Jason Stellman is a former missionary and currently the pastor of Exile Presbyterian Church.  He is the author of many articles and this is his first book.  It is 14 chapters, with index and Scripture references and footnotes following each chapter.  Pastor Stellman uses modern and ancient references to illustrate his points and his writing is not informal but not technical.  Each chapter is well-developed with an introduction and purpose, discussion, and conclusion.  Pastor Stellman’s purpose is to define how New Covenant believers are to live and worship in the tension between the “now and not yet” of Christ’s first and second comings.  “Both worship and life, our activities in the sacred and secular realms, should reflect the sense of homesickness and longing that all sojourners feel,” and Pastor Stellman explores the ramifications in areas such as eschatology, biblical theology and daily / weekly practices, both as individuals and as the corporate body.  The book addresses difficult questions, such as, “Why do we try to recapture the former glory of America when we belong to something much bigger and more grand?  What redemptive significance does being an American citizen have?  As citizens of heaven, what should be worthy of our affection – how do we balance the tension of temporal blessings and eternal glory?  How do we worship as a church and as individuals?”  Some major themes that run through Pastor Stellman’s book are for us to distinguish a difference or separation between what is sacred worship on Sundays vs. secular life Monday through Saturday, and the emphasis on a Presbyterian and Reformed viewpoint (covenant language, word and sacrament, Westminster Catechism, Presbyterian General Assemblies)  With this in mind, Dual Citizens remains a good book for anyone wanting to examine these difficult issues.

This book was given to me at no charge by Reformation Trust for the purpose of review.  I was not required to write a positive review.