Grappling with God
three books that i think every christian should read
Faith isn’t easy.
And, sometimes, the people around us don’t give us the answers we want.
I have created a list of three different books (plus a bonus!) that all tackle different aspects of the Christian faith. I believe that they are all incredibly useful and encourage you guys to give these a try. And without further ado, let’s dive right in.
1. Messy Grace, by Caleb Kaltenbach
In this book, the author Caleb Kaltenbach shares his testimony of growing up in a household with two actively gay parents. Yet he surprised everyone by becoming a Christian and even a pastor.
I cannot recommend this book enough. In my experience, when it comes to discussing LGBTQ topics, the Christians I’ve talked to are either outright hostile towards these people or don’t really understand them. This book is an invaluable resource for understanding that members of the LGBTQ community are not evil, nor are they our enemies. They are people, just like us, and Jesus calls us to love everyone even if we disagree with their beliefs.
It even has a sequel - Messy Truth, which I also recommend.
This book helped me to have empathy, love, and compassion towards the people that I disagree with on this subject while still upholding my own beliefs.
2. The Ballot and the Bible, by Kaitlyn Schiess
This book explores the history of how the bible has been used throughout American politics. It dives into how specific verses and passages have been used and misused to support various topics - like how both supporters and opponents of slavery used the Bible to back up their arguments.
I read this book during the presidential election and the aftermath when I was struggling to understand what was going on. It helped me to make sense of how the bible and Christianity has been used, especially with the crazy political atmosphere right now. It provides an excellent deep-dive into some modern controversial issues and how the Bible has been used in those. It’s also incredibly recent, even including things such as the 2016 presidential election.
This book helped me with understanding the complicated landscape of American politics and how Christianity has been used throughout history on both sides of many issues.
3. More Than a Carpenter, by Josh McDowell
This is a book that I was required to read before working at a summer camp, and I fully agree with that decision by the camp leaders.
It presents a logical argument for Jesus Christ being God, not a liar or a lunatic, as well as providing evidence for the resurrection and the accuracy of the Bible. Sean McDowell also talks about his testimony in this, as he actually didn’t become a Christian until later in life.
This book presented me with a good overview of the actual historical and logical evidence for the life of Jesus Christ. I would recommend this book for anyone struggling with their faith, as it provides excellent evidence for the validity of the Bible.
Bonus: A Ready Defense, by Josh McDowell
This book is a bit older, but it has been an excellent resource for me when my faith has been challenged. It presents an organized list of responses using apologetics and logical arguments for common questions and doubts surrounding Christianity.
While it doesn’t tackle some of the more modern-day debates and controversies, this book has been very helpful in providing me with quick answers to some of these tricky questions.
I don’t recommend reading this book like you would the rest of the books on this list. Instead, I would reference the section that you need. The topics are organized very concisely and it’s very easy to find what you’re looking for.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that just because I’m recommending these books doesn’t mean that I agree with everything in them. As with anything, you should read these with a discerning eye and critical mind. However, I believe that they are invaluable resources for every Christian. They certainly helped me to gain a broader understanding of some of these more controversial topics.
Whether or not you decide to check out some of these books, remember that doubting or having questions is not necessarily bad. In fact, God can use these doubts to bring you closer to him. If you, like me, have struggled or are struggling with doubt, I want to affirm that you guys are not alone.
I apologize that this post was a bit later than we planned, but that’s all from me today! Keep asking great questions, and I’ll see you guys later.
(P.S. If you haven’t yet, you should totally submit a story for our short story contest this month)