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Surprised by Faith: A Skeptic Discovers More to Life than What We Can See, Touch, and Measure
Surprised by Faith will strengthen your own faith in God, in the reliability of the Bible, and in the truth of Jesus Christ.
– Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The world is changing so rapidly that many are shaken with uncertainties. This is compounded by an erosion of confidence in absolute truth and traditional values. The result is a floundering search for a reliable source of purpose and meaning in life. Fear, not anticipation, fills some hearts as people think about the future. Some contend that turning to faith is anti-intellectual. “God is about religion,” they say, “a crutch for the weak.” These are mere caricatures resulting from ignorance. This book confronts false stereotypes and examines the astonishing body of scientific and historical evidence supporting the truth that God exists and cares about people’s future. This is the Gospel with evidence.
As a college student, amid academic success and athletic achievement, Don Bierle began searching for answers to the important questions of life. He found there is more to life than what can be seen, touched, and measured! Using the scrutiny and logic of his scientific training he tested the foundations for faith, and was surprised—and changed—by the answers he discovered. Hundreds of thousands of people have now discovered these answers through his book Surprised by Faith. For them, the discovery has been an “Ah-ha!” experience resulting in transformation and a life of peace and hope.
– Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The world is changing so rapidly that many are shaken with uncertainties. This is compounded by an erosion of confidence in absolute truth and traditional values. The result is a floundering search for a reliable source of purpose and meaning in life. Fear, not anticipation, fills some hearts as people think about the future. Some contend that turning to faith is anti-intellectual. “God is about religion,” they say, “a crutch for the weak.” These are mere caricatures resulting from ignorance. This book confronts false stereotypes and examines the astonishing body of scientific and historical evidence supporting the truth that God exists and cares about people’s future. This is the Gospel with evidence.
As a college student, amid academic success and athletic achievement, Don Bierle began searching for answers to the important questions of life. He found there is more to life than what can be seen, touched, and measured! Using the scrutiny and logic of his scientific training he tested the foundations for faith, and was surprised—and changed—by the answers he discovered. Hundreds of thousands of people have now discovered these answers through his book Surprised by Faith. For them, the discovery has been an “Ah-ha!” experience resulting in transformation and a life of peace and hope.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 29, 2017
I'm astounded that a man as educated as Dr. Bierle (who claims to hold two Master's degrees and a PhD) would try to pass off the arguments in this book as rational or sound.
The first chapter presents the idea that human life must have a purpose, therefore there must be some sort of god to fulfil this purpose. Bierle likens it to a hypothetical clump of dirt floating about in space, which has no meaning or purpose unless it exists to support grass. Then, this grass is meaningless without some higher form of life to feed on it. In this case, that would be a hypothetical cow, which would also be meaningless without yet another higher form of life to feed on it -- this would be humanity. Humanity, then, has no purpose without a higher power to give it meaning. Thus God exists.
This argument is absurd. Perhaps meaning or purpose has a broader definition than merely "that which supports a higher form of life." Yet this is the only definition Bierle provides for these terms, allowing him to build an entire chapter around the narrowest possible definition of them. (And he ignores the next logical step in this argument: It can only follow that God can have no meaning without yet another higher form of life, right?)
With this argument, Bierle also intentionally overlooks the idea that perhaps human life is actually meaningless, like many existential philosophers have posited. The very existence of existential philosophy provides a substantial release valve for what Bierle tries to present as an airtight argument. And Bierle can't possibly be ignorant of existentialism; he quotes Jean-Paul Sartre, the famous French existentialist, within this very book.
The second chapter vouches for the historical accuracy of the New Testament by comparing its "distortion" (or variances across the original manuscripts) against that of the Illiad and the Mahābhārata. This seems a bit deceptive, as the New Testament was likely produced in the first or second century A.D., while the Illiad dates back more than 800 years earlier than that, and even the Mahābhārata precedes the NT by at least 400 years (and it's likely much older than that). It's suspicious that Bierle wouldn't compare the NT against texts from the same century, or that he wouldn't compare these older works against the Old Testament, which would be closer in age.
