Book Review: Reflection on "The Skeptical Believer"

skeptical-believerHave you ever thought about your deep doubts? What do I believe? Where do I stand on this or that issue?

I found a book that adventures into those thoughts and takes a look at the inner doubts we all have. The book by Daniel Taylor is called The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories to Your Inner Atheist. It helps one reflect on what our skepticism is and how we can walk through our minefield of thought.

I read each of his reflections as a part of my morning devotional. The first section of reflections focuses on defining the skepticism of my belief and diagnoses where I am. At first, I said I had no problem, yet actually I do. The second part of the adventure is reflections on the profile of what a skeptical believer is. Each of us have a profile, Taylor may not hit yours on the head, but it gives the reader a chance to reflect on what could be one’s profile.

The next step in the journey is: What is the nature of faith? At times we need to reflect on what faith is and where we are going with it. I have mentioned before that faith and truth are the same thing. Faith is knowing the truth. These reflections go deeper into one’s thoughts. We seem to be always challenged with objections to our faith. People tell us what is wrong and we question whether our faith is real. We need to reflect on the truth as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit and Scripture.

As we move towards the end of the book, there are arguments for faith that can be refuted. For me during this reading, the reflection I picture is the Bible divinely written or spiritually inspired.

So what is it you wrestle with?

Now that our faith is challenged we need to live the story. For me, it does not matter how the Bible is written, it is the truth. We live in a world where we need a path to walk. In the second to the last section of the book, Daniel Taylor reflects on his own story—on his questions and his walk with God.

The conclusion to the book is reflections on the joy, risk, adventure, and the love of one’s adventure in reflecting their faith. The author challenges the reader to take the risk and to recommit to their faith. The reader is to adventure into a new type of love. It’s a great trip to take every morning to read and reflect on each day.

Scott Rowley
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