Ordained Servant: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church

For some Christians, it is easy to forget that not all unbelievers are hostile to Christianity. Many people who are not Christians often have sincere and serious questions about the Christian faith. As Christians, we should, in a loving manner, talk to such people who have questions and do our best to answer them biblically. In other words, we are called to speak the truth in love and give a reason for the hope we have (Eph. 4:15, 1 Pet. 3:15). One good resource for doing so is Randy Newman’s book Questioning Faith. In this apologetics book, Newman draws on many years of experience as he asks and answers some common questions people have about religion in general and Christianity more specifically.

There are six main questions in this book. Each question makes up one chapter. The questions are as follows: 1) What if we aren’t blank slates? (the question of motives), 2) What if faith is inevitable, not optional? (the question of trust), 3) What if absolute certainty isn’t necessary? (the question of confidence), 4) What if our similarities aren’t as helpful as we think? (the question of differences), 5) What if we need more than reasons? (the question of pain), and 6) What if there’s more to beauty than meets the eye? (the question of pleasure). Each of these questions and answers dives into various aspects of topics such as faith, doubt, suffering, beauty, and so on. Each chapter also contains stories about people who moved from unbelief to faith for various reasons and in various ways. Newman included an appendix for readers who want more information about Christianity. There is also a general index and a Scripture index at the back of the book.

Newman’s questions and answers are quite relevant to the modern religious landscape of the United States. For example, the first chapter tackles the subject of morality. It gives the story of a man who was fully on board the anti-theist bandwagon of Christopher Hitchens. However, the wagon fell to pieces for this man when he saw glaring moral inconsistencies in Hitchens’s views. In the wake of this fallout, the man found Christianity’s views on morality to be more consistent, especially in light of the gospel.

Another example of this book’s modern relevance is the discussion of desires in chapter two. In Newman’s own experiences, he noticed many unbelievers were simply following their own selfish desires in life. He notes that those desires are related to people’s gods and their worship. This chapter is to get people to think about what gods they trust and question whether those gods give stability in life or not.

One other aspect of Questioning Faith that I found helpful is the various summary statements Newman gave throughout the book. As mentioned above, every chapter covers different topics. In each chapter, Newman gives a pointed statement to help readers hone their thinking. Here are a few examples: “Amid our doubts, we should seek confidence more than certainty” (55). “Observing the differences between religions may be more helpful than looking for their similarities” (70). “We need perspectives within us that can account for the beauty around us” (114). These statements are meant to help non-Christians think about their own beliefs and ideas in a more critical way. These statements also help open people up to receiving the truths of the gospel—truths that are far more satisfying and fulfilling than alternative beliefs and religious views.

Sometimes Christians can be callous and harsh when explaining or defending the truth. I recently read a book that called unbelievers various names on some pages, but on other pages it had calls to faith. I kept thinking, “If I were not a Christian, this book would absolutely not make me want to be a Christian!” Thankfully, Newman’s tone in Questioning Faith is compassionate and gentle. His goal in this book is not to win a doctrinal argument or throw out quotable, edgy phrases to sound cool. His goal is to persuade readers of Christianity’s truths. And he does so with a loving tone and in a kind manner.

This is a book I could comfortably give to a few people I know who are interested in Christianity. Questioning Faith will not unnecessarily offend readers who are not Christians. At the same time, this book will poke and prod readers to think about their own views and positions. The book does not avoid the hard topics and exclusive claims of Christianity. If you know someone who is a thinker and, at the same time, curious about Christianity, this might be a good book to read with that person. I even found it helpful for my own Christian walk. Questioning Faith helped remind me of the personal reasons for which I am a follower of Christ.

Shane Lems serves as pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Hammond, Wisconsin. Ordained Servant Online, August–September, 2024.