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Confessions of an Amateur Believer
An entertaining collection of inspirational, gritty, challenging writing that follows an unwilling atheist's first encounters with God, her ensuing struggles and progress as a reluctant believer, and her ultimate discovery of contentment and rest in faith.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 2, 2007
2 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Patty Kirk
10 books9 followersPatty Kirk is the author of "Confessions of an Amateur Believer" and subsequent books on topics ranging from food memoir to her lifelong struggle to sense God’s presence. Raised in California and Connecticut, she spent her early adult years abroad and now lives on a farm in Oklahoma and teaches writing just across the Arkansas state-line at John Brown University, where she is Associate Professor of English and Writer in Residence. She and her husband, Kris, have two college-aged daughters, Charlotte and Lulu. Patty's passions are cooking, gardening, watching birds, and running on the back roads.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 16, 2021
I wasn't connecting with the author at all until chapters 14 & 15, in which she talks about her struggle to feel remorse when she's wrong, and the difficulty of intercessory prayer. She seemed to be my identical twin in these issues. Sadly, the really good insights for me were only in those chapters.
As the title indicates, the author became a Christian as an adult and is not a theologian; this shows in some of her Scripture interpretations. She didn't always take the historical, cultural contexts into consideration, but often projected her own thoughts and feelings onto people in the Bible - and also on readers. (I.e., "we all do this or that, we all think such and such…")
She equates having a "personal relationship" with Christ with having a starry-eyed, romantic relationship with Him. I thought this view was very strange. I've never heard anyone describe it in those terms before, only in the sense that it's the opposite of an impersonal one (e.g., we all know of the president, but we don't all have a personal relationship with him).
I cringed at the stories about her young daughters that were very personal. She stated she's grateful for their permission to include them, but I didn't get the impression that they were old enough to really understand what they were agreeing to. (For instance, there were physical descriptions of a child who went through puberty earlier than most - why on earth would a mother want that to be the mental image in the minds of her readers? She also included some of their very specific questions about sex.)
Note: She uses profanity a few times.
Completely irrelevant, but fun to me: Kirk taught at John Brown University, likely during the same period I attended, though I didn't have her as a professor. Small world!
As the title indicates, the author became a Christian as an adult and is not a theologian; this shows in some of her Scripture interpretations. She didn't always take the historical, cultural contexts into consideration, but often projected her own thoughts and feelings onto people in the Bible - and also on readers. (I.e., "we all do this or that, we all think such and such…")
She equates having a "personal relationship" with Christ with having a starry-eyed, romantic relationship with Him. I thought this view was very strange. I've never heard anyone describe it in those terms before, only in the sense that it's the opposite of an impersonal one (e.g., we all know of the president, but we don't all have a personal relationship with him).
I cringed at the stories about her young daughters that were very personal. She stated she's grateful for their permission to include them, but I didn't get the impression that they were old enough to really understand what they were agreeing to. (For instance, there were physical descriptions of a child who went through puberty earlier than most - why on earth would a mother want that to be the mental image in the minds of her readers? She also included some of their very specific questions about sex.)
Note: She uses profanity a few times.
Completely irrelevant, but fun to me: Kirk taught at John Brown University, likely during the same period I attended, though I didn't have her as a professor. Small world!
June 30, 2016
I have very conflicting feelings toward this book. It had really interesting points scattered throughout. However, it is classified as a biography and isn't a biography. It's a collection of essays about God and religion. I was expecting a biography and was confused when I read a few chapters and it still was not resolving as a biography.
I like this quote, though I'm not sure if I agree with it. Most people seem to fixate on the death of Christ as the crux of Christianity. Like the author, I see it a bit different, but Kirk and I don't agree on the crux of Christianity. She believes it is Jesus' birth. I believe it to be Jesus' resurrection from the grave. Without Jesus' resurrection, we would have no hope.
