You Are Not Your Own

Belonging to God in an Inhuman World

By: Alan Noble

Narrated by: Adam Verner

"You are your own, and you belong to yourself."

This is the fundamental assumption of modern life. And if we are our own, then it's up to us to forge our own identities and to make our lives significant. But while that may sound empowering, it turns out to be a crushing responsibility - one that never actually delivers on its promise of a free and fulfilled life, but instead leaves us burned out, depressed, anxious, and alone. This phenomenon is mapped out onto the very structures of our society, and helps explain our society's underlying disorder.

But the Christian gospel offers a strikingly different vision. As the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, "I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ." In You Are Not Your Own, Alan Noble explores how this simple truth reframes the way we understand ourselves, our families, our society, and God. Contrasting these two visions of life, he invites us past the sickness of contemporary life into a better understanding of who we are and to whom we belong.

©2021 Alan Noble (P)2021 eChristian

Great book - audiobook reader is ok

A great meditation on how we navigate our sense of who we are in the cultural moment and clear message delivery of the hope Christians have in Jesus Christ.

Highly relevant, thoughtful book

Noble asks hard questions and avoids easy answers. I made so many connections with other ideas while reading this, and the book is definitely talking to books like Abolition of Man and the works of Charlotte Mason. This connects with so many seemingly disparate ideas, while avoiding any unnecessary tangents and being laser focused on the subtitle - belonging to God on an inhuman world.

Deep but necessary

Noble’s book is dense and deep and requires astute attention as he lays the formidable groundwork for his thesis. At times I wondered at the direction in which he seemed to be going, but the last chapters revealed his thoughts and intentions. I am still thinking about those chapters and wondering how to apply their work to my own life. This book is not for the faint-hearted reader, but it is rewarding in its completion.

Insights about Humane Living

Noble helps us wisely consider the unhealthy individualism that has captivated our hearts, minds, and societal relationships. Likewise, he shows the deep and wide goodness of the gospel for engaging in truly humane living.

Thought provoking

This book really made me look inward. Lots of things to think about. It was well written and the narrator did a really good job keeping my attention.