Why Faith Matters

by David J. Wolpe, Rick Warren (Foreword)

In Why Faith Matters, Rabbi David J. Wolpe blends the powerful personal story of his struggles with his own faith with a poignant response to the new atheists that reveals just how important faith in modern society. With a foreword by Rick Warren, New York Times bestselling author of The Purpose Driven Life, Why Faith Matters is an articulate and much-needed nondenominational defense of established religion in America by the man Newsweek magazine named the #1 Pulpit Rabbi in America.

Genres: Religion, Judaism, Faith, Nonfiction, Christian, Philosophy, Spirituality

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written on my phone. Excuse the clipped sentences. This is a pretty standard defense of faith from a respected Rabbi. It was written in 2008, perhaps at the height of the New Atheism movement, so it was timely, a no-nonsense response to specific critiques of religion: religion makes you violent, science is incompatible with religion, sacred texts (specifically the Bible and the Korsn) are full of nonsense, faith is irrational, etc.. The responses are as you would expect them to be. If you're a thoughtful believer, you'll probably anticipate them. If you're an atheist, you'll probably be frustrated by them. Another aspect worth mentioning is that sometimes Wolpe brings his wife's health struggles, his own struggle with lymphoma, and many other challenges that might discredit the faith perspective. He doesn't shy away from the brutal facts of existence. This isn't a frothing fundamentalist's screed but a nuanced account, a sincere attempt to try and explain why and how faith persists today (i.e. 2007) in many forms and why it should continue to do so. 4/5 because it often felt rote and easy to anticipate (but that was the point of the book, you say): to bring the responses together in a cogent, cohesive text. It's a valid critique for someone searching for a novel defense of faith.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rabbi David Wolpe has written an important (if a tad uneven) book. Why Faith Matters is full of piercingly compelling insights about faith, about religion and our pracitice of it and about the interplay of these two forces in our lives. Its tone is respectful and present in the sense that you perceive the author so open, so willing to dialogue that it is almost that he is listening to your questions and/or objections as he writes. (In fact, he takes on many of the most obvious objections to his points explicitly.) What this creates is an appreciation for how well-considered this book is, as it is clear that the author has considered many different points of view, which makes his own theses even more credible and powerful. My only complaint is that there is a bit of uneveness in the work - incredible, indelible insights will be followed by pages of far less meaningful work. For example, the first chapter failed to arouse me much, though I was thoroughly hooked by the second. And, in fairness, because he is arguing something that by his own admission is unprovable, there are times when his answers to certain questions amount, in the end, to little more than a proverbial "trust me." This being said, on the whole, this is a worthy effort and an important contribution to the body of insight and experience that elevates our consciousness and inspires greater humanity in us.

[Aliya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wolpe discusses his path, why he finds faith to be important and the impact having and not having faith has had on his life. He relates the discussion to Judaism (he is a rabbi, after all), Christianity and Islam.

He puts his sources for each chapter at the end of the book so you can easily learn more if you so choose (always appreciate citations!).

He addresses that religion can and does bring conflict and discomfort to people's lives, but it also can and does bring good to their lives as well. Anything can and is used for evil; he argues that people who have faith, who don't follow it blindly and use for bigoted purposes, and instead use it to better themselves and their lives, and potentially the lives around them - this is the kind of faith he's talking about. And whether or not you believe in God, whether or not you call your internal desire and striving for goodness 'faith', isn't that all "faithless" positive thinking is? We're always going to have faith in something, be it God, ourselves, our abilities, other people, nature, etc... What we do with it is what matters.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very nice book that will make you feel good. (Unless you are an atheist, in which case it will annoy you.) It will not convince a skeptic but there are a lot of good anecdotes and analogies. I especially like the tapestry analogy. And I think the author's main thesis is correct, even if some of his arguments are not.

[Lauren LaBat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but was pleasantly surprised. There was a lot of interesting information and several great questions for discussion and thought posed. Regardless of what you believe, this book wasn’t pushy or judgmental. It opens the door to conversation and learning.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love LOVE this book! I think this book is such an important, convincing, and well-thought out book for a general argument for the existence of God. An excellent book to read after this would be C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, which would narrow that general discussion to a specific one. Man, it must be said again...the author's voice in this book is so gentle and thoughtful.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, beautiful book about the power and promises of faith. I have previously read Rabbi Wolpe's book Teaching Your Children About God, and I very much liked his kind, gentle tone. In this book, the author takes on those who are called 'The New Atheists': Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, and attempts to answer their most strident criticisms about religion and faith by shining a bright light on their most powerful arguments. Does religion cause violence? Is religion irrational? Are science and religion incompatible? Does science disprove religion? Where does religion come from? Rabbi Wolpe, disarms and dismantles the bulk of the New Atheist's arguments (in 198 pages!) but does so respectfully and civilly, with both an open mind and a firm heart. Were I looking to suggest a good book to someone who is an atheist, but who is actually open to discussion (and who isn't busily knocking over a straw man that looks like their own distorted caricature of religion),this would be the one.

