3girls4me Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Hi ladies, Question for you - what books do you recommend for someone who is struggling with their faith? The intellectual belief component, not an anger or frustration with God type struggle. I suggested Mere Christianity and there are the Lee Strobel books. What else? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Just to clarify... is the person looking for books that will help reaffirm their faith? Or books from a non-believing viewpoint to help them let go of belief? Or perhaps both for a two sided view?? You might get some very different recommendations depending on the perspective. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3girls4me Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 I would say reaffirming faith. Or both sides. Thanks for asking that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Seconding Mere Christianity Also highly recommending the Reason for God by Tim Keller. Also good, Knowing God by J.I. Packer and Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Is this for a young person or adult? Also, what about podcasts or audio things? Would any of that be okay. I'm going to think outside the box a bit - how about going back to the early church writers. There's some very good writings within the first 400yrs of the church... and much of it is surprisingly accessible to today's audience. Justin Martyr's Dialog with Trypho is quite enlightening and he was writing circa 150AD.. widely available online - it's not that long either. On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius is also quite good- it's also less than 100pages long... if you buy the book with the forward by CS Lewis - it is FANTASTIC. Honestly, just the Lewis' introduction is worth the price of the book Is this for a young person or adult? Also, what about podcasts or audio things? Would any of that be okay. But, I'm going to think outside the box a bit - how about going back to the early church writers. There's some very good writings within the first 400yrs of the church... and much of it is surprisingly accessible to today's audience. Justin Martyr's Dialog with Trypho is quite enlightening and he was writing circa 150AD.. widely available online - it's not that long either. On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius is also quite good- it's also less than 100pages long... if you buy the book with the forward by CS Lewis - it is FANTASTIC. Honestly, just the Lewis' introduction is worth the price of the book 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3girls4me Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 Thanks! These are great suggestions. It for an adult. And sure - I would think podcasts and other audio things would be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace (and his blog, as well!). And I will second The Reason for God by Keller. Also, there are many "faith memoirs" out there that are very interesting, written by people of all kinds of have come to faith or back to faith. I just recently read a very interesting article by a female astrophysicist who felt her work led her to belief in God. If he/she needs a new Bible, The Apologetics Study Bible is actually pretty neat. Lots of reasons and defenses for the hope we have! (I'm part of an apologetics FB group where some of the contributors chat and that's very helpful to me. They are intellectually WAY over my head some of the time, but have made great book suggestions to me over the years! If you would like something specific, let me know.) Podcasts of the intellectual, reasoning, apologetics bent: Unbelievable? Justin Brierley, amongst these: http://www.apologetics315.com/2007/10/16-best-apologetics-podcasts.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Michelle. Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 If they've got Audible, this is a good course: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001JHT8DI/theofficiapet-20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3girls4me Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 Thanks for the additional thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJosMom Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Thirding Mere Christianity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 If you want more of a liberal/progressive and yet still orthodox (small o) view, Theology for a Troubled Believer is really good. There's one part of a chapter that gave me major pause as an orthodox Christian (it concerned suffering), but other than that, it gave good answers without thinking it had all the answers, iykwim. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I second Mere Christianity. I did not like Lee Stroebel's books at all. (Sorry). What about Dietrich Bohnhoeffer? I like Annie Lamott because she's so out there imperfect, and yet still has great faith. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Benefit of the Doubt by Greg Boyd. http://www.amazon.com/Benefit-Doubt-Breaking-Idol-Certainty/dp/0801014921 I can't express how much this book helped me, and it's helped others I know too. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Antony Flew's book, There is a God, was life-changing for me. He was a philosopher/world-reknowned atheist (he used to argue against C.S. Lewis) who in his later years, especially after more scientific evidence was discovered, concluded that believing in an ultimate creator was actually a more logical explanation that NOT believing in a creator. After that, I'd recommend Gregg Boyd's books (especially Letters from a Skeptic and Benefit of the Doubt), and C.S. Lewis. