Singles at the Crossroads

by Albert Y. Hsu

Book Overview

One of the 1998 Academy of Parish Clergy Top Ten Books of the Year

Nearly half of adults today are unmarried. But most churches emphasize marriage and family, leaving many Christian singles feeling marginalized or alienated. Though they look to Jesus and Paul as role models, many suspect they would be more acceptable to the church--and God--if they settled down and got married. Albert Hsu challenges this view. Christian singles don't need tips on...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0830813535
• ISBN13: 9780830813537
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: IVP
• Length: 194 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

God's Will is what is best for us

This book is challenging. Singles at the crossroads illuminates the issue of marriage & Christianity. Many singles feel marginalized from the culture of heavy emphasis on the physical family.Hsu gives honest insight into the possibility of living a celibate life in serving God. Indeed we are all part of God's kingdom. I really liked how he explained how people who do choose to lead celibate lives do experience the same yearnings & desires as anybody else & how honest & open communication with God about these desires is what God wants of us. This book goes over some of the advantages & disadvantages of both being Celibate and being Married.Indeed this book is also useful to those who want to be married since it serves as a reminder that we have to follow God's will above all else & that God's Will is for us to love him above all else.Personally I have always held the desire for marriage very highly. I found myself loving others more than I loved God. This book challenged me to follow God's will, & serve Him as my greatest desire. Instead of asking to meet my future wife, I now ask God for Faith & the desire to follow his will no matter what it is because that is what is best for me.This book also devotes a couple chapters to giving statistics (they are surprising & relevant). I think this book has substance since it served as a part of a catalyst for much growth in my faith.

Minivan drivers need not apply

If you ever felt a little out of place because you were not a part of the minivan crowd, "Singles at the Crossroads" is for you. You know how sometimes you wonder where in the Bible it says "Salvation is only for those whose live's emulated Ozzie and Harriet?" Albert Hsu knows that feeling. Okay, so maybe he doesn't use the minivan or Ozzie Nelson metaphor, but he does make the very strong point that our relationship with Jesus Christ is what really matters.

Thought-Provoking Insights on Christian Singleness

I know it has been said before, but "Finally a book that puts Christian singleness in the right perspective! " I read this book several months ago, and I am still pondering its meaning in my life. I know that God is calling me to be single for a long time, because He has something in store for me that a married person cannot do. Hsu really opened my eyes about what it means to be single, and God really used him to speak to me about His will. Hsu has so many good, Biblical insights on Christian singleness, that I would encourage everyone, single or married to read this book. From pointing out singles in the Bible to sharing about his single friends to relating his own personal stories, Hsu helps his readers to understand that God DOES call some people to be single, and that this call is not something to dread, but to embrace.

A refreshing view of the joys of singlehood!

If nearly 1/2 of today's adult population is single; why do you feel like a minority? Hsu states that the average CHURCH single population is around 15%. Singles' needs may not be met in most of today's churches; but Hsu reminds us that our needs CAN be met by God. This book has been such a wonderful blessing to me; I encourage you to read it.You will learn the history of singleness in the church, and come to understand why people think they way they do. You will find value in your life as a Christian, and come to see that a calling to singleness is equal to the calling of married life. Both provide an opportunity to live for Jesus (though you have more freedoms as a single).Hsu reminds us that "Scripture affirms that each of us is a whole person by ourself, because we are created in the image of God" (p. 71). Amen to that!