Bierle then claims that, if Jesus did exist yet didn't actually perform any miracles, there should be evidence of people from that time period arguing against this. Could Bierle possibly be unfamiliar with the early Catholic church, an organization that would have certainly destroyed such documents had they existed? For a Biblical scholar, there seem to be some pretty substantial gaps in his knowledge of the church's history. Like the entire Medieval period.
Plus, this argument ignores the fact that the godhood of Christ was indeed a topic of heated debate in the first century, as we can see in the NT itself, as well as in many of the early Gnostic works that have surfaced more recently.
Bierle continues to ignore any facts that run counter to his arguments while leaving God-sized holes in every argument. For example, he repeats CS Lewis' "Liar, Lunatic, or Lord" argument (which, as much as I love Lewis, is a pretty bad argument. Bierle's version of it is also much less enjoyable than Lewis'.)
Thankfully, this book is only about 100 pages long, so if you decide to read this, you won't have to suffer Bierle's writing for long.
The first chapter presents the idea that human life must have a purpose, therefore there must be some sort of god to fulfil this purpose. Bierle likens it to a hypothetical clump of dirt floating about in space, which has no meaning or purpose unless it exists to support grass. Then, this grass is meaningless without some higher form of life to feed on it. In this case, that would be a hypothetical cow, which would also be meaningless without yet another higher form of life to feed on it -- this would be humanity. Humanity, then, has no purpose without a higher power to give it meaning. Thus God exists.
This argument is absurd. Perhaps meaning or purpose has a broader definition than merely "that which supports a higher form of life." Yet this is the only definition Bierle provides for these terms, allowing him to build an entire chapter around the narrowest possible definition of them. (And he ignores the next logical step in this argument: It can only follow that God can have no meaning without yet another higher form of life, right?)
With this argument, Bierle also intentionally overlooks the idea that perhaps human life is actually meaningless, like many existential philosophers have posited. The very existence of existential philosophy provides a substantial release valve for what Bierle tries to present as an airtight argument. And Bierle can't possibly be ignorant of existentialism; he quotes Jean-Paul Sartre, the famous French existentialist, within this very book.
The second chapter vouches for the historical accuracy of the New Testament by comparing its "distortion" (or variances across the original manuscripts) against that of the Illiad and the Mahābhārata. This seems a bit deceptive, as the New Testament was likely produced in the first or second century A.D., while the Illiad dates back more than 800 years earlier than that, and even the Mahābhārata precedes the NT by at least 400 years (and it's likely much older than that). It's suspicious that Bierle wouldn't compare the NT against texts from the same century, or that he wouldn't compare these older works against the Old Testament, which would be closer in age.
Bierle then claims that, if Jesus did exist yet didn't actually perform any miracles, there should be evidence of people from that time period arguing against this. Could Bierle possibly be unfamiliar with the early Catholic church, an organization that would have certainly destroyed such documents had they existed? For a Biblical scholar, there seem to be some pretty substantial gaps in his knowledge of the church's history. Like the entire Medieval period.
Plus, this argument ignores the fact that the godhood of Christ was indeed a topic of heated debate in the first century, as we can see in the NT itself, as well as in many of the early Gnostic works that have surfaced more recently.
Bierle continues to ignore any facts that run counter to his arguments while leaving God-sized holes in every argument. For example, he repeats CS Lewis' "Liar, Lunatic, or Lord" argument (which, as much as I love Lewis, is a pretty bad argument. Bierle's version of it is also much less enjoyable than Lewis'.)
Thankfully, this book is only about 100 pages long, so if you decide to read this, you won't have to suffer Bierle's writing for long.