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Timothy Keller just tweeted a list of books yesterday. "Need a reading list for how Christianity makes emotional, cultural, and rational sense? See-http://download.redeemer.com/pdf/qc_reading_list.pdf …. Read a book with others." 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saddlemomma Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 If a person is struggling with intellectual reasons for doubting faith, I would guide that person into apologetics based reading/listening. Right now I'm reading a great book by Nancy Pearcy titled Finding Truth, not because of faith issues, but because of my interest in apologetics in general. I think it could be titled better just by leaving off the "....5 Principles in Unmasking Atheism, Secularism & Other God Substitutes". I don't think that part of the title is helpful. However, I think it could really help Christians struggling with intellectual faith (trust) issues. Another great resource would be Stand To Reason (str.org) podcasts. These really led my DH and I through a very difficult time when we started questioning everything about what we believed and shed light on some very misleading teachings throughout the church in general. Now we don't adhere 100% to everything that is espoused by the organization, but it's great in answering common questions about classical Christianity and revealing the truth of scripture through philosophy, logic and critical thinking. The host of this radio show, Greg Koukl, holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion & Ethics and a Ph.D. in Christian Apologetics. Their podcasts led DH and I to a much deeper and stronger understanding and faith in Christianity. HTH 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albeto. Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I would say reaffirming faith. Or both sides. Thanks for asking that. I'll suggest a few books that do not reaffirm faith, but instead reaffirm one's opinion that there is valid and important reasons to doubt the claims of the faith they have otherwise assumed to be true. I don't suggest these to be a thorn in anyone's side, or to cause controversy, or to make this a "hot topic," but because some of us who have struggled with our faith have felt genuinely better, more validated, when being allowed the opportunity to honestly and genuinely consider our reasons for doubting. I won't say it's an easy struggle for everyone, and in my experience it seems the older one is, the more difficult the process tends to be (losing one's faith at 14 isn't generally quite as hard as losing it at 34, for example), but being encouraged to just believe anyway was the hardest thing for me. It was like I was trying to lie to myself, and that was really hard to do, and really hard to forgive, but not as hard feeling betrayed and deceived by people I had trusted/ I don't think they betrayed me on purpose, but their answers were ultimately mere distractions to my questions, and I felt deceived by the whole experience. I think it shows a measure of respect to help a person come to terms with their loss of faith without trying to convince them to maintain a belief system they don't really believe in. In my own experience, those who were most patient with my loss of faith were the ones who valued me most for who I was, not for what "good vibes" I could bring to the table. I think the world of those people, and always will. Anyway, you might consider to pass along some of the books in this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/548926-book-recommendations/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Finding the Father: See Him for Who He Really Is, by Herb Montgomery "Some of Christianity's long-held, though biblically unfounded, views are confronted--God's true attitude toward pain and suffering, where guilt comes from, and what His forgiveness accomplishes. And the question that plagues every human heart is irrevocably resolved: If God really loves us, why does He allow horrible things to happen?" More Than a Carpenter, by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell "The inspirational classic, More than a Carpenter, is now updated for a new generation of seekers with a fresh look, revised material, and a new chapter that addresses questions commonly raised today. Former skeptic Josh McDowell is now joined by his son Sean as they examine the evidence about Jesus. Is he really the Lord he claimed to be? How can we know for sure? More than a Carpenter offers arguments for faith from a skeptic turned believer. Since its original publication in 1977, this modern classic has sold over 15 million copies, been translated into dozens of languages, and introduced countless people to the real Jesus. Now with new content that addresses questions raised by today’s popular atheist writers." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalsummer Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I'm not religious, and I never was, but coming at this from the other side, somewhat (as an atheist who became a believer in what you might call the metaphorical meaning of most religious belief), The Will to Believe is good. http://educ.jmu.edu//~omearawm/ph101willtobelieve.html (plus it's free) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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