Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Is Not the Enemy of Faith

by Barnabas Piper

Overview

God is infinite, beyond our understanding—yet He chooses to reveal Himself in ways that spark questions rather than settling them all.

Instead of making Himself smaller, God invites us into a larger faith. One that has room for questions, victories, failures, and mystery. Because belief in an infinite God by finite humans is an act of exploration ... a process of learning—and then embracing—what we can’t learn but can trust.

Discover the God who not only desires our belief but actually welcomes our curiosity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781434709349
Publisher:	David C Cook
Publication date:	07/01/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	1,278,009
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Barnabas Piper is the author of The Pastor’s Kid: Finding Your Own Faith and Identity. He writes weekly for WorldMag.com and The Blazing Center as well as blogging at BarnabasPiper.com and co-hosting the Happy Rant Podcast. He and his wife live in the Nashville area with their two daughters.

Table of Contents

Foreword N. D. Wilson 11

Introduction 17

Chapter 1 Tension 23

Chapter 2 What Is Belief? 41

Chapter 3 What Can We Know about God? 55

Chapter 4 A Prayer from Where? 79

Chapter 5 Unbelief and Doubt 89

Chapter 6 Belief In Action 101

Chapter 7 How Do We Believe? 115

Chapter 8 So What and What Now? 131

Afterword 149

Appendix 1 Reading the Bible to Meet God 153

Appendix 2 Suggested Reading 163

Notes 167

Editorial Reviews

“Barnabas Piper issues a powerful call to leave the gridlock of black-and-white thinking and enter the gray terrain of second-guessing and doubt. This is where we raise our toughest, most honest questions to God. Such an invitation doesn’t push us from the gospel but draws us nearer to the heart of Christ. May we all learn to pray, ‘Help my unbelief.’

Margaret Feinberg

“Help My Unbelief gives the church permission to exhale. It’s a book that pulls up a chair and looks in the eyes of the doubter and says, ‘You’re not alone, friend.’ Doubt, says Barnabas Piper, is not the antithesis of Faith. Rather, it’s a gateway. The key is to ask the right questions, and to be open to God’s answers. For this particular disillusioned pastor’s daughter, Piper’s words are a lifeline—and the key to drawing today’s youth back into Christendom.

Emily T. Wierenga

“Too often our struggles with doubt are hidden, pushed into the back of the cupboard like a corrosive agent that is too dangerous to touch. With clarity, warmth, and candor, Barnabas Piper shows us that doubt does not have to be something that corrodes, but rather in its right place can be something that strengthens faith.

Mark Sayers

“I’m really excited for you to read Barnabas’s new book, Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Is Not the Enemy of Faith. Barnabas writes in a ruthlessly honest and raw way. This book is going to help an entire generation grow and blossom in their faith in the midst of wrestling with doubt.

Derwin L. Gray

“In Help My Unbelief, Barnabas Piper makes a clear and compelling case for faith amid the sea of doubts many experience in Christianity. It’s a necessary book for our generation.

Matt Carter

“Barnabas Piper’s Help My Unbelief is an honest, self-revealing, and engaging treatment of an important subject. This winsome and well-reasoned book avoids clichés and easy, superficial answers. It will benefit many—including those who doubt, those who ‘sort of’ believe, and those who believe yet long to do so more completely.

Randy Alcorn

“Some Christians have a simple faith unencumbered by doubt. For the rest of us, things aren’t so easy. We question. We second-guess. We always want to know why. Help My Unbelief is the perfect book for us. With accessible prose and unflinching honesty, Barnabas explores belief that encompasses, is even strengthened by, doubt. Anyone navigating a faith filled with doubts will find Barnabas to be a sympathetic and reliable guide.

Drew Dyck

“Sometimes believers can give the impression that the Christian life is always one of triumph and confidence. This book by Barnabas Piper counsels us on how to trust God when our faith is weak and wavering. It calls us away from a demon-like faith that simply knows the data about God, to a childlike faith that cries out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief.’ If you find yourself doubting, or if you love someone who doubts, this book will refresh and encourage.

Russell Moore

“Barnabas Piper’s Help My Unbelief is an encouraging, honest look at an essential but underdiscussed aspect of faith: the tension between belief and unbelief. It’s a tension that need not be feared. Piper shows us, rather, how the tension can be healthy and ultimately leave us stronger in our faith. For any believer who has felt alone in their wrestle with unbelief, or who was mistakenly taught that true belief is always ironclad, this valuable and timely book is for you.

Brett McCracken