May 27, 2009
This is well-written, for what it is, and definitely accessible. I can see that it would be powerful for those who already believe or are on the edge of belief. I didn't find anything new or surprising in it though. Bierle makes a lot of assumptions to draw his conclusions and completely ignores other possibilities. He doesn't give any references for his statistics (making it hard to follow up) and doesn't even admit that there are considerable bodies of work that refute his claims - he makes it seem like no evidence exists to the contrary. There is nothing new in here - these are the claims and statistics I was raised on. What is surprising, to me at least, is when you look beyond these general Christian claims and learn that they aren't as hard and true as he makes them out to be. I do think he explains the path to salvation really well and I think this would be a great book for someone who hasn't heard the message and is in need of something more.
Overall, nothing "surprising" to be found!
Overall, nothing "surprising" to be found!
August 28, 2013
Dr. Don Bierle has the keen mind of a scientific investigator; he was on teams at both the North and South Poles. As a religious skeptic in college, he was encouraged to examine some of his presuppositions. The more he studied purpose, the Bible's reliability, Jesus, and faith, the better Christianity looked to him. Combining biography with apologetics, he endeavors to show that Christianity is more solidly based than most people believe. I think that his insights are well thought out and that this book is well worth reading for those interested in faith.
October 15, 2014
Great little book. It was written in simple terms, which I appreciate, even though I'm sure Dr. Bierle could have talked way over my head. This just reinforced to me the reasons why I choose to be a Christian and helped me with some of my doubts that tend to pop up here and there when I let false information and misconceptions get into my head. If you are looking for intelligent reasons to believe, this is a great little book to start out with.
April 27, 2020
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is a quick read. In total, it probably took me 2 hours to read. Bierle effectively summarizes some key evidences supporting the truth of the Christian worldview. But it is written from a personal/autobiographical perspective, so the reader feels a sense of connection to the author as he presents his reasoning. Since it is easy to read, I think even people who don't generally like reading would be willing to give it a shot.
Even though it is an easy read, I was impressed by the quality of the content. Specifically, the chapters surrounding the reliability of the New Testament are well-written and clearly outline the best historical scholarship in a way that is accessible to readers of any background. Also, this book goes beyond mere apologetics arguments by making an appeal to the reader to make a commitment to Christ, which I think made the book ultimately effective as an evangelistic resource. As I read it I contemplated how it could be used in a small group setting. In particular, I think it would be of good use in a high school ministry setting.
I should also mention that the bibliography is quite good, especially for such an introductory level text. That means those who want to explore deeper are given the resources to do so.
Even though it is an easy read, I was impressed by the quality of the content. Specifically, the chapters surrounding the reliability of the New Testament are well-written and clearly outline the best historical scholarship in a way that is accessible to readers of any background. Also, this book goes beyond mere apologetics arguments by making an appeal to the reader to make a commitment to Christ, which I think made the book ultimately effective as an evangelistic resource. As I read it I contemplated how it could be used in a small group setting. In particular, I think it would be of good use in a high school ministry setting.
I should also mention that the bibliography is quite good, especially for such an introductory level text. That means those who want to explore deeper are given the resources to do so.
February 10, 2017
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Aneko Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
There is a hint of irony in the title and subtitle of this book. Given that this book has now gone through at least three different editions and was published decades ago and furthermore has been updated in subtle ways, this book has a bit of a tension between the skeptic that the author once was during his youth and the apologist that he has been for decades now. This is not a bad tension, but it does place this book in a particular place among the wide body of books that deal with Christian apologetics [1]. In reading this book, as someone who reads from this genre of books quite a bit, one gets a sense both for the similarities of this book to many others as well as the ways that the author manages to carve a distinctive place, most notably by spelling out the lessons and supplementing his text with some strong visuals. The author manages the difficult but worthwhile task of being straightforward and uncompromising without being too confrontational to his intended audience of thoughtful and reasonable skeptics, or those who need their faith bolstered by knowledge.
