You don't have to doubt in secret anymore
Brian McLaren says religious doubt isn't the death of faith. It's the birth of faith beyond belief.
In Review
Faith after Doubt
Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It
Several months ago, the Christian Century published a cartoon depicting a man and a woman talking about faith. The man says, “I believe but sometimes I don’t.” The woman responds, “That’s weird because I don’t believe but sometimes I do.” Many people in America can relate to that cartoon. Sometimes we believe. Sometimes we don’t. But lately, a whole lot of us don’t.
Sixty-five million American adults alive in the United States today have already dropped out of active religious attendance, and that number grows by 2.7 million every year. This environment has inspired legions of publications, including Barbara Brown Taylor’s Leaving Church, John Shelby Spong’s Unbelievable, Sam Keen’s In the Absence of God, Diana Butler Bass’s Christianity after Religion, and my own Doubter’s Parish website. In his new book, Brian McLaren makes an important addition to this growing genre of resources addressing religious angst in America.
Like many religious leaders, McLaren wears multiple hats. In Faith after Doubt, at least five roles emerge. As usual, McLaren the author provides a timely, relevant, and well-written book that is well worth the investment of time and money.
