Questioning Faith

Prominent atheists claim the Bible is a racist text. Yet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. read it daily. Then again, so did many ardent segregationists. Some atheists claim religion serves to oppress the masses. Yet the classic text of the French Revolution, What is the Third Estate?, was written by a priest. On the other hand, the revolutionaries ended up banning religion. What do we make of religion’s confusing role in history? And what of religion’s relationship to science? Some scientists claim that we have no free will. Others argue that advances in neurobiology and physics disprove determinism. As for whispering to the universe, an absurd habit say the skeptics. Yet prayer is a transformative practice for millions. This book explores the most common atheist critiques of the Bible and religion, incorporating Jewish, Christian, and Muslim voices. The result is a fresh, modern re-evaluation of religion and of atheism. Scott A. Shay is a Co-Founder and Chairman of Signature Bank and a longstanding Jewish community activist. Shay started a Hebrew school, an adult educational program, and chaired several Jewish educational programs. He is the author of Getting our Groove Back: How to Energize American Jewry and has been thinking about religion, reason, and modernity since wondering why his parents sent him to Hebrew school.

You don't need to memorize evangelical formulas or answers. You just have to be willing to ask. There was something different about the way Jesus communicated with the lost: He didn't force answers upon people, He asked questions. So why don't we? Following Christ's lead, Randy Newman has been using a questioning style of evangelism for decades. In this provocative book, he provides practical insights to help Christians engage others in meaningful spiritual conversations. He challenges us to examine how we think about people, their questions, and our crucial message. This second edition includes a new preface reflecting on the popularity of this perennial best seller and what its success has taught Newman about the effectiveness of this extraordinary method. "Distilled out of over twenty years of personal evangelism, this book reflects both a deep grasp of biblical theology and a penetrating compassion for people--and finds a way forward in wise, probing questions. How very much like the Master Himself!" --D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School "Questioning Evangelism steps outside the boundaries of evangelism as usual and tackles the tougher issues of our modern day." --Mitch Glaser, Chosen People Ministries

A modern classic--revised with more than 70 percent new material--is based on seven Scriptural realities that teach Christians how to develop a true relationship with the Creator.

How can we know if God is real? Does God truly care about us? Why does God create people he knows will reject him? Why did God allow my friend to become a rape victim? Should I switch jobs? Is this person the one I should marry? If you have pondered these doubts, you are not alone. Sometimes we have intellectual questions about the plausibility of God. Other times we go through difficult life experiences that cause us to question our faith. Sometimes we simply struggle feeling confident with day-to-day decisions. Christina Powell knows what it's like to grapple seriously with challenges to faith. A trained scientist and cancer researcher, she struggled with the mysterious claims of a God who exists beyond what the scientific method could detect. Using personal stories from her own life, she explores how faith can be rooted in rationality, knowledge and facts, while coming to recognize the limits of science in evaluating matters of faith. Asking good questions can help us clarify and refine our faith. We can think critically about our doubts and learn to discern the true and the good. Powell probes the hidden factors that fuel our doubts to help us move beyond skepticism, disillusionment or painful life circumstances. We can live deeper into our questions in the context of Christian community. Ultimately we can work through challenges to faith and find a renewed confidence in our beliefs. It's okay to question your faith. But don't stop there. Question your doubts as well.

Sort through Your Questions and Find a Path from Doubt to Faith Do you have honest questions about faith? Or have you walked away from a faith you once had? Perhaps you've been part of a faith tradition, but you've begun to question parts of what you've been taught. Students and young professionals today are submerged in a culture of cynicism and doubt. Many identify as nonreligious but wrestle with questions about God's existence, the meaning of life, and whether it's possible to find goodness and beauty in this world. After 40 years listening to hundreds of people's stories of faith, Randy Newman has come to see that answering spiritual questions usually involves a series of twists and turns, not a direct ascent from one belief to another. Our political view, family background, understanding of sexuality, and religious background all play a part in our faith journeys. If you or a friend are navigating terrains of doubt, you'll find Newman to be a faithful guide. He'll help you sort through your many questions and find solid answers. Culturally Aware: Touches on matters of morality, identity, suffering, sexuality, and science Accessible: Newman mixes thought-provoking anecdotes with a clear and compelling message about the Christian faith A Tool for Winsome Apologetics: Written to help those who doubt to answer their questions about the Christian faith; will also help Christians strengthen their beliefs and share them with doubting friends Written by Randy Newman: Senior fellow for apologetics and evangelism at the C. S. Lewis Institute

We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.

'This spirited encouter between a hardheaded atheist and a sophisticated theologian on the nature and existence of God can serve as a model for how to conduct a passionate and intelligent conversation on this most ultimate of issues.'--Rabbi Neil Gillman, Jewish Theological Seminary of America

Suffering and evil affect us all, both at a general level, as we look at a world filled with injustice, natural disasters and poverty, and at a personal level, as we experience grief, pain and unfairness. And how we think about and process the reality of pain is at the heart of why many people reject God. Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing is no stranger to pain and gives a heartfelt yet academically rigorous examination of how different belief systems deal with the problem of pain. She explains the unique answer that is found in Christ and how he can give us hope in the reality of suffering. This empathetic, easy-to-read and powerful evangelistic book is good for both unbelievers and believers alike. It will help those hoping to answer one of life’s biggest questions as well as those who are either suffering personally or comforting others.