When Faith Is Not Enough

by Kelly James Clark

Doubt and death, God and self, happiness or insignificance, guilt or grace? These fundamental human concerns are deeply intertwined and connect with our heart's deepest longings. They are difficult to understand, yet deeply felt. When Faith Is Not Enough is a creative, honest, and original discussion of faith and doubt and the search for human significance. Drawing upon personal experience, literature, psychology, philosophy, and Scripture, philosopher Kelly Clark tackles the difficult question of how we can live with doubt and how we can nurture a faith and develop a self of enduring value. In section one, "The Shadow of a Doubt", Clark takes doubt (and doubters) seriously and sets out to help the reader understand faith in a deeper way. He presents a powerful case for the existence of God, offers hope for understanding the problem of God and human suffering, suggests positive ways for dealing with doubt, and affirms the excitement of embracing the adventure of life. Section two, "Searching for My Self", is a reflection on the meaning of life. We want our lives to count, but we feel insignificant. We desire fame and honor, but we feel forgotten and ignored. Wishing for significant human relationships, we often feel alienated and unable to communicate. And wanting to live worthy lives, we feel shame. Clark probes into these conflicting emotions and addresses how God can unite the disparate elements of our lives into a meaningful and enduring self.

Genres: Philosophy, Christianity, Nonfiction, Religion

204 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1997

About the author

Kelly James Clark is an American philosopher noted for his work in the philosophy of religion, science and religion, and the cognitive science of religion.

He received his PhD from the University of Notre Dame where his dissertation advisor was Alvin Plantinga. He has held professorships at Calvin College, Oxford University, University of St. Andrews, Notre Dame & Gordon College. He also served as Executive Director for the Society of Christian Philosophers from 1994 to 2009.

He is currently Senior Research Fellow at the Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Professor at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are times when the author really hits the mark. This happened for me particularly in the chapter "Fear and Trembling," in which I felt like I was not alone in my own wavering faith; I saw Abraham's faith lived out in the midst of his own wavering, yet lived out all the same over the course of his life. In fact, the author's ability to universalize the struggle of Christians to believe is what made me keep reading. In the end, though, the book lost its power for me. The primary takeaway is that I need to continue my readings about faith and doubt in Kierkegaard's writings. The quotes, too, at the beginnings of the chapters were amazing.

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed with this book. Here's why. Primarily, the writing doesn't cohere. It's as if Clark tries to translate his own meditations/musings into an academic treatise, and it doesn't work. In particular, the central divide of the book (between the issue of doubt and the question of the meaning of life) means that the book is awkwardly split. Moreover, at the risk of sounding like a snob, Clark doesn't point out much that's new. Thoughtful people likely to pick up this book will probably have thought about this book's contents - I know I gained very little from it.

Overall, I suspect the material contained here would have been better put to use in a "devotional"/meditation format.

Not worth your time or money, I suspect.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, Prof. Clark, but I think I was the only person who actually read this for your class.

Interesting ideas, but the writing's not too good.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the first part of the book boring and irrelevant, but I loved the second part.