40 Days of Doubt: Devotions for the Skeptic

by Eric Huffman

“Faith is permitting ourselves to be seized by the things we do not see.” --Martin LutherDo you ever wonder whether you’re really a Christian and cling to what’s left of your faith when you feel like an outsider — even among other believers.Have you ever doubted your faith? Have you ever, deep down in your heart, doubted that God was really present in your life? Or wondered whether everything you believed in as a Christian was false?Call it existential doubt. Call it “the dark night of the soul,” as one Christian saint famously did. Whatever you call it, it’s real. It is personal, it is painful, it is distressing, and it can last for years? maybe even a lifetime. But you are not alone.40 Days of Devotions for the Skeptic is for all those sports-talk listening, eye-rolling, Game-of-Thrones-loving, abnormal believers out there. If you’ve ever felt that your mind and soul were fighting, you’ll find solace in these awe and wonder-filled reflections by pastor and author Eric Huffman. This devotional helps us understand how we can cope with our questions, and provides insightful answers during our times of doubt.Product Shares 40 devotionals on life and faith. Explores questions readers may be asking about their faith. Offers guidance for those wanting candid insight about Christianity.Weekly Study Guides available at www.EricHuffman.org/books.“Real. Bible. Wisdom. Eric Huffman’s 40 days (with a bonus 41st day!) of meditations on life’s problems, opportunities and meanings is real, honest, biblically sound and wise. His sometimes edgy and direct testimony is inspirational and connects with our best and worst experiences. Buy it, then read it.”Scott Jones, co-author of Ask, Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age“40 Days of Doubt is a cleverly constructed book that gives doubters space to (re)consider the fundamental claims of God over their lives. Well written with a very readable style Eric charts a path to a well-considered faith.” Alan and Debra Hirsch, Missional Leaders, Authors and Speakers.“As a recovering pastor, I confess I went through my own season of eye-rolling cynicism about church, religion and Christians. 40 Days of Doubt provides space to consider real questions for agnostics, skeptics, and just burned-out Christians who are tired of trite answers.” Tim Stevens, Author of Marked By A Dare To Walk Away from Judgment and HypocrisyReading 40 Days of Doubt feels like I am having a frank and straightforward conversation about all the things that stand in the way of giving one’s whole heart and life to following Jesus. With each issue Huffman addresses, he chooses not to pull any punches about how the culture of “me” is often the real impediment to faith, and how the obstacles are often not the message, but the way the church fails to live it out. You may agree with him or disagree with him, but he will make you think as he peels back the layers of rhetoric and gets at the heart of the issue. If you are someone who wants to believe but can’t quite get there, 40 Days of Doubt may be just the ticket. Tom Pace, Senior Pastor, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, Houston

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2018

Reviews

[Hannah Lee Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad I found this devotional. I’ve been struggling with my faith for years, bordering on agnostic but never quite an atheist. Huffman is such a relatable and intelligent believer, and each day he addresses a common skeptical question about Christianity. He touches on a variety of topics in only 40 days, including the Bible, prayer, sex/relationships, and science. I can see myself rereading this one in a year or two. Very powerful and enlightening.

[Lotus · Rating 5 out of 5]

40 Days of Doubt by Eric Huffman answers many of the questions that have some doubting in their faith. I was so excited to receive this book because of the questions I had about my own faith. I’m so pleased to say I got more answers than I was looking for.

Each week you will find yourself exploring the doubts of one topic. Each day will you tackle another question about that topic. These questions, if left unanswered could lead to doubt. Luckily, Eric Huffman has created a logical answer to each one of these questions.

Each day is titled by the question that will be answered. The reading that follows is the author’s answer to this question. Following that is daily scripture and daily prayer. The daily reading is pretty short and would be an easy morning or before bed read.

My favorite thing about this book is Eric Huffman’s ability to make arguments for both sides. He is able to take on our doubts and replace them with answers while acknowledging the reasons why we have our doubts. This book is brilliantly written and very well done.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to absolutely everyone. Even if you don’t think you have doubts, this book could answer the questions you didn’t even know you had.

I received this book for free from netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

[zaira joelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful (in my totally unbiased opinion)

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I read and discussed it with a friend each week and it worked in bringing up topics to discuss. It’s a devotional so of course it is only able to touch the surface and doesn’t get deep into any one topic. The author makes a lot of references to other beliefs, historical events, etc without citing sources, which is important to those who call themselves skeptics. I like his podcast “Maybe God” more than the book since it is able to spend more time on each topic.

[Sondra Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Answers questions that every Christian should know.

I would recommend this book to everyone. It will help you witness to those individuals that are agnostic or an atheist.

[Austin Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers refreshment and reorientation to those whose faith has grown cold and frustrated in the face of the realities of life. Concise and clear, Huffman masterfully addresses relevant questions while offering encouragement and reigniting devotion to Jesus.

[David C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great perspective on today's issues!

This has helped me to see the "other side" and better understand those who have doubts about Christianity. Huffman's personal story of transformation is enlightening.

[Laurel Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did this for our Sunday school class so it took longer than 40 days ;) Love the author's sense of humor.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I have mentioned before, I am not a big fan of devotional books for a variety of reasons. Often the topic of the book requires much more depth than a short daily reading allows. “40 Days of Doubt” by Eric Huffman is no exception.

Before I get into reasons I did not enjoy this book, I do want to point out a couple positives. I really appreciate the author’s candor throughout the book, for sharing his experiences and change in beliefs. He also does a surprisingly good job of explaining objective truth and the source of morality.

I did struggle to really enjoy these things though, in the face of so many careless statements. Many things he said throughout the devotional I would normally overlook such as “It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship”, but considering the sheer amount of them made it difficult to do so.

In addition to the aforementioned careless, yet somewhat harmless statements there were many equally careless glaring errors, such as the author claimed that Jesus doubted and was unsure of the plan of crucifixion (incorrectly citing Luke 22:42).

There was a day in this 40 day devotional that I took particular issue with. Huffman seems to claim that Jesus did not need to die in order to forgive our sins. Potentially, he could have simply been playing “Devil’s advocate,” and didn’t sufficiently clarify, but if he believes it, which may be supported by a statement later in the chapter “Why did Jesus have to die? To send a message about forgiveness,” it is a very dangerous belief that flies in the face of scripture which teaches that our salvation hinges on the death and resurrection of Christ.

Theological errors aside, this book sets out to engage what the preface describes as “Part-time Believers and full-time skeptics,” which is concerning in itself. For those with intellectual doubts, a 40 day devotional is probably not going to be the best resource. One simply cannot devote enough space that the topics require and there were an unfortunate amount of objections brought up that were left inadequately addressed.

Overall, the apologetic of the book was mediocre. He does address more than just doubts about the existence of God, he addresses other topics such as doubts about quality of life, doubts about sex and relationships, and doubts about faith and science.

For the biblically informed Christian, this book will be a cringey read at best. For the new Christian, this book may be misleading over things the Bible is very clear on.



I received an e-copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.