The chapter on the benefits of religious beliefs and practices is worth reading by itself. The positive impact on health, on emotional well being, and on social outcomes that are associated with religiosity should be enough to convince the most strident atheist that--even if it all is bunkum--religion is good for both the individual and society at large.

The Rabbi's discussion on the difference between knowledge and meaning is also well worth pondering.

All in all, a wonderful book that I suspect (or perhaps, hope) to loan out or suggest to friends who do not share my belief in God. I wish every person in our public sphere was as pleasant as David Wolpe.

[David Abramowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolpe is an excellent apologist for faith, which I say without sarcasm. However, he is too quick to use "religion", "faith" and "spirituality" interchangeably, as other reviewers have noted. For the most part, he is intellectually honest and makes no outright claims to have God's ear. Yet, he sometimes white-washes the horrors of religion by paying them due with unstirring language. He talks about the friction caused by zealotry, rather than calling it sadistic and perverted. Then a few pages later will concede the atrocities. I have heard him debate and again I credit him with intellectual-honesty. In addition (both debate and the book) he is witty, ironic and demonstrates his knowledge of literature (not pedantically). In short, Wolpe argues that in order for God to be illuminated, one needs to seek God without cynicism or wish fulfillment. His notion of faith is not one of blind devotion, but of meditative doubt. Although Wolpe wrote this as a direct counter attack to "new atheists" (hitch, dawkins, Nickel (jk!)), this book should really be compared to Man's Search for Meaning, which I think it even quotes. To conclude, one can replace "faith" with "purpose" and all of Wolpe's assertions still hold and need not undermine that purpose by which one may choose to live.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an answer to writers like Harris and Hitchens and Dawkins [oh my!], "Why Faith Matters" seems a tad mild. Rabbi Wolpe seems to have decided to fight fire with yogurt. I think he recognizes that Faith doesn't win people over through intricate arguments, so much as through stories, metaphors, and life experience.

That's not to say he isn't a smart man, but he certainly doesn't compare to Hitchens in terms of intellectual rigor and literary verve. Coming in at under 200 pages, Wolpe is really only saying this: Life has meaning, you just have to let it have meaning. Faith and Religion can help with that, but you have to open your heart.

Still, this was a very pleasant read, with lots of theological jokes, and touching stories. I didn't object to most of his arguments, but they're such meek arguments, it seemed almost rude to object. Wolpe seems like a very sincere and wise man, but this book isn't going to convince any atheists, that's for sure.

Wolpe's not trying to piss people off, or start a war of belief, he just wants to represent and defend his beliefs against the tide of New Atheism. And even if his book isn't as exciting as one by Hitchens, I think I'd rather sit down and have a cup of coffee with Wolpe.

[Martin]

I read this book with what I consider its inverse companion: Christopher Hitchens' "God is not Great." I must say, it wasn't a fair fight. Hitchens, as he did in a real-life debate, absolutely smashes Wolpe's mousy little arguments to fine dust.

The writing itself is horribly, terribly amateur. If this was intentional, it was deplorable. MAKE me spring for a dictionary as a result of you selecting a perfect wording or phrasing to sell a point.

Speaking of points, no new ground is covered her, and no insights save for one or two mildly interesting arguments.

Wolpe is simply not the choice to successfully defend the religion I practice. A better champion needs to be made available.

The bottom line is, and no better classic argument is available, that for those who wish to believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, none will suffice.

[Jarkko Laine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first picked this book after watching a debate video of David Wolpe debating Christopher Hitchens (I think). Wolpe seemed like one of the most levelheaded proponents of religion I had heard talk and I wanted to know more about his ideas.

In that sense, the book matched my expectations: Wolpe's Jewish faith is a definitely a philosophy that leads to good in this world. But as the book claims to be a response to the critics of religion, one can expect more than beautiful stories and anecdotes. Unfortunately, this is where this book falls short: Wolpe doesn't prove anything, and while his religion is productive, his defense doesn't apply to faith as a whole. Also, while it's true that faith can make people more moral, I didn't find in this book any reason why it would do that better than a humanist philosophy.

