Doubting Toward Faith: The Journey to Confident Christianity

by Bobby Conway, Sean McDowell (Foreword by)

Overview

Contrary to popular belief, doubt is not the opposite of faith. Rather, doubts call for an important decision—will you give in to unbelief, or will you continue the journey toward faith?

Doubt can lead to confusion, hopelessness, and despair. But as this eye-opening book demonstrates, doubts can also deepen your dependence on God, develop your sense of empathy for others, and motivate you to find satisfying answers to life's biggest questions. Here you'll find practical ways to use your doubts to build your faith, such as...

• letting your doubts drive you to Jesus
• finding a safe community where you can doubt out loud and find support
• using a journal to clarify your doubts and the answers you find

No one can eliminate all doubt this side of heaven. So for now, discover how to use your doubts to keep you headed in the right direction—toward faith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780736963541
Publisher:	Harvest House Publishers
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.51(d)
Age Range:	3 Months

About the Author

Bobby Conway serves as lead pastor of Image Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is well known for his YouTube ministry Christianity Still Makes Sense. He also serves as the cohost of Pastors’ Perspective, a nationally syndicated call-in radio show on KWVE in Southern California. Bobby earned his master of theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, his doctor of ministry in Apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary and his PhD in philosophy of religion from the University of Birmingham in England where he was supervised under David Cheetham and Yujin Nagasawa. Bobby’s also written several books, including The Fifth Gospel, Doubting Toward Faith, Does God Exist?, and Fifty-One Other Questions About God. He’s married to his lovely wife, Heather, and together they have two grown kids, Haley and Dawson.

 

Sean McDowell (PhD) is the author, coauthor, or editor of numerous books, including A New Kind of Apologist. He is an associate professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University, is an internationally recognized speaker, and blogs regularly at www.seanmcdowell.org.

Table of Contents

Foreword Sean McDowell 9

1 A Crisis of Doubt 13

2 A Splinter in the Mind 31

3 Jesus Can Handle Your Doubts 49

4 Doubt Triggers: Part 1 69

5 Doubt Triggers: Part 2 91

6 Four Facets of Doubt 111

7 The Root of Doubt 133

8 Navigating Doubt 153

9 Faith Defined 177

10 Toward Faith 191

Appendix: Two Extra Tips for Navigating Doubt 205

Notes 207

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Bobby Conway has been responding to doubt and skepticism for years as the host of the One Minute Apologist. In Doubting Toward Faith, he has given us a valuable tool to help those who have been injured by doubt and those who seek to use their doubt to energize their own spiritual journey. Bobby defines the various forms of doubt, examines specific doubts particular to Christianity, and then provides a roadmap toward clarity, peace, and confidence. If you're struggling with doubt, or know someone who is, this book is a godsend."
—J. Warner Wallace, cold-case detective and author of Cold-Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene

"Religious doubt exists at epidemic levels today, and it is usually not primarily factual or intellectual in nature. As a result, we need books on this topic like this one by Bobby Conway. Many of us require a 'Doubt GPS' to lead us stealthily through the twists, turns, and even the drop-offs. And just as doubt comes from many different angles, so it was wonderful to see the multitude of insights, suggestions, and even remedies that are found in this text, all at different levels, as well. On top of everything else, this volume is well-written—a quick read. If you know Bobby, you're probably not surprised. I suggest that you take a look and see the suggestions for yourself, a loved one, or a friend who may be going through a painful process."
—Gary R. Habermas, distinguished research professor and chair, philosophy department, Liberty University and Theological Seminary

"Bobby Conway has written an immensely practical, well-informed, and much-needed book on doubt. It deserves a wide readership, as it addresses a significant—though often neglected—concern in many Christian circles."
—Paul Copan, professor of philosophy and ethics and the Pledger Family Chair, Palm Beach Atlantic University

"If you're agonizing from the deleterious effects of doubting your faith, let me offer up a remedy. Read Bobby Conway's Doubting Toward Faith."
—William Lane Craig, research professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology

