Letters from a Skeptic: Exploring Christianity Through a Father-Son Dialogue

Julie: Excellent book for a non or new believer

United States on Dec 01, 2023

R. A. George: The letters between the father and son were fantastic. The father made every argument about why organized religon (primarily Christianity), the Bible, Christ and God were impossible to believe in. And his arguments mirrored my own skepticism almost to a tee.

The son's answers were interesting, honest and, I believe, ultimately provide a solid basis for belief in Christ.

He did not try to gloss over the bad actions and the contradictory problems we all have seen in the history of the church and the content of the Bible. Instead he owned up to that reality.

Nor did he ignore the daily problems with killings, mass shootings and tragic natural disasters that would question the existence of God.

Instead he focused on why, ultimately, mans relationship to God and our relationship to each other supercedes all of these negatives.

He convinced me of the true existence of Christ and why belief in Him matters to our ultimate salvation. As he convinced his father.

We all draw our own conclusions so, if you read this book, you might totally disagree or still be on the bubble.

On the other hand if you're looking for a reason and basis to believe,...

United States on Aug 08, 2023

Gaz O'Keeffe: This helped me in understanding Christianity so much. A wonderful recounting of Greg and his father's story.
Thank you both for sharing this.

Buy this book, it will help you. It's helped me and I am grateful.

United Kingdom on Sep 14, 2020

peterwann: Excellent book - delivery and condition as stated. This book deals with a father's scepticism concerning the existence of God and the truth of Christianity. In a series of letters from and to his son over a prolonged period, the son finally convinces his father of both. An enlightening & interesting book presented in an unusual and appealing format.

United Kingdom on Mar 09, 2019

Rev. H: Ed asks the questions so many in this generation struugle with. His tenacity and integrity to persevere is remarkable and matched by the love and honesty of his son. This book gave me a framework to reflect on my own questions and build my own ways of answering such questions from others. And it urged the question with which it began... have I let those I love ask the questions they come with?

Canada on Dec 11, 2017

S.Jones: I don't very often review books but felt I had to put into writing, how much of a blessing this book has been to me. I really liked how easy this book was to read, the questions 'Dad' asked were honest straight from the hip, and the kind I've heard on numerous occasions, and the answers were often straightforward and easy to understand without being over simplistic or patronising (although I didn't agree with all of the answers but that's a whole new topic). I would recommend this book for anyone who asks these questions or have people asking them because I guarantee this book will answer them.

United Kingdom on Jan 25, 2014

Wayne: The title caught my eye since I thought at first it was letters "to" a skeptic. Reading the back, I saw that it was a father, who was the skeptic, writing to his son - the believer. This book might be a help to someone who, like the father in the book, just doesn't see how Christianity makes sense. Dr. Boyd answers all the objections in an easy to understand way. The objections are direct and pointed to some hard issues that skeptics might think Christians can't answer such as "why did God create Satan if He knew how he would turn out."
The believer might find it interesting because he offers some theological perspectives that can make you think such as "open theism" (God not knowing your actions before you make them). As well it gives the believer help in discussing his or her faith in a reasonable and winsome way. I believe that many Christians could easily recommend this book.

Canada on Feb 11, 2013

John Umland: I picked this up for my Kindle when it was free for a day. It's only two bucks and change now, and this book is worth so much more. It is so much better to read apologetics from a correspondence between an honest skeptic and a humble apologist. This is narrative instead of academic. Boyd knows a great deal, he studied theology at Princeton and Yale, but he is not ashamed to admit what he doesn't know, his own struggles with doubt, his own mistakes in faith, or the limits of what can be claimed on behalf of Jesus and the Bible. Boyd is not a fundamentalist which enables him to write about Jesus much more winsomely and not as a hard dogmatist. He acknowledges the diversity within Christendom, and explains why he makes the choices within it without condemning those who have chosen otherwise. He also talks about the fringe groups and what makes them fringy. In fact, he started his Christian journey in one of them, oneness pentecostalism. He wants his skeptical dad to know that he will defend Jesus, but not the church as institution.
But the "religion" of Christianity, the "institution" of the church, is not itself Christian. Only people, not institutions, can be Christian. Thus, I...

United States on Dec 28, 2012

Craig P. Hurst: As this review will bear out I have mixed feeling about this book. I do not hold to any form of Open Theism/Flexible Sovereignty and I honestly have a hard time seeing it as a faithful interpretation of Scripture and within the evangelical stream of orthodox belief.

DISAGREEMENTS:

My biggest problem with the book is Boyd's view of God, namely his view of God's omniscience. Boyd does not hide the fact that for him God's omniscience is limited to only what has happened because out of love God has given man free will to make choices. Therefore, if man has free will God cannot out of love predetermine his choices (though He can for some in order to bring about certain predetermined events)and so God does not know mans choices until they are made. God cannot know the future because it has not happened yet because it is contingent upon mans free undetermined choices. God takes a risk in this and He limits Himself giving man some of His power in that we control the future with our choices.

What frustrates me is that Boyd constructs a merely philosophical argument for his view of God's omniscience and man's free will but does not (and cannot in my opinion) make any...

United States on Jul 25, 2012