On its own, this book further increased my appreciation for Judaism, but as a response to the critics of religion it really isn't all that useful.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the best book I have yet read arguing in defense of faith. Rather than arguing with certainty about the truthfulness of scripture, Rabbi Wolpe explains that regardless of its truth, it helps people to lead better, more fulfilling lives, and is therefore necessary. A problem I have is that he describes fanaticism or extremist religion as a perversion of faith. But I don't understand what gives him the authority over any other Hebrew/Koranic scholar who comes up with a different interpretation to say that extremism is incorrect. However, this man is a very progressively thinking Rabbi, and views the atrocities committed in the Bible more as an ethical exercise for us to figure out what is moral and what isn't, rather than taking everything at face value. I appreciate this unique view, and his sincerity and articulate style make him appealing.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intelligent discourse on and defense of religion (general rather than specific to Judaism). I am interested in the question, and I think you must be to truly appreciate the book, and enjoyed reading this rabbi's perspective as a man who first rejected then embraced his faith. It felt genuine and I was interested especially in the discussion of religion's historical place in war.

That said, it seems directed toward a niche reader and would have benefited from more of the personal anecdotes (which draw the reader in).

Still, an interesting book for those interested in questions on religion/faith.

[J.J. Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very well written, and was an engaging read all the way through. That said, this book is a "soft sell" to general monotheism and doesn't single out or criticize any specific religion as better or worse. It is told from the viewpoint of a Rabbi who does use the Judeo-Christian worldview to evaluate the question of why faith matters. He makes a great case for general belief in God and Religion as a whole, but I thought he was pretty soft on his affirmation of proofs, stating he didn't think God could be proved.

I'd recommend this book for the extreme skeptic who hates religion in general. It is a very heartfelt plea and worth the read.

[Yusra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this book and the simple, thoughtful way Rabbi Wolpe fleshed out his arguments. However, the choppy writing style made it hard to get through. I think it is important and necessary to have this discussion within our religious communities, especially with the way religion vs science is presented in academia.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought-provoking. The author, who is a rabbi, looks at questions like: where does religion come from, does religion cause violence, does science disprove religion? Also takes on how suffering/disease can enrich life, free will, morality, and the failure of reason.

Lots of interesting quotes from Einstein, Dawkins, Stephen Jay Gould, Paul Tillich, Hitchens, Browning.

[Michał · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is hard to evaluate this book justly, as I represent an opposing atheistic worldview. More precisely, I believe that the author and I start from entirely different paradigms governing how we form our views and perceive the world. The logic, arguments, and passages in the text may be consistent. Still, the logic rules for this consistency are somewhat hidden from me. Therefore, atheistic readers, even if open to a foreign, religious perspective, will not get a good understanding of it from this book. Needless to say, the read was unpleasant for me because of the reasons stated above, even if it brought some curiosity from time to time.

I do not know whether the book has been meant to address people outside of religion. If so, the book lacks the necessary discussion on the fundamental level, at which one can find some similarities between opposing worldviews, and starting from which, one can slowly begin to scratch the religious side.

Meanwhile, when the author stands on somewhat common ground, he does it only to defend religion from some picked lines of argumentation of the opposite side. This part is inferior in terms of the quality of the argumentation and presentation of the depth of the subject. The discussion concerns a narrow set of subjects. The argumentation is at least highly inconsistent. For instance, the author states that we should look broadly at religion as a phenomenon, not limiting its existence to a single cause. Some pages later, he argues that the flourishment of dangerous ideologies like nazism is caused by the lack of religion alone, evidently failing to apply the previously established rules. As another example, the author notices the coincidence between the decay of religion and the brutality of the 19th and 20th centuries but seems to ignore the peacefulness of modern times, in which religion decayed even further.

I limit my criticism to this common ground. As the book is not appropriate for atheistic readers, I doubt a need for this defense of religion part. To say something good about the book, the author does not represent extremist, triggering views on religion. From time to time, he manages to induce some curiosity in his stances. Still, he does not explain them on the ground, which is appropriate for me.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

An argument for God by a Jewish rabbi (with foreword by Rick Warren). It for sure feels different from Christian apologetics books, but it also has insights that I think Christians would appreciate. What I appreciate most of all, though, is the author's voice; it is gentle, understanding, and thoughtful.

Some books offer information, others transformation (paraphrasing from a book I can't remember). This one is definitely the latter camp in that it has made me reconsider the Big Questions and made me reexamine the faith and hope I profess to have, want to have.

I can write a lot more about this book, but I think I need to chew on it first and read it again.

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give half stars, this book would get a solid 4.5 stars. The preface of this book by Pastor Rick Warren starts with the phrase "This book is a gift to all of us." After reading this book all the way through, I tend to agree. I can tell that this memoir on faith was a very important personal project for Rabbi Wolpe, and I found it to be very inspiring, thought provoking, and many of the stores he told resonated deeply with me and my personal faith as a member of the LDS church. I think people of any religious faith would greatly enjoy reading this book.

[Dana Kraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure who the target audience for this book is. I’m a Catholic and am pretty comfortable in my faith. Much of this book seemed to be preaching to the choir although there is plenty of wisdom in it. My favorite quotes are...

A brittle faith fears questions; a robust faith welcomes them. P. 8

There are questions that open the heart and questions that close it.