Any book that has seen three different editions over the course of several decades is going to have a fairly polished style and strong organization as the editing process refines a book, and this one is no different in that regard. This particular volume begins with a suitably laudatory foreword, then the prefaces to all three editions of the book, acknowledgements and a list of the book's figures, and then six chapters, most of which introduce points for the author to consider. The first chapter asks the fundamental question "Why Am I Here?" and proceeds to give an answer for it. Then the author turns to the question of the truth and reliability of scripture. After this the author tests the claim that Jesus was really God, turns to deal with the question of whether faith is reasonable, asks the reader to place themselves along the spectrum of doubt and belief, and asks how we can know God before closing with an invitation to the reader to join the author in a belief that does not in any way abdicate our status as rational beings. The author then promotes his various other books, most of which would probably also be worth reading, as well as promotes events hosted by the author and the bibliography of sources used by the author, along with some notes and author bio information. In other words, this book goes where one would expect a skillful apologetic work to go and does it well and thoughtfully.
In reviewing a book like this, as someone who generally likes a good apologetic work, I feel it necessary to point out who this book is for. It is perhaps little surprise that being a person with a high degree of intellectual interest and high levels of education that I would be a target audience for apologetic works. Apologetic works, after all, seek to defend the reasonableness of Christianity to an audience that appreciates appeals to reason. They exist at the level that can be appreciated by philosophically inclined readers, of the sort that would have appreciated Paul's own reasoned defenses in areas like Athens and before the Roman governors of Judea. Admittedly, as an audience I am part of the "home team" rather than the person who is supposed to be convinced by the arguments, but all the same this is the sort of book that is written on my level. Not everyone may find such books equally edifying, but for the audience they are aimed at, they seek to hold those who discuss faith in the public sphere to a standard that gives at least equal regard to the truth claims of Christianity as the seldom disputed truth claims of other ancient writings with far less attestation and far more textual confusion than is found in the Bible, and that is something that can and should be supported by any believer who wishes to see the high standard of Christianity when one is dealing with a level playing field in public discourse.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
There is a hint of irony in the title and subtitle of this book. Given that this book has now gone through at least three different editions and was published decades ago and furthermore has been updated in subtle ways, this book has a bit of a tension between the skeptic that the author once was during his youth and the apologist that he has been for decades now. This is not a bad tension, but it does place this book in a particular place among the wide body of books that deal with Christian apologetics [1]. In reading this book, as someone who reads from this genre of books quite a bit, one gets a sense both for the similarities of this book to many others as well as the ways that the author manages to carve a distinctive place, most notably by spelling out the lessons and supplementing his text with some strong visuals. The author manages the difficult but worthwhile task of being straightforward and uncompromising without being too confrontational to his intended audience of thoughtful and reasonable skeptics, or those who need their faith bolstered by knowledge.
Any book that has seen three different editions over the course of several decades is going to have a fairly polished style and strong organization as the editing process refines a book, and this one is no different in that regard. This particular volume begins with a suitably laudatory foreword, then the prefaces to all three editions of the book, acknowledgements and a list of the book's figures, and then six chapters, most of which introduce points for the author to consider. The first chapter asks the fundamental question "Why Am I Here?" and proceeds to give an answer for it. Then the author turns to the question of the truth and reliability of scripture. After this the author tests the claim that Jesus was really God, turns to deal with the question of whether faith is reasonable, asks the reader to place themselves along the spectrum of doubt and belief, and asks how we can know God before closing with an invitation to the reader to join the author in a belief that does not in any way abdicate our status as rational beings. The author then promotes his various other books, most of which would probably also be worth reading, as well as promotes events hosted by the author and the bibliography of sources used by the author, along with some notes and author bio information. In other words, this book goes where one would expect a skillful apologetic work to go and does it well and thoughtfully.
In reviewing a book like this, as someone who generally likes a good apologetic work, I feel it necessary to point out who this book is for. It is perhaps little surprise that being a person with a high degree of intellectual interest and high levels of education that I would be a target audience for apologetic works. Apologetic works, after all, seek to defend the reasonableness of Christianity to an audience that appreciates appeals to reason. They exist at the level that can be appreciated by philosophically inclined readers, of the sort that would have appreciated Paul's own reasoned defenses in areas like Athens and before the Roman governors of Judea. Admittedly, as an audience I am part of the "home team" rather than the person who is supposed to be convinced by the arguments, but all the same this is the sort of book that is written on my level. Not everyone may find such books equally edifying, but for the audience they are aimed at, they seek to hold those who discuss faith in the public sphere to a standard that gives at least equal regard to the truth claims of Christianity as the seldom disputed truth claims of other ancient writings with far less attestation and far more textual confusion than is found in the Bible, and that is something that can and should be supported by any believer who wishes to see the high standard of Christianity when one is dealing with a level playing field in public discourse.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
September 24, 2018
Amazing Read!