"And it may be merely a vestige of that child's worldview, made up of presents and nighttime ceremonies and the familiar Christmas decorations we took out of dusty boxes every year and arranged on the mantle, but the crux of Christianity for me has never been the cross. Not then, not now. Instead it is God's first response to our hope and longing and frustrating blindness: the birth of his own son in our world. What matters most to me is that God had that son to begin with. And that he has other sons and daughters like me that he loves and doesn't want to be parted from. That he loves his children as I love my own daughters, only more so, with a hot, knowing, parental love that says, "Be who you are, but love me back. Only love me back'" (8).
I also really liked this thought:
"I know why you're mad," I tell her back. She ignores me. I skip to catch up with her.
"Is it because I didn't keep you from slipping?" I ask, knowing.
She turns and opens her eyes wide and purses her mouth at my statement of the obvious. But I now know the truth, and the knowledge of it sings inside of me: my daughters hold me responsible, me alone, for their happiness. They expect miracles and protection from me, as from some hero from an old romance. In their eyes, I can do marvelous feats and prevent disaster. I am right and just, always right and just. And for now this is a wonderful thing. Charlotte will grow out of this absolute faith in me. I will want her to. But for now, for an instant, I know how God must feel when we turn to him, even in anger as Job did, and expect only good things at his hand. There is nothing like a child's trust" (61).
My daughter (adopted) holds me responsible for her happiness. If she is unhappy, it is always my fault. It is my job to keep her entertained, keep her happy, and keep the negative emotions at bay. Even though my daughter expects this of me, she also does not view me as right and just because so many adults in her life have betrayed her. Adults in general are not safe and cannot be trusted. All motives must be questioned because they are not automatically assumed to be right and just. So I am responsible for my daughter's happiness but I am also viewed with distrust. It's a difficult position to be in.
I like this quote, though I'm not sure if I agree with it. Most people seem to fixate on the death of Christ as the crux of Christianity. Like the author, I see it a bit different, but Kirk and I don't agree on the crux of Christianity. She believes it is Jesus' birth. I believe it to be Jesus' resurrection from the grave. Without Jesus' resurrection, we would have no hope.
"And it may be merely a vestige of that child's worldview, made up of presents and nighttime ceremonies and the familiar Christmas decorations we took out of dusty boxes every year and arranged on the mantle, but the crux of Christianity for me has never been the cross. Not then, not now. Instead it is God's first response to our hope and longing and frustrating blindness: the birth of his own son in our world. What matters most to me is that God had that son to begin with. And that he has other sons and daughters like me that he loves and doesn't want to be parted from. That he loves his children as I love my own daughters, only more so, with a hot, knowing, parental love that says, "Be who you are, but love me back. Only love me back'" (8).
I also really liked this thought:
"I know why you're mad," I tell her back. She ignores me. I skip to catch up with her.
"Is it because I didn't keep you from slipping?" I ask, knowing.
She turns and opens her eyes wide and purses her mouth at my statement of the obvious. But I now know the truth, and the knowledge of it sings inside of me: my daughters hold me responsible, me alone, for their happiness. They expect miracles and protection from me, as from some hero from an old romance. In their eyes, I can do marvelous feats and prevent disaster. I am right and just, always right and just. And for now this is a wonderful thing. Charlotte will grow out of this absolute faith in me. I will want her to. But for now, for an instant, I know how God must feel when we turn to him, even in anger as Job did, and expect only good things at his hand. There is nothing like a child's trust" (61).
My daughter (adopted) holds me responsible for her happiness. If she is unhappy, it is always my fault. It is my job to keep her entertained, keep her happy, and keep the negative emotions at bay. Even though my daughter expects this of me, she also does not view me as right and just because so many adults in her life have betrayed her. Adults in general are not safe and cannot be trusted. All motives must be questioned because they are not automatically assumed to be right and just. So I am responsible for my daughter's happiness but I am also viewed with distrust. It's a difficult position to be in.
