When it comes to God, we are all agnostic. And I think I mean that quite literally. The word comes from the Greek agnosis [α-γνωσις] which simply means “not knowing.” Is there a God? Is there no God? We simply don’t know, if by “know,” we mean, “are certain about the scientific facts.” I am […]
Doubt
Yeah, But Where Are the Boundaries?
If you are someone who has the same question about where the boundaries are now that the landscape looks different, perhaps answering that question should not be priority one.
On God, Shooting Children, and Still Having No Answers
What kind of a God would…. Indeed. In my opinion, this is the grand struggle of any faith in God, a higher power, whatever.
8 Thoughts on Staying Christian Anyway
I have begun to see that those who cry out to God may be perched at the very point where true communion with God begins, because they are in the unique position of surrendering fully from self to God.
5 Challenges to Staying Christian
To utter one’s deepest fears about their faith is for some only slightly less risky that buying heroin on a street corner, and such fear is too common a phenomenon in the various iterations of conservative Protestantism, i.e., for traditions rooted in the importance of detailed and absolute knowledge on a wide range of topics.
My Answer to a Student’s Question About Whether Doubt Makes God Angry
Sooner or later, doubt happens, and when it does, there is plenty in the Bible to identify with.
why I like the horrible psalms, and other topics for Christian pilgrims
Here is a brief video about the Psalms, the dark side of faith, and some other themes from The Sin of Certainty. The video is the work of the one and only Travis Reed of The Work of the People. (Other videos Travis and I made together can be found here.) I am very glad to have had […]
God is tender with our doubting: the Bible says so (no matter what the Bible says)
I get a lot of great, honest questions from my students on almost a daily basis. Here is one from yesterday: “How do you read James 1:6-7, particularly as it concerns doubting, It seems as though James is saying that those who doubt God’s power are like waves and what not. Is this a specific […]
For Those Not Feeling Spiritually Victorious, I Give You: The Old Testament “No-Shame Zone”
Ever feel like you don’t have your spiritual act together, like you’re not feeling that “victory in Jesus” everyone else seems to have bubbling out of their eyes and ears? Me too. Some time back it dawned on me that the Old Testament can help here, more than the New Testament. Yes, you heard me. The […]
doubt: it’s not cool or hipster, but sacred
Being “saved” by God is an ongoing process of growth and transformation, of dying and rising, of being “conformed to the image of his [God’s] Son,” as Paul puts it (Rom. 8:29). Following Jesus means experiencing the taste of resurrection and ascension now—whether doing laundry, paying bills, or leading nations. Getting there is all about […]