I pray not for magic but for closeness, not for miracles but for love. P. 25

“...we bring light into this world not as a source but as a prism-it comes through us.”

[Anthony Cleveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book! The freely floating language construction of David Wolpe makes this work a true pleasure. Every page, I found myself making a mental note, "I need to remember this ... this is good stuff". His thought provoking answers to the serious questions of faith will bring you peace and comfort for your soul. If you are a believer ... you need to read this book. If you are not a believer ...you need to read this book. Thank you Rabbi Wolpe. Peace be with you.

[Jordan Korol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Wolpe approaches some major topics (e.g. faith vs science) with humour and practical allegories, allowing the arguments to be easily understood by those who may not be familiar with philosophers such as Kant, Russell, and Aquinas. For those (unfortunate?) readers who have survived more than one university philosophy or logic class, the connections Wolpe makes between those ideas and daily practice of faith are familiar and acceptable.

[Muhamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

splendid, just as I expected it to be.
Rabbi Wolpe is one lovely human being with a genuine faith, an honest mind, and a healthy religion.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers some debates that have already been covered extensively, but does ad a good perspective to some of the material.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book. Gives a lot of things to think about and consider.

[Sylvia J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

He makes so much sense! A perfect book to and 2021 with.

[Iris Rosen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t finish this book, but enjoyed what I read. I got a little bored so stopped reading.

[J R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book after last year watching an interview of Rabbi David Wolpe by Barry Kibrick on YouTube.

Rabbi David Wolpe, has written a candid and captivating account of how his personal journey of faith began with doubt. Spurred on by the current movement of "new atheism," David humbly set out to re-examine his own struggles of faith by asking himself a myriad of questions. Those very questions ultimately brought him back to the bedrock of faith in God.

David passionately believes that science and religion can and should be productive partners in the search for meaning and truth. In many ways, this book reinforces Einstein's famous quote: "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind."

As a practicing rabbi, he wrote that the same questions drive him now that drove him for years and are the questions that drive this book. The questions are simple in themselves: Why are we here, and why is anything here?

“In certain moments, the marvel of the fact that we exist strikes the receptive soul. Here we return to Einstein's comment about seeing everything as a miracle, or nothing as a miracle. If we are awestruck by existence, then everything in it, cruel and kind, will have a sheen of the miraculous. It does not make it all desirable or good, but surely it remains miraculous. For as philosopher Gottfried Leibniz asked several hundred years ago, why is there anything rather than nothing, when nothing is so much easier than something?

We are not accidental. Through questioning, living, suffering, comforting, lamenting, and loving, I now understand that my life is in response. There is a call; for me that call grew more poignant when the doctor told me my test indicated lymphoma.
Strange though it may sound, I heard God's whisper through the sadness: You do not have forever. Whatever you are charged to do in this world must be done. It was on that day, though I did not yet know it, that I began this book.”

Good read indeed

[Simcha York · Rating 3 out of 5]

My main gripe with this book is that it feels underwritten. Rabbi Wolpe covers a lot of ground in his argument for the continuing necessity of faith in the modern world. However, while the book is studded with little gems of insight, they are too often simply left behind without any substantial explication. The result is a book that, overall, feels a bit light intellectually.

I suspect, in part, this may simply have to do with the audience Wolpe has in mind. The book, while smart, seems to be written for a general audience with an interest in faith, but not necessarily an interest in an intellectually rigorous struggle with faith (though one gets the impression that Wolpe believes that faith must ultimately involve just such a struggle). This, in itself is fine, one need not criticize Wolpe for trying to reach out to as wide an audience as possible. However, since the book also explicitly positions itself in opposition to recent works by the so-called New Athiests, one wishes that it had risen to the level of intellectual rigor of those works (and, whether one agrees with them or not, they are largely intellectually challenging books). Wolpe is clearly interested in avoiding the rancor of the god wars, which is to be admired, but I suspect he went too far in holding back his intellectual firepower for the sake of civility. A spirited argument, after all, need not be a nasty argument.

This book's chief strength lies in the presentation of faith as a struggle rather than a haven, and the pursuit of faith as a means of responding to an often inscrutable world rather than seeking to find all the answers.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rabbi Wolpe has done a good job of explaining why faith matters. Having lost his faith early (after seeing "Night and Fog"), he found his way back. He has debated with noted atheists such as Stephen Jay Gould and gives atheists their due. In writing about religion, he is correct that religion happens everywhere--in homeless shelters, on the subway. Religion and faith (which are somewhat different) is a call to that which is holy in the world...in other words that which is not explained by science.

However, he then makes an argument for his particular religion--and that of the other "big three"--Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He lost me on that one. Our individual faith experience may not necessarily include these religions, or may include pieces of all three.

If you are interested in faith, you'll find this a thoughtful read.