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Dear David: Is Jesus for Real?: A Letter Memoir on the Journey from Doubt to Faith
What happens when one friend asks another friend to recount his reasons for believing in Christianity? A 30-page email with enough material for a book, apparently. Dear David is the candid retelling of one college student’s dubious return to faith, complete with the transformational realization that Jesus is a person to encounter, not some abstract puzzle to solve.
For seekers and skeptics alike, Dear David is a memoir in letter-form that offers an explanation of Christianity without any smoke and mirrors—just a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor and blunt storytelling. It begins with the philosophical musings of any 21-year-old trying to make sense of the world. What is religion? Why are there so many? Is Jesus for real?
It then shifts into personal how does a self-described agnostic figure out the real question to answer when it comes to the quest for absolute truth in this world? What does a second generation Chinese American do to reconcile his semi-dysfunctional relationships with his immigrant parents? And why, for this Stanford computer science major, was a summer at Amazon both the worst and best internship of his life?
The stories told in Dear David are engaging, frank, and personally endearing. If you are struggling with doubt or simply curious if Jesus is truly for real, Dear David is your ticket
A better working definition for religion (it’s not what you think it is!)A lesson in why personal application of faith is more important than pursuing truthA dose of reassurance that you are not alone in your doubtWhether you’re curious about faith, skeptical about faith, or altogether indifferent about faith, Dear David ultimately promises nothing more than what it already plainly an exceedingly long letter from one friend to another.
For seekers and skeptics alike, Dear David is a memoir in letter-form that offers an explanation of Christianity without any smoke and mirrors—just a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor and blunt storytelling. It begins with the philosophical musings of any 21-year-old trying to make sense of the world. What is religion? Why are there so many? Is Jesus for real?
It then shifts into personal how does a self-described agnostic figure out the real question to answer when it comes to the quest for absolute truth in this world? What does a second generation Chinese American do to reconcile his semi-dysfunctional relationships with his immigrant parents? And why, for this Stanford computer science major, was a summer at Amazon both the worst and best internship of his life?
The stories told in Dear David are engaging, frank, and personally endearing. If you are struggling with doubt or simply curious if Jesus is truly for real, Dear David is your ticket
A better working definition for religion (it’s not what you think it is!)A lesson in why personal application of faith is more important than pursuing truthA dose of reassurance that you are not alone in your doubtWhether you’re curious about faith, skeptical about faith, or altogether indifferent about faith, Dear David ultimately promises nothing more than what it already plainly an exceedingly long letter from one friend to another.
- GenresNonfiction
95 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 22, 2021
3 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 23, 2022
Review to come.
December 19, 2022
Yes. I did start this book in February.
And it did take me till December to finish it.
BUT NOT BECAUSE IT'S A BAD BOOK.
Just because I got it in ebook format and I don't like ebooks as well as physical books (wrote a blog post about that, btw) and library books have due dates and I'm a busy girl and well... Yeah.
At some point in the future, I'd like to reread this book and *cough* read it all the way through without letting a couple months get inbetween.
As for the book itself, I enjoyed it. It's definitely an interesting memoir. There was only one statement that I was like "Uh, nope. No, that's not right," theologically speaking.
But I do enjoy the fact that it puts forth a different way of looking for evidence as to how 'real' Jesus is. Not just historical evidence, there's plenty of that. But personal evidence. In our culture, we discount personal evidence because it must be 'biased'. While I do think bias can play a part in personal experience, it's not the whole picture, as this book shows.
And it did take me till December to finish it.
BUT NOT BECAUSE IT'S A BAD BOOK.
Just because I got it in ebook format and I don't like ebooks as well as physical books (wrote a blog post about that, btw) and library books have due dates and I'm a busy girl and well... Yeah.
At some point in the future, I'd like to reread this book and *cough* read it all the way through without letting a couple months get inbetween.
As for the book itself, I enjoyed it. It's definitely an interesting memoir. There was only one statement that I was like "Uh, nope. No, that's not right," theologically speaking.
But I do enjoy the fact that it puts forth a different way of looking for evidence as to how 'real' Jesus is. Not just historical evidence, there's plenty of that. But personal evidence. In our culture, we discount personal evidence because it must be 'biased'. While I do think bias can play a part in personal experience, it's not the whole picture, as this book shows.
December 18, 2021
3.5 stars.
A short book about the story of a man's realization of the need of Jesus in his life and his conversion to Christ.
This book is short, but for some reason it took me longer to read than most other books of the same length. Sometimes the writing strayed from conversational to being more like a sermon (not in a bad, preachy way, I assure you) and then would go back to conversational. The writing was confident, though, and I feel the author gave a decent argument for the existence of God and our need for Him.
Overall, I found the book very helpful and informative. I always find it fascinating to hear other people's conversion experiences, and it was interesting seeing things from the author's perspective through his journal entries. The illustrations he drew also made me laugh, as I often feel the same way about things I draw.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions stated in this review are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
A short book about the story of a man's realization of the need of Jesus in his life and his conversion to Christ.
This book is short, but for some reason it took me longer to read than most other books of the same length. Sometimes the writing strayed from conversational to being more like a sermon (not in a bad, preachy way, I assure you) and then would go back to conversational. The writing was confident, though, and I feel the author gave a decent argument for the existence of God and our need for Him.