August 12, 2016
On a personal note, this spiritual autobiography satisfied a deep desire I've felt for some time. I've longed for an honest and intelligent conversation about the Christian faith with another believer, preferably one who wasn't raised in a religious household. Intrigued by Kirk's title, I bought this book at a second hand book store, hoping to learn something new about the Christian faith.
Patty Kirk's memoir is honest and compelling. It is actually a series of confessions about her journey to faith. Raised in Southern California by non-practicing Catholics, she eventually embraces the Christian faith while teaching English at a small Christian college. Her story unfolds gradually and includes beautiful biblical references. She shares her struggles openly - including a rocky period of insecurity and doubt - and concludes with a meaningful observation: "And if, in the darkness, I stop worrying to listen-which I often don't, or can't, or won't-I hear God's voice under the narrative of my own worries and accusations: That's enough. Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Move on. Trust in me. Go to sleep."
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and read this memoir! It will shatter your assumptions and misconceptions about mainstream Christian believers.
Patty Kirk's memoir is honest and compelling. It is actually a series of confessions about her journey to faith. Raised in Southern California by non-practicing Catholics, she eventually embraces the Christian faith while teaching English at a small Christian college. Her story unfolds gradually and includes beautiful biblical references. She shares her struggles openly - including a rocky period of insecurity and doubt - and concludes with a meaningful observation: "And if, in the darkness, I stop worrying to listen-which I often don't, or can't, or won't-I hear God's voice under the narrative of my own worries and accusations: That's enough. Do not speak to me anymore about this matter. You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Move on. Trust in me. Go to sleep."
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and read this memoir! It will shatter your assumptions and misconceptions about mainstream Christian believers.
November 21, 2008
I had the distinct pleasure of meeting with Patty a couple of weeks ago. She autographed my copy of this book and took the time to sit with me and discuss life, spirituality, writing, and Germany. Meeting with her was a healing experience for me, she is so wholly present in the moment and wise in her directives . Patty is an English prof at my college, and I am so proud of this collection of essays...she is so authentic and gutsy in her Confessions. I have not finished it yet, but it's easy to come back to since each chapter is a separate essay about faith. She tells her story: of growing up in a strict but chaotic Catholic home, of painful secrets, of losing God, and finding him again. This book came to me at the perfect time in my life, when I needed to be reminded that writing is my prayer, and losing God doesn't mean you won't find him again. A wonderful read for anyone who doubts...and don't we all doubt?
September 4, 2007
The author shares her spiritual journey, which goes from being raised as a Christian in the Catholic tradition, to turning away from the faith and thinking of herself as an athiest, to a return to the faith as a protestant believer--with a lot of questions. She shares herself in a series of short essays divided into 4 sections: Meeting God, Struggling, Progress, and Rest. [return]Kirk's writing is easy to read, it's like listening to a neighbor down the street share about her life struggles and philosophies. She is candid, honest, and reflective, often finding a lesson in her experiences that she shares with her readers. I definately recommend this to any believer or non-believer who would like to read an honest story about someone's spiritual journey.
July 28, 2007
The best book I've read in a year. Patty Kirk's perspective on faith is honest. Not contrived like most "faith" books.
August 18, 2009
Excellent! I was constantly surprised and delighted by the author's sheer honesty and candor. She really has lived a fascinating life, and her faith journey was compelling.
September 20, 2015
Liked it a lot.
Want to read
July 29, 2009returned to library without finishing, want to get it again and finish it. It was interesting so far.
July 1, 2009
Very good! I enjoyed her humor, and I really liked her honesty. This book was also not too preachy, and at the same time addressed everyday questions from someone seeking.
January 11, 2011
Patty Kirk approaches the entirety of her life with a candour and authenticity that I truly appreciated.
July 18, 2012
Read my review here:
http://evenme-nicmarie17.blogspot.com...
http://evenme-nicmarie17.blogspot.com...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews