Faith for the Curious: How an Era of Spiritual Openness Shapes the Way We Live and Help Others Follow Jesus

by Mark Matlock, David Kinnaman (foreword)

It may surprise you to know that the majority of non-Christians are not hostile to the faith or looking for a fight. In fact, most are open and even curious about spiritual matters. Yet evangelism training and apologetic resources are often geared toward knowing what to say to hardcore atheists and evolutionists, who make up less than ten percent of the unchurched population.

If you're ready to have respectful and fruitful spiritual conversations with your spiritually curious friends, neighbors, and family members, Mark Matlock offers this research-based approach. He shows you how to

- create a church culture that is open to spiritual exploration and discovery

- help foster meaningful connections to Jesus and his Church

- start spiritual conversations and break through common communication barriers

- bridge the gap between traditional Christianity and the modern spiritual climate

- and much more

Genres: Christian, Evangelism, Christianity

240 pages, Hardcover

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

Mark Matlock has been working with youth pastors, students, and parents for two decades. He speaks to hundreds of thousands of students around the world each year, and presents biblical truths in ways that motivate people to change. Mark is the vice president of event content at Youth Specialties and the founder of WisdomWorks Ministries and PlanetWisdom. He’s the author of several books including The Wisdom On - series, Living a Life That Matters, Don’t Buy The Lie, Freshman, and Smart Faith. Mark lives in Texas with his wife Jade and their two children.

Reviews

[Seth Channell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think engaging with the spiritually curious more, but with a less aggressive approach is excellent advice. I think his observation on people who crave closure and certainty dominating most churches is accurate and the struggle they feel around people who are more curious. So, I give this book 5 stars for analysis.

The author's solutions are a mixed bag. I found moments of storing advice, in my mind, for future use. But I have areas of concern as well. Some theological and others practical. I think the areas of disagreement come down to a different understanding of the church. I think the space for curiosity should be small groups and personal interaction with the spiritually curious. I think the weekly gathering is a time to contend for the faith once for all delivered for the saints (Jude 3), without this Christians will never mature in their faith.

Failing to develop convictions is not hip and cool it is a sign of immaturity. Developing convictions to the point you shut down curiosity isn't faithfulness it is a sign of pride. The problem is how to develop Christians with strong convictions who then can still communicate with those outside the church without coming across as a jerk.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matlock issues a rich call to Christ-followers to engage with the "spiritually curious" about faith in Christ. His book is full of strategies to engage in spiritual conversation. Years ago, I was trained to get to a decision quickly when sharing the gospel of Christ. Matlock suggests that spiritually curious people want time to think and process issues related to faith. He suggests that we sometimes push curious people away when we push them to make a decision to follow Christ. He thinks we need to take the role of being curators of a museum instead of salesmen of the gospel. We need to guide them in looking around in the spiritual life and to recognize where God may already be at work in their lives. According to Matlock, there are people in America that are hostile to Christianity, but, when approached correctly, there are fewer of them than we might think. While I value Matlock's work a lot, I recognize that the work of drawing people to Christ belongs to the Holy Spirit and we often get to play a part in that. Being hesitant to call people to faith may, at times, miss what the Holy Spirit is calling us to do. But, perhaps there is a both/and strategy to be applied rather than an either/or.

[Drew Timmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable findings in this book! More church leaders should be listening to the data described here. If we listen, learn, and adjust, a fruitful future is ahead - especially for a generation extremely open to spiritual things, just seemingly jaded by what's viewed as antiquated methods of doing church. They're craving change, space to wonder and explore, can live in the tension of not having quick concrete answers, and are seeking something real and deep, but haven't found church gatherings to provide the right space for those desires. We have to get creative if we're going to reach people in our current cultural moment. Read this, and start considering what's next for you and your church.

[Josh Trice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy and insightful read. Matlock keeps things simple, while at the same time invites the reader into a deeper understanding of our cultural condition (alongside the signature Barna data).

I found the first 7 chapters to be really good. But the latter 3 (8-10) weren't as strong. Some of this I would attribute to disagreeing with some of Matlock's views, but I would also attribute it to feeling like that later chapters somewhat forget the main focus of the book: the Spiritually Curious.

Overall, this is a worthwhile read with some good insights and conclusions. Those in pastoral ministry would especially benefit from this read.

[Brandon Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good! Many books on the market containing data and findings fascinate me, but this one really stands out for how Matlock takes the narrative and gives us substantial tools for engagement. As I continued reading, I was captivated at the ways Matlock challenged and guided us as readers into a place of confidence. His insights are great, but the chapter that is most compelling to me dealt with spiritualism. Fascinating and excellent.

[Shannon Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doesn't "pull my heartstrings," however it does a good job of following the data, & encouraging Evangelicals to think outside the box & better understand the current cultural milieau. A worthwhile read.

[Hannah Thrift · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It is such a healthy way to view curiosity and how important it is to foster it in Christianity.
All through the book you will learn and receive so much insight, but chapter 9 is my absolute favorite.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dovetails with a lot of conversations about post-secular trends.

[Caleb Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate that it was not only informative but unexpectedly practical! A great book for a curious reader.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matlock presents data on spiritual openness and suggests methods for Christians to engage the spiritually curious. This involves becoming curious, as well!

[Stacy Bacon]

Good observations but I didn’t agree with many of his solutions.

[Daniel Seabaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Today, there is an exceptional phenomenon unfolding in the United States—a spiritual curiosity— that demands our attention. It compels us to reassess our approach to church and our role as the church. If we properly understand and graciously engage this phenomenon, the transformation that comes over our churches could be vast.”

We’re living in exciting times! According to the research in this book, loads of people are open to faith in ways I haven’t seen in my lifetime. There’s no telling how long this window of curiosity will stay open, but the church has a real opportunity in this hour to introduce people to real hope, the hope we have in Christ.