Product Description

We live in a culture that doubts everything as a matter of principle. In such an environment, how can even faith be immune to doubt?

Can I really trust in the gospel? Does God really love me? Can I really be of any use to God?

We are taught to doubt but commanded to believe. Somehow we think that admitting to doubt is tantamount to insulting God. But doubt is not a sign of spiritual weakness--rather it's an indication of spiritual growing pains.

Alister McGrath, no stranger to a faith born of doubt, here offers good news to doubters: your faith can grow, and strengthen as it grows. It needs to take root in your experience of God, it needs to take in the nourishment of instruction in the words and ways of God, it needs to be stretched into greater obedience to the commands and calling of God--but it can grow beyond doubt into a thriving relationship.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #141664 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 155 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Western culture is going through an anti-Christian phase, writes McGrath, an Oxford theologian and president of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Doubt, he says, is currently fashionable, hence the continuing need for books of Christian apologetics, which explain and defend the faith. Doubt is normal, according to McGrath, its presence simply an indication that a person's faith needs to grow. In concise, readable and encouraging language, he examines various kinds of doubt (of God, Jesus, the Gospel and ourselves) and offers orthodox theological and biblical teachings as antidotes. Emphasis on feelings and experience in matters religious are fine for new converts, but in Oxfordian fashion, McGrath recommends academic study of the Gospels and Christian faith as well as engaging in traditional devotional practices and spending time with mature Christians as tools for growth in understanding and faithfulness. The book covers well-trod ground, adding little new content, but the language and examples are contemporary and engaging. Some confusion about the audience arises when McGrath alternates between speaking directly to college-age students, the book's primary audience, and providing instructions to counselors, clergy and friends who are caring for doubters. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author
Alister McGrath (D.Phil., Oxford University) is president of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and professor of historical theology at Oxford University. His numerous and wide-ranging historical and theological studies include Iustitia Dei: A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification (2 vols., 1986), The Twilight of Atheism, Theology for Amateurs, "I Believe," Exploring the Apostles Creed, The Genesis of Doctrine: A Study in the Foundation of Doctrinal Criticism (1990), The Intellectual Origins of the European Reformation (1987) and Evangelicalism and the Future of Christianity (1995).

Customer Reviews

Make Doubt an Opportunity for Spiritual Growth
A McGrath fan, this is yet another of his fine works. This one is not of the scholarly, academic genre, but rather a more practical, down to earth, layperson oriented effort.

And a fine one at that it is, focusing in on the important area of doubt. He begins by showing great empathy for it, showing that it is normal for not only the infant Christian, but equally so for the mature believer as well. The difference between the two is how different each copes with doubt. Herein lies the usefulness of this book.

The mature learn to cope with doubt by immersion in their faith practice, not falling away from it, which will and does only serve to sever the nourishment lines and cause the faith seed to expire. He provides workable, usable, doable suggestions for such immersion, e.g. daily Scriputre reading, pastoral counseling, journaling, etc. His analogies are excellent, e.g. the water spider's survival in hostile environment and the way it survives. (you'll have to read this to find out the wonderful parallels)

Add another excellent resource to your suggested reading here: Nancy Pearcey's "Total Truth". Apologetics is useful area to aid not only the individual's doubt, but also allow then to aid others.

Recommended for doubters and those that assist doubters.

Dealing with doubt in christian faith
This excellent book is easy to read, but addresses hard issues that often arise in one's christian faith. Especially relevant to college age christians and seekers.