The Christian and Doubt

Last updated on: November 5, 2008 at 12:20 am by Scot McKnight

The Christian and Doubt 2008-11-05T00:20:00-06:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“This is a book with the not very catchy title Faith and Doubt, and the most important word in the title is the one in the middle,” so writes John Ortberg in the introduction to his newest book, Faith and Doubt

. I’ve read a number of books in my life on doubt, and everyone of them — unless my memory fails me — was by a professor or a professional intellectual. Because this new book is by a pastor, I’m especially appreciative. He opens this book up with this line: “I will tell you my secret: I have doubts.” And then this comment I deeply admire: “There is a part of me that, after I die, if it all turns out to be true … there is a part of me that will be suprised.” Alongside that bold statement is this one: “Because I have faith too. And I have bet the farm.” Yes, indeed, the key word here is and: Faith and Doubt. Ortberg knows that faith coexists in most of us with some doubt. It is not Faith or Doubt, but Faith and Doubt.

What are your experiences of faith and doubt? Has it been a world of faith or doubt?

One thing I like about John Ortberg is that he’s not embarrassed at having gone to a high school with the lamest nickname in history. He went to East Rockford High School and their nickname was the “E-Rabs” — “East… Red … and … Black.” Whenever I rib him about this, he reminds me that I went to Freeport High School and our nickname was the “Pretzels.” Sure, not your most fiersome name but it’s a lot better than “E-Rabs.” Don’t you agree? I mean, we can say “twist them up” but what does an E-Rab do?

Back to the book … John’s known for his wit. Like this story about the human quest to be home and to be home with God and where God is determines where home is. But this story lightens up the theme: “I was mistreated once — I don’t remember now, but I’m sure it was bad — and I told my parents I was leaving. I packed my very small suitcase and told my mother to call my grandfather; then I sat outside on the curb waiting for him to pick me up.

An hour later, my mom came outside. “He’s not coming, you know,” she said.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Well, for one thing, because he’s already raised his family. For another thing, you’re not his son. You’re our son. And for another thing, you’re seventeen years old. You’re too old to run away.”

Deadly wit. [An E-Rab can say “raised” and not “reared” and get away with it. Pretzels know better.]

But this book is serious. A chp called “The Leap,” full as it is of good stories and quotations, speaks of moments, mountain top experiences, that create space in humans for faith to develop. “You hear an inspirational talk. You watch the birth of a child. You receive an answer to prayer. Sometimes it’s beauty that pierces your heart — a series of notes in a song, a phrase in a book — and you know that God is there. Faith is born” (68). But doubt will follow; doubt is the valley below the mountain. Faith involves a leap, but he’s doesn’t see the leap as irrational — and this is so good about this book. “It does not mean choosing to believe an impossible thing for no good reason” (73). It’s a choice. It’s commitment. It’s betting the farm.

So many themes in this book, including what “hope” (in things, in a person) is, the silence of God — he sees his doubts stemming from a lack of evidence, the negative evidence of failing Christians, the problem of pain — may be the best chp of the book and worth the price itself — and other chps on how doubt sometimes goes bad (falling into skepticism and cynicism and rebellion) and how uncertainty is a gift (the nature of genuine relationships), and why John believes (he gives his arguments).

Theology

Previous Post

November 5, 2008

Gospel 27

Next Post

November 5, 2008 A Prayer for Obama

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What book comes after Proverbs?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Isaiah Daniel Ecclesiastes Psalms