reminded that our ultimate fulfillment is not to be found in our marital status but rather it is to be found in Christ.