This book is written for people who are tempted to leave the church because the message they have been hearing has come to seem intellectually unacceptable, morally objectionable, or spiritually deadening, maybe even all three. Often, these people see no alternative to the version of Christian faith that they now find difficult to accept. They have been told that rejecting anything they have been taught means ceasing to be a Christian.
What they have been told is wrong. But seeing new possibilities means reconsidering assumptions that are often taken for granted, and it can be difficult to imagine on your own a form of faith different from what you are used to. This book provides some help. It can be thought of as a guide for those who see the need to let go of some of what they have been taught, but don’t know how to replace it with something better.
Rethinking your faith can be scary. But giving up on what is unbelievable can help to clear the way for the kind of faith that is more believable and ultimately more satisfying. Changing your mind can be a way of saving your faith.
Reviews
“This book is a courageous attempt to show that a contemporary person who is morally sensitive and scientifically knowledgeable can hold and live out a biblical form of Christian faith. . . . Holley writes both for Christians who have doubts and nonbelievers who find themselves unable to arrive at any kind of faith. The book itself models the view of faith Holley develops: faith faces critical questions honestly and humbly but can arrive at a view of God and the world that inspires hope and makes love central to human existence.” -C. Stephen Evans, Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, Baylor University
“A great many Christians, and some former Christians, are in need of what David Holley has to say. They have been taught the Christian faith as a tight package of beliefs, so that questioning any one belief will cause the whole package to fall apart. Holley both explains and demonstrates how thinking hard, and even questioning some parts of the package, can contribute to a faith that continues to grow and become stronger. Hope this works for you!” -William Hasker, former Editor, Faith and Philosophy
Table of Contents
Part 1: Holding Fast and Letting Go
Chapter 1: Two Dangers
Chapter 2: Faith, Evidence, and Certainty
Chapter 3: Keeping Your Faith in Working Order
Part 2: Rethinking Biblical Interpretation
Chapter 4: Divine Revelation and Human Authors
Chapter 5: Disturbing Portrayals of God
Chapter 6: Misplaced Expectations
Chapter 7: Revision Within the Bible
Chapter 8: Ethics and Culture
Part 3: Rethinking Christian Teaching
Chapter 9: What Does the Death of Jesus Mean?
Chapter 10: Being Saved
Chapter 11: Divine Judgment and Punishment
Chapter 12: Is God in Control of Everything?
Chapter 13: Signs and Wonders
Part 4: Substantive Faith
Chapter 14: God’s New Order: Welcome News for the Excluded
Chapter 15: God’s New Order: Enemies and Violence
Chapter 16: The Resurrection
Chapter 17: Learning to Love
About the Author
David M. Holley taught philosophy for over forty years at universities in Kansas, Arizona, and Mississippi. He currently lives in Texas with his wife Joyce and can sometimes be seen kayaking on Stillhouse-Hollow Lake. He regularly watches games of the New Orleans Saints and the Baylor Bears. His most recent book, Changing Your Mind Without Losing Your Faith, was completed during the lockdown year of the pandemic.
Dr. Holley is a past president of the Society for Philosophy of Religion. His professional awards include the “Excellence in Philosophy of Religion Prize,” “Templeton Foundation Prize for an Outstanding Course in Religion and Science,” and multiple study grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was recognized by his university as “Grand Marshall – Distinguished Professor.”
His previous books include Meaning and Mystery: What It Means to Believe in God (2010), and he has published numerous articles in major philosophical journals. These include “Humble Confessionalism” (European Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2018), “Confident Religious Faith and Intellectual Virtue” (International Philosophical Quarterly, 2017), “Practical Considerations and Evidence in James’s Permission to Believe” (Religious Studies, 2015), “Religious Disagreements and Epistemic Rationality” (International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 2013), “How Can A Believer Doubt That God Exists?” (The Philosophical Quarterly, 2011), and “Treating God’s Existence As An Explanatory Hypothesis” (American Philosophical Quarterly, 2010).
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