Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It

by Brian D. McLaren

Overview

From the author of A New Kind of Christianity comes a bold proposal: only doubt can save the world—and your faith.

"An honest, vital conversation... will help you live fuller and breathe easier. He illuminates the reality that belief and doubt are not opposites" —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Love Warrior

"Important book…Helps you find a deeper and wiser faith " —Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, author of The Universal Christ

Sixty-five million adults in the U.S. have dropped out of active church attendance and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. Faith After Doubt is for the millions of people around the world who feel that their faith is falling apart.

Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality. He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages—Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony—offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and intensify their commitment to what matters most.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250828378
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	93,472
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

A former college English teacher, Brian D. McLaren was a pastor for twenty-four years. Now he’s an author, activist, public theologian, and frequent guest lecturer for gatherings in the U.S. and internationally. His work has been covered in TIME Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and many other media outlets. The author of more than 15 books, including Faith After Doubt, Do I Stay Christian? and the award-winning A New Kind of Christian, he is a faculty member of The Living School at the Center for Action and Contemplation. McLaren lives in Florida.

Table of Contents

Preface: Permission to Doubt vii
Introduction: Moments of Terror xiii

PART ONE
Your Descent into Doubt
1: Doubt as Loss 3
2: Doubt as Loneliness 13
3: Doubt as Crisis 24
4: Doubt as Doorway 31
5: Doubt as Growth 41

PART TWO
All in Doubt
6: Doubt as Descent 59
7: Doubt as Dissent 74
8: Doubt as Love 89
9: A Human Problem 103
10: Faith, Beliefs, and Revolutionary Love 116

PART THREE
Life After (and with) Doubt
11: Communities of Harmony 131
12: Theologies of Harmony 147
13: Spiritualities of Harmony for the Rising Generation 159
14. Harmony as a Survival Strategy 174
15: A Civilization in Doubt 187
Afterword: You’re Not Crazy and You’re Not Alone 206

Acknowledgments 221
Appendices 223
I. The Four Stages of Faith 223
II. Before Simplicity: Stage Zero 226
III. Integration of Stage Theories 229
IV. Resources for Doubters 231
V. Spirituality Through the Stages 235
VI. Guidelines for Groups and Classes 237

Editorial Reviews

"If you thought life before doubt was good, McLaren concludes, wait until you see where doubt can lead you and what doubt can teach you... Personal and gently convincing." —Kim Shippey, International journalist and former features Editor for The Christian Science Journal and Christian Science Sentinel

"There is a much healthier kind of doubt I suggest you consider... In his just-published book, Faith After Doubt, Brian McLaren made this affirmation." —Rev. Paul Graves, The Spokesman Review

"Faith After Doubt is deeply reassuring to anyone who questions their faith or the existence of God... His book teaches us not to fear doubt and how to embody faith after doubt, with suggestions for reflection and action." —Spirituality & Health

"Religious folk often find the path of descent into doubt especially terrifying because they've been told their entire lives that they must accept certain understandings, beliefs, or dogma without question. In this important book, my friend and colleague Brian McLaren helps you find a deeper and wiser faith that is enriched by doubt instead of threatened by it." —Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, author of The Universal Christ

"McLaren’s kind and wise voice will be a breath of fresh air to many a person who has secretly wondered what to do with their doubts." —The Presbyterian Outlook

“In a culture in which the self-appointed gatekeepers of Christianity insist that faith equals certainty; belief is adherence to an exacting checklist of principles and politics; and belonging is an insular, exclusive membership, Brian McLaren is a heroic gate-crasher. In Faith After Doubt, he invites us into an honest, vital conversation about the pain and shame created by inherited certainty, and the powerful usefulness of thought and doubt. For all those who have understood that doubt and free thinking are failings of your faith, Brian’s book will help you live fuller and breathe easier. He illuminates the reality that belief and doubt are not opposites, they are the twin sisters with whom any honest person of faith walks continuously.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Love Warrior and Untamed, founder of Together Rising

"Brian McLaren gently moves us away from the notion of God as vengeful and petty, ready to punish those who question and challenge beliefs that no longer harmonize with their evolving experience and honest understanding. Brian encourages the reader embrace a deeper, wider, and more authentic faith that doesn't fear doubt, but welcomes it as an ally in their spiritual growth. This book will save lives." —Bishop Yvette Flunder, author of Where the Edge Gathers

"In this smart rumination...for those wrestling with aspects of the Bible or their church culture that they don’t agree with...McLaren’s persuasive argument for doubt as a means to save one’s spirituality and rescue religion at-large...will appeal to questioning Christians." —Publishers Weekly, Starred

From the Publisher

★ 11/23/2020

Former pastor McLaren (A Church on the Other Side) asks Christians to contemplate what faith might look like “on the other side of doubt” in this smart rumination. Written for those wrestling with aspects of the Bible or their church culture that they don’t agree with, McLaren’s work introduces doubt as a companion to faith, a “tough but effective teacher and a difficult but faithful friend.” He uses personal stories to show how doubt can lead to breakthroughs in one’s faith, such as describing his experiences in pastoral care while protesting opposite other Christians, who felt no doubt about their racial antagonism, at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va.: “We need radical change flowing from a new set of values and deeper spiritual narratives… only doubt will open a doorway out of hostile orthodoxies—whether religious, cultural, economic, or political.” Prompts for “Reflection and Action” are also included at the end of each chapter: “How would you describe the differences among certainty, uncertainty, and faith?” or “Respond to the statement: Doubt is necessary, but not sufficient.” McLaren’s persuasive argument for doubt as a means to save one’s spirituality and rescue religion at-large might turn off evangelicals, but it will appeal to questioning Christians. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

01/01/2021

Many Americans have left the Christian church, or experience doubt, and the numbers continue to rise. In his latest book, McLaren (The Great Spiritual Migration) addresses those who are struggling with faith loss, positing that doubt is not the enemy but a vehicle for growth. Thoughtful interviews with people questioning Catholicism or Protestantism relay the personal challenges of reconciling belief with supporting institutions that uphold hierarchy and patriarchy. Writing through the lens of a former pastor who has spent over 40 years examining his own doubt and how to live with it, McLaren offers a schema he created called "the four stages of faith development: simplicity, complexity, perplexity, and harmony." Christian dogma is left behind as McLaren provides broad theological and philosophical context, drawing from the writings of Richard Rohr and Ken Wilber, among others. The author acknowledges that living with faith and doubt is not a linear journey but, rather, one of many iterations. He continues by providing ample opportunity for readers to go in-depth with numerous footnotes, end of chapter discussion questions, and appendixes with extensive resources for an individual or group. VERDICT A helpful, non-judgmental resource for readers questioning their Christian faith, and looking for guidance on living with doubt.—Angela Forret, State Lib. of Iowa, Des Moines

Library Journal