Doubting Faithfully- Confessions of a Skeptical Pastor was written by Keith Long and published in 2020.You may purchase it at Amazon.com/Kindle. Visit the author on Twitter.
Unlike other religious tell-all accounts, Doubting Faithfully: Confessions of a Skeptical Pastor articulates what a spiritual nomadic quest of an active leader of the Sunday morning faithful feels like from the other side of the pews—a confession most other clergy might prefer to keep hidden.
There are very few books, over the course of the last nine years, while writing these reviews, that I have read more than once. This is one of them. I was completely and totally intrigued and captivated by the idea that a pastor of a Christian Church would take a plunge into the void of actually questioning the Bible or even the existence of God. Pastor Long “steps into the void” with a fear but also with an exhilaration, as he did during his youth when he jumped into the river from a six-story bridge. In doing so, it freed him from many of the Christian constraints that he felt bound to through the years. In his example to illustrate his idea of jumping, and the fear of falling, he relates to a high up over-head obstacle course that he once ran and managed during his college years. If you fell off of one of the obstacles, you would be held up by a harness. In relation to being afraid to questioning or even doubting our faith, he encourages us to “Step outside of your comfort zone- don’t cling to the natural instincts to safety. Fall and test and trust your tether.” Long also reminds us that, “Our brains were meant for thinking.”
Keith Long exercises his views in many ways that I can’t even imagine any other pastor or True Christian ever considering. But of course, it stands to reason, that as humans, it’s inherent in our nature, to question and to doubt, even when our beliefs seem so strong. The birth and resurrection of Jesus are not exempt from this pastor’s thoughts and doubts. To find out what his conclusions are, well, you’ll just have to read the book.
If you are like me, the faith I have, has not, nor will it ever be shaken and it is only added to when we can be free to use our God given intellect and this is precisely what Pastor Keith Long, I think, would agree with.
Doubting Faithfully- Confessions of a Skeptical Pastor is a top shelf book that everyone should read, whether you are an atheist or a Christian. I give it a solid 5 out of 5 stars.
Keith Long is featured to be a guest on The Writers Lounge Podcast located on this site.
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