504 ratings (4.38 avg)
1 review

Josh Hilty

Add friend

Josh’s Bookshelves

to-read‎ (129)

currently-reading‎ (7)

read‎ (505)

did-not-finish‎ (0)

Stats | More…

Josh is Currently Reading

Josh Hilty is currently reading

In Search of God’s Will: Discerning a Life of Faithfulness and Purpose

by Trevor Hudson

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Oct 17, 2025 06:45PM

Josh Hilty rated a book it was amazing

Why I Am Protestant (Ecumenical Dialogue Series)

by Beth Felker Jones (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Josh Hilty said: " Thank you, Beth Felker Jones, for this book. I especially appreciate your honest assessment of not only the strengths of Protestantism, but also its weaknesses. In an apology for Protestantism, a square look at its weaknesses makes me appreciate the Thank you, Beth Felker Jones, for this book. I especially appreciate your honest assessment of not only the strengths of Protestantism, but also its weaknesses. In an apology for Protestantism, a square look at its weaknesses makes me appreciate the arguments made in the other direction. I am a Protestant pastor. It doesn't take much to convince me of the issues swirling in our churches. Not least the ones spoken of here.

Individualism, fragmentation, and authority are the issues highlighted in chapter 5. This paragraph sums up the way these three snowball and coalesce.

"Individualism and fragmentation are deep problems for Protestant faith, as are the problems with authority that so often come along with individualism and fragmentation. Protestantism insists that it is not the church but Scripture, as the very Word of God, that is the central site of authority for Christian faith. The problem, of course, is that Scripture is not easy to interpret, and having rejected the idea that the church is the trustworthy arbiter of right interpretation, we find ourselves in disagreement about matters of faith and practice. Traditional and individual interpretations compete, and sometimes those differences result in more fragmentation."

While there are also problems with locating authority solely in the Church itself, I appreciate how she forces us to grapple with the underbelly of assuming that each individual person has the ability/authority to interpret Scripture on his/her own. As a pastor who regularly instructs people about the importance of being able to interpret Scripture in its original context, I also want them to hold their own understanding in tension with the truth entrusted to the apostles and handed down through the Church.

I'll leave the more lengthy and academic reviews for others. And I may come back and add more to this once I finish the book. For now, I highly recommend this book to anyone curious about an honest assessment of both the strengths and weaknesses of Protestantism. ...more "

Sep 29, 2025 07:07PM · see review