The Sunnier Side of Doubt

by Alister E. McGrath

Genres: Theology

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1990

About the author

Alister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, until 2005. He is an Anglican priest and is ordained within the Church of England.

Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.

McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.

Reviews

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Review from 2009 reading]

This was originally purchased and read as assigned reading for a theology course required in my college studies; the course was somewhat 'meh', but I found the book instructive and wise. It's a *very* simple book--the concepts are simple, and simply presented and expounded--it's not stellar prose, as that goes. But therein lies its humble and basic power, I think.

This is probably the fourth time I've read it over the last 12 or so years, and every time I do different elements strike me more than others in the past. The core message of the book always comes to mind for me and sticks with me whenever I find myself in a time of struggling with doubts. So, it's not the most sophisticated book on doubt, but it may be the only one I own--which makes it convenient to turn to as well.

Two of the most core messages of the book are 1) that doubt is not all bad, as it shows us where our faith needs strengthening and gives us that opportunity, and 2) that the way to deal with doubt is not to focus on it, but rather to focus on the things that will help us overcome and move past it.

As I said, Simple. But effective. A little refresher in this little volume and I'm reminded that when I'm feeling sick with doubt in areas, if I'm not getting better because I'm often because I'm focused on it. And as believers, we do tend to either overly ignore and suppress doubt out of various forms of guilt and fear, or to overly focus on it unto our own stagnancy and harm.

I'd had in mind to read longer, denser, cooler and more sophisticated, more up-to-date books on doubt (this one was published in the '80s), with more artistic covers. But when I noticed this handy little number on the shelf, God used it once again to remind me this time that maybe what I need is not to invest my time in books focusing on where I lack faith, but to focus on investing my time in those practices that might lead me through and past those areas of intellectual struggle.

Part of me still wants to read other books with more satisfying intellectual probes into the mysteries of our faith, and more time spent in looking for and considering some form of resolution, or at least comfort for this variating feeling of doubt-sickness. Perhaps I will, or perhaps that will now prove unnecessary. But for now, I feel encouraged and refocused, and this little book made a big (if temporary) difference.

Recommended for anyone struggling with doubts, big or small; especially the first and last sections (content of the middle section's a tad familiar for those who've spent a decent amount of their lives in the church). Or for any young believers, or believers young in their faith, even if it doesn't yet feel it applies or ever will. It was originally and is primarily addressed to college students who will someday sooner or later face doubts in some form.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed McGrath's simple yet academic style. He offers a lot of helpful tips and some good insight which I found encouraging. Although the book seems geared more to students and new converts, there is still also some beneficial advice for others who don't find themselves in one of those categories.