Why the Ten Commandments Matter

From the acclaimed author and minister comes a rejuvenating, meditative examination of the value of the Ten Commandments in today's America. D. James Kennedy believes many of the social ills that plague America today-from an exponentially rising divorce rate to the violence in our schools-stem from society's ever-increasing distance from the Ten Commandments. Kennedy advocates a return to these fundamental laws, which have the power to prevent further tragedy and transgression, and to unify a nation. Kennedy's message on the urgency of regression is aimed at Christians and non-Christians alike, and what results is a biblical prescription for happier, healthier living.

Kennedy, a Florida minister with national influence through writing and hosting the television program The Coral Ridge Hour, says that our morally sick society needs the antidote found in God's law. Kennedy begins by explaining why the Ten Commandments remain relevant: they summarize God's timeless moral law, convince people that they are sinners, and teach believers what pleases God. Kennedy then walks the reader through the positive and negative imperatives of each commandment. Interpretations that would have been familiar in American culture a generation ago might sound foreign to many readers. For example, Kennedy suggests that it's wrong to go out to eat on Sunday, and he says that the fifth commandment mandates respect not only for parents but for all those in authority. His sermonic style, reliance on hypothetical examples and tired anecdotes limit the book's effectiveness. He fails to provide sources for purported facts; for example, statements like "Today, in Los Angeles, there are more gang members than there are police officers" beg for attribution. Kennedy also prefaces several assertions with "I believe" or "in my opinion," a distraction during a discussion of absolute truth. While Kennedy answers the question implicit in the title, stylistic shortcomings muffle this book's message. (May 16)