Am I a Better Christian on Zoloft?: And Other Questions About Faith I Should Probably Keep to Myself

by Mark Tabb

When you've done all the right things, read all the right books, and listened to all the right worship songs, yet still feel like you don't have this faith thing figured out, what do you do? It can be hard to voice the questions and doubts floating around your head and heart to others. But you're not the only one who feels that way!

For anyone tired of church politics, the unspoken rules of Christian subculture, and taking themselves too seriously, Mark Tabb is your new best friend. He asks the questions you might hesitate to admit having, like

· Can I call myself a Christian if I don't watch The Chosen?
· Is God kind of mean but we're all afraid to say something?
· If I believe God is in control, why am I upset about politics?
· Why don't I feel it?
· What if I'm wrong?
· and more

Not only will he explore the answers to ten specific questions, he'll show you how to get comfortable talking with others about all the weird and uncomfortable questions you have. Because figuring out life together just might be the catalyst we need to renew our faith and our hope for the future.

Genres: Christian

160 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2025

Reviews

[Amy Dee Eidson Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated this book and the thoughts the author had on Christian subculture and the way Christians can feel guilty or be made to feel guilty if they don’t enjoy certain movies or music, or if they just aren’t “feeling it.” We don’t always have to be “feeling it” for our faith to be real. He said so much more than this, and I would definitely recommend this book to those who are needing a renewal of faith and to know they are not alone.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Mark Tabb asks questions we might hesitate to admit having to other Christians.

What do you do when everyone around you seems so sure of their faith? You believe as well…or want to. But you have questions. And you feel like you are the only one.

For writer/collaborator Mark Tabb, his questions had to do with his prescribed use of Zoloft. He struggled for years with depression. Exercise worked…until the endorphins wore off. Bible verses, prayer, community, even reading didn’t work. Finally, he sought medical help and a doctor put him on Zoloft. And it worked! And he really was a better person to be around. But is this the same as growing in Christlikeness? The breakthrough for him came when he realized that humbling himself, admitting he needed help was the place where he experienced grace. Growth was admitting he couldn’t save himself from depression. He’s not saying medications are the answer for everyone. But the step of admitting one needs help may be one of the most Christlike things someone struggling with depression can take. And for him, its OK to be a better Christian on Zoloft.

This is the kind of vulnerable, and often witty, candor that runs through this book exploring some of the questions Christians have that they are afraid to admit to others. One I liked as I’ve been binge-watching The Chosen for another book I’m reviewing is “Can I call myself a Christian if I Don’t Watch The Chosen?” I kind of wondered that myself as I listened to so many friends rave about the series. Like the author, I had seen so many really bad Christian productions, I was gun-shy of one more.

Tabb assures us that if that’s you, its OK to be a misfit. We conform to Christ, not each other. (I should note that I ended up being surprised how much I like the series–the first really human portrayal of Jesus I’ve seen as well as a series that amplifies the voices of the women who were around Jesus.)

Tabb addresses eight other questions:

Do I Really Have to Chase My Dreams?
Did Not Allowing My Children to Watch The Simpsons Make Any Difference?
Is God Sort of Mean?
If I Believe God Is in Control, Why Am I So Upset About the Last Election?
Why Don’t I Feel It?
Did the Church in Ancient Ephesus Have a Creative Arts Director?
Can I Claim Jeremiah 29:11 as My Life Verse If I’ve Never Read the Book of Jeremiah?
What If I’m Wrong?

Much of what Tabb does is invite us to look beyond evangelical Christian culture to an honest reading of the Bible. In the chapter “Is God So Mean?” he believes an honest reading of the Bible shatters our self-made images of God and challenges us with the question, will we let God be God? For the same reason, he challenges the way we pull verse of scripture out of context, such as Jeremiah 29:11. Reading them in context enriches their message and guards us against misusing them.

The other thing Tabb does is challenge evangelical conventions that may become a burden (as in The Simpsons question). He addresses how hard parenting is, and that evangelicals often add to the guilt when what we need is grace, and to begin anew each day. He assures us that we will not always feel it and that what matters is following, no matter what it feels like (or not).

