Faith and Doubt (by John Ortberg)

(Amazon UK link)

I have very much liked the books written by John Ortberg, which I have read over the past fifteen years or so. He’s an American pastor who thinks outside the books, and writes in a very readable style. He uses anecdotes to illustrate his points, including sometimes poking gentle fun at himself. I’ve started re-reading some of his books, and just finished ‘Faith & Doubt’, which I read previously in 2009.

It’s an encouraging book, expressing the importance of having doubt alongside faith. If there were no doubts, the author pointed out, we wouldn’t need faith: we would have certainty. And while it’s good to have some certainties, that’s not what God has ordained. We are not robots, we are fallible humans who should use our minds and our intuition to make wise (or unwise) decisions.

Doubt, as the author points out, is indicative of honesty, and a willingness to be wrong. There’s plenty of doubt expressed in the Bible - characters who go on to do great things often express their doubts, sometimes more strongly than that. Gideon asks for dramatic proofs of what God asks him to do; Abraham and Sarah laugh when they’re old they’re going to be parents. Several people argue with God, and of course the apostle Thomas is sometimes known as ‘Doubting Thomas’, because he expressed clear doubts about whether or not Jesus had risen from the dead.

So it’s certainly not wrong to doubt; we’re in good company if we do. And it can be a good thing; it helps us to consolidate what we believe, and why. It helps us see the ‘big picture’ of the Bible rather than getting hung up on minor details or inconsistencies. It enables us to be honest, and to help other people see that faith is not straightforward or ‘obvious’.

There are many examples given in the book of when the author has doubts, and when doubting can become a problem. He explains the three extremes of doubting: skepticism, cynicism and rebellion. Many believers are skeptical at times, and most of us probably have moments of cynicism. But we know them for what they are, and (hopefully) move through them rather than building our life around them. Rebellion is more dangerous, as it can lead to direct defiance rather than mere procrastination or uncertainty.

Overall I thought it a well-written, well-thought-out book which was encouraging and also interesting to read. I’m not sure I really learned anything new, but it’s good to have reminders of why doubting is part of faith, and why it’s not a rejection of God to sometimes wonder whether something is true or not.

It’s a book for believers rather than those without faith; encouraging for those who have been walking the path for decades, but probably more useful for newer believers who might be feeling overwhelmed or worried that their faith is not strong enough.

Recommended.

Note: This book was republished as 'Know Doubt' and is, rather confusingly, available with both titles.

Review copyright 2021 Sue's Book Reviews