"Bobby Conway shows you the causes of doubt, the solutions to doubt, the benefits of doubt, and why you should start doubting your doubts. This encouraging book will have you realizing that it takes too much faith to believe anything other than Christianity."
—Frank Turek, author of Stealing from God and coauthor of I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist

"Choosing our worldview is perhaps the most important decision an individual will ever make, since one's destiny in life and eternity may be determined in the process. It is only normal, therefore, to second-guess or have doubts pertaining to the wisdom of our choice. For those of us who are often tortured with doubt, Bobby Conway brings hope and guidance!"
—Michael Licona, PhD, associate professor of theology, Houston Baptist University

"In an era in which Internet distortions travel halfway around the world before truth has had a chance to put its boots on, doubt is as common as rust and, left unresolved, equally corrosive. Bobby Conway exhorts us to be skeptical of our doubts and to relentlessly pursue God in the midst of them. Application of the principles in this timely book moves us past the specter of debilitating doubt to definitive devotedness to the mind of Christ."
—Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and author of numerous books, including AfterLife: What You Need to Know about Heaven, the Hereafter, and Near-Death Experiences

Editorial Reviews

"Bobby Conway has been responding to doubt and skepticism for years as the host of the One Minute Apologist. In Doubting Toward Faith, he has given us a valuable tool to help those who have been injured by doubt and those who seek to use their doubt to energize their own spiritual journey. Bobby defines the various forms of doubt, examines specific doubts particular to Christianity, and then provides a roadmap toward clarity, peace, and confidence. If you're struggling with doubt, or know someone who is, this book is a godsend."
—J. Warner Wallace, cold-case detective and author of Cold-Case Christianity and God's Crime Scene

"Religious doubt exists at epidemic levels today, and it is usually not primarily factual or intellectual in nature. As a result, we need books on this topic like this one by Bobby Conway. Many of us require a 'Doubt GPS' to lead us stealthily through the twists, turns, and even the drop-offs. And just as doubt comes from many different angles, so it was wonderful to see the multitude of insights, suggestions, and even remedies that are found in this text, all at different levels, as well. On top of everything else, this volume is well-written—a quick read. If you know Bobby, you're probably not surprised. I suggest that you take a look and see the suggestions for yourself, a loved one, or a friend who may be going through a painful process."
—Gary R. Habermas, distinguished research professor and chair, philosophy department, Liberty University and Theological Seminary

"Bobby Conway has written an immensely practical, well-informed, and much-needed book on doubt. It deserves a wide readership, as it addresses a significant—though often neglected—concern in many Christian circles."
—Paul Copan, professor of philosophy and ethics and the Pledger Family Chair, Palm Beach Atlantic University

"If you're agonizing from the deleterious effects of doubting your faith, let me offer up a remedy. Read Bobby Conway's Doubting Toward Faith."
—William Lane Craig, research professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology

"Bobby Conway shows you the causes of doubt, the solutions to doubt, the benefits of doubt, and why you should start doubting your doubts. This encouraging book will have you realizing that it takes too much faith to believe anything other than Christianity."
—Frank Turek, author of Stealing from God and coauthor of I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist

"Choosing our worldview is perhaps the most important decision an individual will ever make, since one's destiny in life and eternity may be determined in the process. It is only normal, therefore, to second-guess or have doubts pertaining to the wisdom of our choice. For those of us who are often tortured with doubt, Bobby Conway brings hope and guidance!"
—Michael Licona, PhD, associate professor of theology, Houston Baptist University

"In an era in which Internet distortions travel halfway around the world before truth has had a chance to put its boots on, doubt is as common as rust and, left unresolved, equally corrosive. Bobby Conway exhorts us to be skeptical of our doubts and to relentlessly pursue God in the midst of them. Application of the principles in this timely book moves us past the specter of debilitating doubt to definitive devotedness to the mind of Christ."
—Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and author of numerous books, including AfterLife: What You Need to Know about Heaven, the Hereafter, and Near-Death Experiences

From the Publisher