Finally, the humility that seeks help in depression is the humility that admits the possibility of being wrong. Like Tabb, I find myself most concerned when I encounter those who never ask “what if I’m wrong?” In a study of Mark’s gospel, I found my own “need to be right” challenged as I realized that there was more to being righteous than being right. I discovered that one could think oneself right and plot to kill Messiah.

Tabb may not answer the questions he asks to one’s satisfaction. What is more significant is that this older Christian (about my age) gives permission to voice the questions we’re not sure we can ask. One hopes books like this will shift the character of churches from places with all the answers to places where we may explore our deepest questions. This is so vital. My sense is that many leave, not because the church couldn’t answer their questions. Rather, they leave because they couldn’t ask them or were dismissed when they tried.

____________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from the publisher through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers Program.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the latter part of our life, you’d think we’d have our Christian walk figured out—especially if we came to faith in grade school and were raised in the church. But sometimes, we have to ask: were we truly raised in the church, or simply shaped by what society told us was cultural Christianity? Life has a way of shaking things up. Over time, experiences pile up, and instead of tidy answers, we’re left with more questions—about faith, about parenting, and about what it really means to follow Christ.

Mark Tabb’s Am I a Better Christian on Zoloft? dives headfirst into those messy questions. With his irreverent humor and raw honesty, he peels back the layers of Christian guilt and invites readers to rediscover who God truly is—not the version we were told about, but the one revealed through grace, suffering, and the honest parts of life we often try to ignore.

This book made me laugh out loud and then, unexpectedly, brought me to tears. Tabb voices the buried questions we’re often too afraid to say out loud. He invites us to wrestle with faith in today’s complicated world—our views on politics, our relationships with adult children, and our evolving understanding of God’s nature.

In a season of life where answers seem less certain, this book gave me comfort. It reminded me of Socrates’ words: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” And strangely, that realization can bring peace.

If you appreciate the deep, reflective work of C.S. Lewis, you’ll find echoes of that same soul-searching here. I highly recommend this book to anyone feeling stuck between what they were taught to believe and what they’re learning to believe. Whether you find answers or simply learn to sit with the questions, this book honors the journey—and more importantly, the God who walks it with us.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

i've been looking to expand my reading lately, but i want to preface this review to say that it does sometimes mean my rating system is different/difficult. i really try to rate a book for what they are. for example, this is a sort of non-fiction, self-help, faith based book. I'm giving it a 4/5 because it was quite good for that type of story. Have I read that many since my Chicken Soup for the Soul days? not really, but I am rating it by comparing it to what else it could have been.
This book was one I tried to pace myself reading- for about the last two weeks, I read a chapter about once a day (missing some days) to really reflect on that question for a while. It is a nice, short and easy read, but I still recommend giving yourself some time to reflect as well. There might have been one day I read two chapters, but any more than that is reading for entertainment not meditation, and I think Mark Tabb's writing is more for the latter.
some of these questions are similar to ones I've asked myself (for example: is God kinda mean?), while others maybe didn't pertain as much (as a non-parent, the one about kids wasn't as applicable but I have friends and family with kids. I work with and take care of kids) but they were still enjoyable. I think there is something for many people who walk in the Faith, for people at different points in their journey- because this is a journey.
Mark walks a balance of using scripture, trying to open our hearts and minds to God while not being pushy, speaking both honest truths and comical anecdotes. I have already recommended this to at least two people in my immediate life because it was a positive book, especially for those working on their faith.
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this story, this is my honest review.

[Mhughessc · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book caught my attention because of its humorous title, "Am I a Better Christian on Zoloft?: And Other Questions About Faith I Should Probably Keep to Myself." The author, Mark Tabb, asks several hypothetical questions which he then shares his opinions and Scriptures to expand upon. Some of the questions include the following: "Can I call myself a Christian if I don't watch The Chosen?" and "Can I claim Jeremiah 29:11 as my life verse if I've never read the book of Jeremiah?"

