Why should anyone believe in God in a world with so much pain?Why should I become a Christian when I find the public agenda of many Christians so offensive?I have been hurt by the church in the past.
Why should anyone believe in God in a world with so much pain?
Why should I become a Christian when I find the public agenda of many Christians so offensive?
I have been hurt by the church in the past. Why should I bother with it now?
Most Christians have found themselves in conversations with nonbelieving friends and family where these kinds of questions have come up. In fact, most Christians have probably found themselves asking these questions too. But everyone who has ever wondered about such complicated things knows that this is dangerous territory—after all, what if there’s no easy answer?
This book welcomes and encourages these questions that Christians “aren’t supposed to ask.” In each chapter, James Brownson introduces a particular question and then reframes it with a relevant passage from the Bible, bringing to bear his expertise as a biblical scholar. Rather than providing dogmatic (and ultimately unsatisfying) “Sunday school answers,” he explores the questions in provocative ways that often challenge the status quo of American Christianity. Fittingly, each chapter closes with discussion questions and suggestions for further reading, so that the conversations begun here can continue among the book’s readers in fruitful ways.
“Jim Brownson is one of the most important biblical scholars writing today, and in this book, he lends his theological expertise to a variety of contemporary issues that often prove to be stumbling blocks for young people and others wrestling with doubts about Christianity. From the problems of hypocrisy and abuse in the church to theological debates about sexuality, hell, and women’s roles, Dr. Brownson offers important insights from Scripture to help Christians think more clearly about complex topics. Questions Christians Aren't Supposed to Ask presents close readings of New Testament passages in an accessible, practical format that highlights the contemporary relevance of Scripture in our culture.”
—Matthew Vines
executive director of The Reformation Project and author of God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case for Same-Sex Relationships
“I once heard the late Bob Cook, longtime President of King’s College in Briar Cliff, New York, say, ‘What a person says about you having known you for twenty minutes may or may not be true. What a person says about you having known you for twenty years is most likely true.’ I have known Jim Brownson for much longer than twenty years I can tell you that he is a thoughtful, thorough scholar who has asked and answered tough questions for a very long time. I can’t wait for you to verify this for yourself as you read Questions Christians Aren’t Supposed to Ask.”
— Timothy L. Brown
president emeritus and professor of preaching at Western Theological Seminary
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James V. Brownson is the James and Jean Cook Professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He is also the author of Bible, Gender, Sexuality and The Promise of Baptism.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Hypocrisy
2. Hope
3. Pain
4. Politics
5. Sexuality
6. Other Religions
7. Failures
8. Spirituality
9. Fruitfulness
10. Hurt
11. Abuse
12. Church
13. Women
14. Doubt
15. Hell
16. Relevance
17. Slavery
Conclusion
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