Faith and doubt

John Ortberg, a pastor, takes up a matter many believers keep quiet: whether doubt works against faith or can deepen a person's relationship with God. His answer is that faith by its nature involves uncertainty, so the two are bound together rather than set against each other.

This is a work of Christian non-fiction, written in a candid, personal voice and drawn from Ortberg's own struggle with belief and unbelief. He looks at the line between the two and argues that it does not separate hostile camps. It runs through every person, a razor's edge that each believer walks.

From there the book argues for honesty. Ortberg holds that asking hard questions can widen understanding, that uncertainty can lead toward trust, and that a faith willing to admit its doubts can produce a bold kind of hope. He presents God as wanting the whole person, doubts included.

The book suits Christians who feel uneasy about their own questions, and anyone curious whether doubt has a place in religious life. The tone is honest and reassuring, aimed at comfort and encouragement as much as challenge.