Doubt As A Holy Task & Other Matters

I’m overjoyed to be a guest on Pete Enns and Jared Byass’ podcast, Faith For Normal People. I feel so seen and heard and graciously framed by the whole thing.

In addition to what we might call money quotes, they’ve provided a transcript.

Behold a few money quotes.

Doubt is having a nervous system and being a human being.

When somebody speaks of their faith, I want to say: Faith in what?

Christianity—when it isn’t fascism—is a moral movement, a peasant philosopher movement.

When Christianity means that I get to subject the population to my brutal fantasy concerning God, myself, and others, that’s pretty messed up.

I now view “biblical worldview” as a rhetorical weapon that morally serious people will not take up.

Don’t say “the Bible says.” The Bible can’t “say” any more than Queen’s Greatest Hits Volume 2 can say. It’s a collection.

And a long one:

The holy work of doubt…is knowing that a person is a process and I do not know what they’re going to say or how they’re going to respond until they do. So I think we get to bring doubt to our characterizations of people. I think we get to bring doubt to the perceived opponent, enemy, other, and there’s something lovely about not knowing…You can never know for sure where a person is at and what they’re going to be. Doubt is being sort of prepared and willing to be surprised.

Pete’s a slightly-older-than-me scholar who’s helped a lot of people out in the ways I’m trying to help myself and others out. I couldn’t be happier with the end-product that is this podcast. I love what he does and I’m grateful to have been made a part of it.

In related news, I’m headed to Lexington, Kentucky this week. Joseph Beth Booksellers specifically on Thursday, July 25th at 7:00 pm. I’ll be there eager to talk and, if there’s an interest, sign books.

Here’s an action shot.

I’ll leave it there for now except to say I’m able to mail signed copies of some of my books while supplies last. To be clear, three of the books in view below have been or are being revised, so…if you want one of those, I’ll have to include some hand-written qualifications.

Special thanks to everyone who’s let me know, in specific ways in recent days, how my efforts are a help.