I read constantly and am a student of scripture and apologetics, having read many of the great authors, including Schaeffer, Zacharias, and C. S. Lewis. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and sharing lines from this book. Fresh approach to apologetics. Mixing in his personal history with faith and doubt is super effective! A reasoned and academic work intellectually, but super readable at the same time!
I read constantly and am a student of scripture and apologetics, having read many of the great authors, including Schaeffer, Zacharias, and C. S. Lewis. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and sharing lines from this book. Fresh approach to apologetics. Mixing in his personal history with faith and doubt is super effective! A reasoned and academic work intellectually, but super readable at the same time!
May 1, 2023
Great work in the beginning of the book, especially on the differences between each of the worlds major faiths and denominations. This book is more about proving God is who he is than bringing a strong follower further along in their walk. Useful to either. of course. Lot's of images and graphics that help guide the reader and might make for not opting for audio or electronic versions of the book.
June 25, 2019
I always enjoy hearing people's testimonies so I liked that part of the book. I find it odd, sad, though that he got sucked into the young earth conspiracy. I would recommend Francis Collin's "The Language of God" instead.
June 6, 2020
Great book
This is one of those books that one have to read, whether you are a believer or not. Dr Don did a great job on proving authenticity of the New Testament and the person Jesus Christ to be God. I enjoyed it and surely learnt a lot.
This is one of those books that one have to read, whether you are a believer or not. Dr Don did a great job on proving authenticity of the New Testament and the person Jesus Christ to be God. I enjoyed it and surely learnt a lot.
November 7, 2021
Surprised
This is just the type of book that gives the reader the encouragement needed to explore the Truth of the Bible and a great start on their journey as a believer in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, helping to answer the many questions that comes to mind.
This is just the type of book that gives the reader the encouragement needed to explore the Truth of the Bible and a great start on their journey as a believer in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, helping to answer the many questions that comes to mind.
February 15, 2019
The truth in faith
Another great book that offers the true meaning of faith in Christ Jesus.
This is a comprehensive review of why all should partake in God.
Another great book that offers the true meaning of faith in Christ Jesus.
This is a comprehensive review of why all should partake in God.
January 28, 2020
helpful apologetics book.
January 2, 2022
an international bestseller indeed. the content was about the basic theology and apologetic, not that deep and was intended for the new converts.
October 8, 2020
It is quite a testimony Bierle shares. This book was instrumental in shaping my own book, The Box Top to Life's Puzzle.
I recommend Surprised By Faith as a supplementary read in my book.
Nevertheless, if one does not want to believe that God is real, no amount of reading testimonies is going to persuade them. God has it set in such a way that no one can make you acknowledge Him if you do not want to acknowledge Him. If you choose to ignore the facts, you can. But when you surrender to them they will become obvious.
And by the way, no one will never regret running from the truth.
I recommend Surprised By Faith as a supplementary read in my book.
Nevertheless, if one does not want to believe that God is real, no amount of reading testimonies is going to persuade them. God has it set in such a way that no one can make you acknowledge Him if you do not want to acknowledge Him. If you choose to ignore the facts, you can. But when you surrender to them they will become obvious.
And by the way, no one will never regret running from the truth.
December 20, 2023
This book is likely one of the most accessible Christian apologetics books that I have read, distilling the great works of C.S. Lewis and countless other authors into a compelling narrative that takes readers on a journey with both thoughtful questions and answers. The visual elements break down key concepts within the Christian faith into a clear and understandable manner.
