Faith at the Edge: A Book for Doubters

by Robert N. Wennberg

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. / You are not alone. Such crises of the soul have come upon saints throughout Christian history ― from John of the Cross in the sixteenth century to Mother Teresa in our own time. In fact, there may be something of this God-doubting in all of us. At some point in our Christian walk, most of us have traveled ― or will travel ― this dark path. / In Faith at the Edge Robert Wennberg draws from his own experience with doubt to address such troubling issues. But he also calls upon the wisdom and insight of such figures as Blaise Pascal, G. K. Chesterton, Simone Weil, C. S. Lewis, and Martin Marty. Laying out a theologically insightful account of what happens during doubt, Wennberg helps us understand how we can cope with these dark episodes and even profit from them spiritually.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy

182 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2009

Reviews

[Lynn Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of thoughts on 'the dark night of the soul' is short and some parts are too simplistic and not particularly helpful, but it is all gently written and reassuring. There were many excellent reminders and encouraging insights.
I especially appreciated these ideas:
1. There is a reason for God choosing to withdraw His presence, or to let us experience agonizing questions and doubts. One reason may be to rid us of pride and self-assuredness, and give us humility.
2. We must keep on in the practice of charity, and we must never forsake the means of grace even when they are dry and unreal. Prayer, praise, preaching, fellowship, and the Sacraments are not only for times of vibrancy of feeling but a commitment we must follow all our life.
3. Doubt is not unbelief, it is uncertainty - and Hope plays an important role during these times when we lack the sure confidence that we once felt. We put our trust in what we earnestly desire to be true, what we place a high value on, in what have chosen to believe and commit ourselves to.
Like Jacob, we must never give up the struggle to find the answers and understanding we seek. "I will not let you go unless you bless me!"

[Kari Cope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Wennberg was one of my favorite college professors. He encourages us to think of ourselves as "believers tempted to doubt, not doubters tempted to believe." His work is theoretically and practically helpful for anyone who has experienced "the dark night of the soul."

[T. R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some mind-blowing ideas in this short book, but in some cases, it didn't dare to go to the depths of the doubt it was trying to describe. Yes, there's truth in it, but sometimes I felt that it still takes faith for granted - even for doubters. What about those who have almost lost their faith in God or anything transcendental and have to restart their faith life from the very beginning?
Still, I really appreciate that at least somebody dealt with this topic - a topic which is quite rarely discussed in any Christian community.

[JD Waggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty short text, which is nice, and it doesn't hammer its point, which is also nice. Wennberg is very clear that this is a book for those who are doubting within the faith; he's not writing to those who are skeptical about the whole thing, because that's a different kind of conversation. He's actually very clear about most of the parameters within which he's working, which the academic part of me appreciates.

Wennberg's book isn't the best thing since sliced bread, for sure, but it does act a s a fantastic starting point for deeper conversations and understandings. He points you to the darkness within Mother Teresa, to the brilliance and lostness of St. John of the Cross, and to the heart of G.K. Chesterton (one of Wennberg's literary heroes, which I can understand). This is a good starting place, because whatever it doesn't get into (which is a lot) it at least has signposts for.

The "Questions for Reflection" at the ends of the chapters aren't terribly helpful, as they're very basic and kind of silly in a way, but I'm not usually one for built-in study questions. All in all, well worth the read, and short enough to allow access very easily.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

An important topic, and Wennberg deserves much credit for tackling the issue. However, for a book on a subject that carries such emotion and angst for both doubters and those who know doubters, his highly academic style is very off-putting and ultimately not helpful. For pastors or similar caregivers to read and understand some of the reasons for doubt and how doubt can be accepted, even celebrated, and made an integral part of faith, there is useful information to be gleaned. For the one actually experiencing the "dark night of the soul" Wennberg so often references, this book seems ultimately not that useful. We read through this book in our Bible Study group and the feeling was fairly unanimous--too academic and intellectual to understand much of the time. It is unfortunate that timely information on such a vital but neglected topic was so mis-handled.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book for doubters, those who most likely grew up inside the Christian faith but have questions. I sought this book out because I was looking for something to help me through my own doubts. And while I appreciated some of the things Weinberg discussed, like not letting doubt completely overtake your life, the text was written in such dry textbook language it was a slog to get through. Reading this felt like reading a textbook on the philosophy of doubt. And it wasn’t really the book I was looking for. I guess I had hoped for an anthology of several doubters, the different forms their doubts took, and how they either continued with their faith or gave it up.

[Dianne Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

simple, refreshing, encouraging. I recommend this for anyone who has, or knows someone, who struggles with "the dark night of the soul", which is explained as being far from unbelief, but a pulling away, by God, of ones overwhelming sense of certainty. He describes this as being a form of asset, however painful, in growing humility and in tenacity of respect for God.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book on doubt, what it means to your faith, and how to deal with it.

[Adam Omelianchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb reflection on doubt in the life of faith.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. It's a short book that broadly covers topics without going into depth, but I did not find it to be a shallow reading at all.

[Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good. Straightforward, simple, helpful. Will revisit.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book by one of my teachers at Westmont. I like he acknowledges the challenge of doubt and how to deal with it.