I enjoyed the humor Tabb included in his writing, and especially enjoyed his transparency when sharing about his depression. When he posits that yes, Zoloft makes him a better Christian, he also asserts that "I may be a nicer guy while taking Zoloft, but that doesn't mean I am becoming more like Jesus as a result." However, he also asserts that "the act of finally reaching the end of myself and confessing to my doctor that I was in a very bad place and I needed help was perhaps the most Christian thing I had ever done."

I appreciated Tabb's humor and honesty. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voice of person reading is a bit dull. However the Author poses some good questions and resonates with many thoughts of those in ministry. The quote from this 3 minute clip really hits the nail on the head.

“Ministry isn’t just some job we fell into when we didn’t have any better options coming out of college. This job is a calling. More than a calling it becomes one’s life. We don’t just heed God’s calling, we surrender to God to invest our lives into His people. When people do not respond in kind, we don’t just feel frustrated, we feel defeated, as if we are failing the Kingdom of God. How can we know if people have responded? By their attendance in Sunday services, small group during a week & classes designed & dedicated to help deepen their walk, by volunteering to serve in other ministries that need committed people. The members that have gone beyond attending, those are the success stories.”

Overall not a bad book to read whether you or someone you know is a Believer struggling with your mental health.

[Laura Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven’t read Am I a Better Christian on Zoloft? by Mark Tabb… and you’re craving more of that family-owned Italian restaurant kind of feel in life — this book is for you.

“We long for something more organic and less programmed, something that feels more like a family-owned Italian restaurant and less like an Olive Garden. Deep down, I think what we really want is a Jesus-based connection to others, even though that is difficult for us introverts.”
– Mark Tabb

This book offers something that’s hard to find sometimes: authentic connection- real, honest, unpolished conversation about faith, mental health, and the stuff we’re usually struggling to talk about for concern that others will not be open to our thoughts.

It reminded me how often we complicate life — thinking we’re all so different. But in the end, most of us are craving the same thing: to be loved, to be understood, and to find a space where we truly belong.

This book felt like that space for me.
Seen, known, and not alone.

It’s raw, thoughtful, and just the right amount of funny.

Highly recommend. 💛

[CFBC Library · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Am I A Better Christian on Zoloft?" The real issue is if author Mark Tabb is actually a genuine christian to begin with. Tabb poses several hypothetical questions, and proceeds to take the reader through his thought process, his experiences, and answers many of the questions with more questions, all done in a casual, conversational style. He often straw-mans the opposing viewpoint, and seldom responds from a position consistent with the Christian worldview he purports to hold. The lack of clarity, truth, consistency, wisdom, and logic in his answers leaves the reader further from, rather than closer to, a position of truth. — A.S.H.

[Madison Pollard-Shore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, as the title might suggest, is framed as a series of questions, with Mark then proposing either answers to them, based on his years of faith and experience, or at least suggesting lenses through which we could consider answers.

A brutally honest, sometimes tongue in cheek and very entertaining look at some real, heartfelt questions that Christians have wrestled with for years and still not found answers to.

What if I'm Wrong, and Why Don't I Feel It are particularly strong chapters where Mark really exposes what he is wrestling with. Well worth a read for those comfortable (and those not) in their faith.

[Taylor Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Tabb’s Am I a Better Christian on Zoloft? is an honest, refreshing, and deeply relevant exploration of faith in the real world. With wit, candor, and compassion, Tabb tackles the kinds of questions many believers quietly wrestle with but are often too afraid to voice. From doubts about God’s character to struggles with mental health and the frustrations of church culture, he creates a safe space where faith and vulnerability can coexist.

A wise and heartfelt book that gives space for honest faith and real questions I found it freeing and deeply encouraging. Sarah Johnson. Mark Tabb is a gifted storyteller; we need more of his voice in the community.

[Nicholas Pokorny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good to read another Christian who suffers from a lot of things that are still stigmatized. His humor is great when writing about parenthood or politics, for example.

[April Cullom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Came for the title but really enjoyed the entire book! I really liked how he talked about how many things have become part of the "Christian culture" but aren't necessarily Biblical. I think this is a trap we can fall into as Christians. This is a very good read for any Christian.