Surprised by Faith provides one of the best definitions of faith that I have encountered to date; the analogy of faith being translated from the head to the heart to the hands and feet will remain with me as a simple way to explain the concept. Dr. Bierle's background as a scientist shines through in this book as it is laid out logically with teachings progressively building on each other. For skeptics and believers, the content in this book is both an intellectual and a personal challenge that is well worth investigating.
Review link: https://christianshelves.blogspot.com...
Surprised by Faith provides one of the best definitions of faith that I have encountered to date; the analogy of faith being translated from the head to the heart to the hands and feet will remain with me as a simple way to explain the concept. Dr. Bierle's background as a scientist shines through in this book as it is laid out logically with teachings progressively building on each other. For skeptics and believers, the content in this book is both an intellectual and a personal challenge that is well worth investigating.
Review link: https://christianshelves.blogspot.com...
July 30, 2008
I began reading this book with a very open mind. I figured this book would have simple words and phrasing to maybe help answer some of my questions. There's a very complex way of writing that I couldn't seem to wrap my head around most of it.
Also, the writer's words contradicted themselves. First he starts off by saying that it's true that the gospels are over 80% made up stories, and then a few more paragraphs in, he's using the gospels as examples for why there is such thing as God.
I put this book up on my shelf. I'm not sure what to do with it, but I am considering keeping it, and maybe retiring to it once I've learned a bit more about God and religion. Maybe I'll understand it better then.
Also, the writer's words contradicted themselves. First he starts off by saying that it's true that the gospels are over 80% made up stories, and then a few more paragraphs in, he's using the gospels as examples for why there is such thing as God.
I put this book up on my shelf. I'm not sure what to do with it, but I am considering keeping it, and maybe retiring to it once I've learned a bit more about God and religion. Maybe I'll understand it better then.
September 3, 2017
Another fascinating account of how God's Word can transform the deadest of hearts and those in denial to become a child of His. This is a must-read for skeptics whose academic prowess makes them too prideful to consider that there is a Creator of the Universe who made them, loves them, and wants them to come to know him...personally.
If you fall in that category, don't be a coward! Read this book.
C. S. Lewis and Chuck Colson are two examples of academics who at first denied God, but then came to accept the saving grace of Christ. The author provides substantial scientific and historic evidence that supports the truth of the Gospel.
If you fall in that category, don't be a coward! Read this book.
C. S. Lewis and Chuck Colson are two examples of academics who at first denied God, but then came to accept the saving grace of Christ. The author provides substantial scientific and historic evidence that supports the truth of the Gospel.
December 11, 2013
This book didn't leave me "surprised" or explain anything new about Christian faith. It just left me frustrated. It's a break-down of his reasons as a summation of his path to the Christian faith; however, he doesn't provide references to follow his arguments, which isn't helpful for anyone with a brain.
October 6, 2010
This book contains some great scientific proof regarding the Christian faith. A great read for anyone interested at looking at the history of the world and how the bible stands up to it, from a scientific point of view.
April 25, 2017
I always enjoy reading about someone who tries to disprove Christianity then becomes a Christian in the process. Dr. Bierle is a great example of this, and admits to being better because of it. I enjoyed his book, and am looking forward to reading more of his books.
August 24, 2011
Just a good overall book! It's a great exploration of being able to be scientific with your faith.
April 14, 2013
Great short apologetic. I have taught it many times to young adults. This is a great foundation that all Christians should be familiar with.
April 27, 2014
I really liked the beginning the most, and it was really interesting. The rest wasn't great, but I really did like it. It really helped a lot in answering the questions I had about different things.
June 7, 2020
A convincing and well articulated book for every truth-seeker. A must read for the atheist, the agnostic and the Christian believer! I give it a well deserved 5 stars!
February 26, 2017
A very good look at the scientific and historical proofs for the truth and accuracy of the Bible.
July 23, 2019
I read this aloud to my teenage son. It was a good introduction to apologetics and he enjoyed it.
August 21, 2016
It is a very compelling case for creation.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews