When Faith is Not Enough [Paperback]

Mr. Kelly James Clark (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997

Doubt and death, God and self, happiness or insignificance, guilt or grace? These fundamental human concerns are deeply intertwined and connect with our heart's deepest longings. They are difficult to understand, yet deeply felt. When Faith Is Not Enough is a creative, honest, and original discussion of faith and doubt and the search for human significance. Drawing upon personal experience, literature, psychology, philosophy, and Scripture, philosopher Kelly Clark tackles the difficult question of how we can live with doubt and how we can nurture a faith and develop a self of enduring value. In section one, "The Shadow of a Doubt", Clark takes doubt (and doubters) seriously and sets out to help the reader understand faith in a deeper way. He presents a powerful case for the existence of God, offers hope for understanding the problem of God and human suffering, suggests positive ways for dealing with doubt, and affirms the excitement of embracing the adventure of life. Section two, "Searching for My Self", is a reflection on the meaning of life. We want our lives to count, but we feel insignificant. We desire fame and honor, but we feel forgotten and ignored. Wishing for significant human relationships, we often feel alienated and unable to communicate. And wanting to live worthy lives, we feel shame. Clark probes into these conflicting emotions and addresses how God can unite the disparate elements of our lives into a meaningful and enduring self.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.; First Print edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802843549
• ISBN-13: 978-0802843548
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,111,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Book!, December 6, 1999

By 

Julie Finnigan - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Faith is Not Enough (Paperback)

This book was amazing! Clark took an brutally honest look at Faith in God - when God seems so near and when you feel abandoned. His honesty made me take a hard look at where my Faith is. Before each chapter he has a few quotes by famous theologians, philosophers & other writers which are so powerful in themselves. The quotes are evidence of the struggle that even the most godly people have had w/ their Faith - C.S. Lewis for example. One point that Clark makes very clear is the need for all people to be honest w/ themselves and to be AUTHENTIC. So many people don't take the time to sit back and reflect on life - they are blind to the reality of life around them. Most are in the rut of following cultural standards - get up, eat, work, come home, watch TV, and sleep, while never taking time to truly reflect on life. Only then will you truly know who you are as a person and you will be on your way to becoming authentically YOU. There's so much more to this book so you MUST read it! This book is remarkable and I would recommend it for everyone - Christian or not.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely wonderful book!, February 24, 2005

By 

Emil Salim - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When Faith is Not Enough (Paperback)

I totally disagree with the two previous inane reviews. I am a philosophy graduate student at a major research university in the US and a seminary lecturer, and have read Dr. Clark's book at least twice. I found it to be an absolutely wonderful book that would both enlighten the mind and touch the heart of many people, no matter whether they are philosophers or not, nor whether they are Christians or not.

Dr. Clark, who is one of the most prominent analytic Christian philosophers in the US, writes in a crystal clear manner about the meaning of life and being an authentic Christian. I have read several books on these subjects, including ones by Tillich (The Courage to Be), Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning) and other stuff by Camus, Sartre, and Kierkegaard. The reading list could go on (even though actually there are not really many books on these issues), yet Dr. Clark's book is still unique because it contains a highly engaging discussion of deep philosophical topics (such as Kierkegaard's existentialism) while remaining extremely accessible to a broader audience other than philosophers or theologians or psychologists. This is partly because Dr. Clark also gives powerful personal illustrations that would both help the readers understand important points and relate to the issues better.

There is a very strong existential element in the book that would force the readers to boldly contemplate faith and the reality of life. This book really has helped me in my struggle to make sense of life as a Christian. The book starts off with a deep struggle of doubt, but it is victorious in the end. Dr. Clark elegantly talks about the need to have epistemic humility in our spiritual journey, as we must always consider taking a leap of faith into the embrace of our loving God. The nature and cause of doubt presented in this book indeed represent the concern of many people I know both at universities and in religious communities. Bill's remark in his review that Dr. Clark's approach is arrogant is completely unacceptable (and perhaps arrogant).

I have been recommending this book to my friends, especially lay people, and have heard unqualifiedly positive feedback from them. If you are also questioning about the meaning of life, as I am, I highly recommend this book to you. I am pretty sure that by reading this book, you will find strength and a spark of hope in the midst of the absurdity of life.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A rare mix of pastoral and theological reflection, October 17, 2000

By 

Robert Knetsch "Wanna-be theologian" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Faith is Not Enough (Paperback)

Dr. Clark succeeds in tapping into the frustration many Christians have with those who seem to that the faith in "obvious", the belief is simple. In fact, doubt is essential to faith and causes us a crisis which inevitably forces us to come face to face with who we are and what reality itself entails. Dr. Clark takes onthe challenge of appealing to doubters, but also lending them hope and a reason to continue to believe. His helpful, though cursory, study of Kierkegaard has opened my eyes to this philosopher and wants me to read more. And an author that can make one want to read more has succeeded greatly. This is a must-read for all Christians.