Overall, I found the book very helpful and informative. I always find it fascinating to hear other people's conversion experiences, and it was interesting seeing things from the author's perspective through his journal entries. The illustrations he drew also made me laugh, as I often feel the same way about things I draw.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All of the opinions stated in this review are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
November 14, 2021
At under eighty pages, this book is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The chatty style between friends, (it began as a long email to a buddy) is both engaging and sincere as the author lays bare his personal journey from Misgivings to Belief. It meant opening up his personal, private life to reveal flaws and messiness but he does so with admirable candor that wins readers’ hearts.
Especially appealing is his ability to send pointed truths convincingly through to questioning or dissenting minds. This twenty-something author shows commendable insight and inspired thinking in tackling mystical issues such as the deity of Christ and what differentiates Jesus from other religious leaders; all this without preaching and without nipping at the freedom of choice of every reader.
A gem!
Especially appealing is his ability to send pointed truths convincingly through to questioning or dissenting minds. This twenty-something author shows commendable insight and inspired thinking in tackling mystical issues such as the deity of Christ and what differentiates Jesus from other religious leaders; all this without preaching and without nipping at the freedom of choice of every reader.
A gem!
February 6, 2022
📮
“Dear David: Is Jesus for real?” is a short memoir birthed from a 30-page email from the author to his friend, David. In this book, Andrew Lee tells his journey to faith by honestly and transparently sharing his thoughts and experiences of Christianity.
📮
I have to admit that I was a little wary starting this book because I was worried that the message it was going to put across was “truth is subjective and there’s no one path to eternal life, just do you”
but I was so pleasantly surprised!
This book is short and easy to read, and I found myself highlighting it throughout. There were parts that made me pause, think and see things in a way I hadn’t before.
I related so much to the author in his thoughts and doubts about God, and his journey towards Jesus.
This book was almost a five-star read but I gave it four stars because I disagreed a little bit with a point the author was making towards the end. However, apart from that, I truly enjoyed this book. It was such a beautiful book, I’m so glad I read it.
“Dear David: Is Jesus for real?” is a short memoir birthed from a 30-page email from the author to his friend, David. In this book, Andrew Lee tells his journey to faith by honestly and transparently sharing his thoughts and experiences of Christianity.
📮
I have to admit that I was a little wary starting this book because I was worried that the message it was going to put across was “truth is subjective and there’s no one path to eternal life, just do you”
but I was so pleasantly surprised!
This book is short and easy to read, and I found myself highlighting it throughout. There were parts that made me pause, think and see things in a way I hadn’t before.
I related so much to the author in his thoughts and doubts about God, and his journey towards Jesus.
This book was almost a five-star read but I gave it four stars because I disagreed a little bit with a point the author was making towards the end. However, apart from that, I truly enjoyed this book. It was such a beautiful book, I’m so glad I read it.
February 25, 2022
This book is an easy, quick read. It is conversational, and you feel like the author is in the room talking to you. If you are looking for a deep theological discussion (or answers to those deep questions), this isn’t that book (but the author warns of that at the beginning).
I think this book would resonate most with people who are searching for Christ, but just don’t feel him there yet. It’s not C.S. Lewis, but it is someone’s personal testimony. And I truly believe, that testimonies can be more powerful than any theology textbook. You might not believe what someone else believes, but their testimony is their truth. Their real. Their personal story with Christ. And I love hearing other peoples testimonies. You don’t have to be an orphan turned druggy turned prostitute turned alcoholic turned preacher to have a good testimony. You just have to say your story.
Overall, this book is a nice quick read. The author is humorous and seems authentic. We are all at different points in our lives with Jesus, and it was interesting to read about his perspective.
I think this book would resonate most with people who are searching for Christ, but just don’t feel him there yet. It’s not C.S. Lewis, but it is someone’s personal testimony. And I truly believe, that testimonies can be more powerful than any theology textbook. You might not believe what someone else believes, but their testimony is their truth. Their real. Their personal story with Christ. And I love hearing other peoples testimonies. You don’t have to be an orphan turned druggy turned prostitute turned alcoholic turned preacher to have a good testimony. You just have to say your story.
Overall, this book is a nice quick read. The author is humorous and seems authentic. We are all at different points in our lives with Jesus, and it was interesting to read about his perspective.
November 3, 2021
Kindle Customer
Verified Purchase
WITNESSING GUIDE
This would be a good book for anyone who struggles with witnessing for Jesus Christ... That's even more challenging when addressing your friends. ( Oddly enough, I've often found that it's easier to communicate our Christian faith with lost strangers than with those people that know me... and to lead with a “soft” question to initiate the conversation. )
I enjoyed this short memoir and believe that it would make a good Bible study. RECOMMENDED.
Verified Purchase
WITNESSING GUIDE
This would be a good book for anyone who struggles with witnessing for Jesus Christ... That's even more challenging when addressing your friends. ( Oddly enough, I've often found that it's easier to communicate our Christian faith with lost strangers than with those people that know me... and to lead with a “soft” question to initiate the conversation. )
I enjoyed this short memoir and believe that it would make a good Bible study. RECOMMENDED.
December 31, 2021
reads like a letter from a friend -- to state the obvious for a moment. Andrew is a dear friend of mine, and to see his life story articulated so gently and openly is a great gift.
January 10, 2022
It was really intriguing to hear Andrew's story of his journey as a Christian, especially knowing him personally as such a wonderful member of my Christ family. I really enjoyed the book and Andrew's honesty about his experiences. Awesome job.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews