A Faith Worth Believing: Finding New Life Beyond the Rules of Religion [Hardcover]

Tom Stella (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2004

The faith of our childhood does not always survive into adulthood. What seemed obvious and convincing at an early age looks askew after encounters with suffering, illness, different religions, modern science, or dozens of other challenges contemporary life throws in our path. Despite setbacks and the obvious failures of the church itself, many people still long to be part of their faith family.

Using the Catholic Church's Baltimore Catechism to structure his exploration, Father Stella candidly and systematically questions various doctrines of the faith -- from God, Jesus, and the Trinity, to faith, charity, heaven and hell -- using personal reflections on his religious journey to come to new and more meaningful understandings of the Christian life of faith. Each chapter concludes with personal meditations that embolden the reader to deepen and reflect upon their faith. Stella invites us to accompany him as we move from a faith based on what we are told to one that our souls know to be true.

Stella calls us back to the roots of the Christian faith -- to a faith that is thoughtful, all-pervasive, and based on the recognition that God is mystery.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is a book for grown-up Christians. Stella, a Catholic priest and author of The God Instinct, writes for those wanting to think about faith as well as practice it—what Hindus would call the path of reflection. The author devotes a chapter each to 15 familiar key concepts from religion (hope, sin, salvation, etc.), beginning with a simple definition such as might be taught a child, then adding reflection and complexity. Chapters conclude with prayerful meditations that invite some slow examination of the author's deepened meanings. He works to broaden teachings beyond the literal, which is a level good enough for some believers but not for him or others who would seek a mature faith beyond the childish. He challenges some essential Christian doctrines—such as the bodily resurrection of Jesus or virgin birth—while simultaneously acknowledging the symbolic meaning and importance of such teachings. While he is critical of the parochialism that religion can promote, he also recognizes and honors what religion intends: the provision of a framework of morality, relationship and understanding of God, self and neighbor. This book will be especially useful for those who consider themselves "hurt" by religious teaching and who may be angry about religion as a result. Stella writes without anger and with honesty.
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Review

“Resonates with people who find themselves out of sync with religious institutions.” (Houston Chronicle )

“A stimulating, thoughtful exploration of Christian faith that reaches past dogma to the fundamentally enigmatic nature of God.” (Cleveland Plain Dealer )

“Certain to resonate with Christians for whom conventional theological and biblical understandings have become inadequate.” (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette )

“A book for grown-up Christians. . .[and] those wanting to think about faith as well as practice it.” (Publishers Weekly )

“[A]sks the right questions, points in the right directions . . . to get through these times faithfully, creatively.” (Richard Rohr, O.F.M. )

“[S]imply the most provocative, disturbing and courageous book that I have read in many, many years.” (Brennan Manning, author of Ruthless Trust )

“Stella succeeds in playing the Music of Faith rather than squabbling over who’s staying closest to the old scores.” (Robert Farrar Capon, author of Genesis the Movie )

“Interesting and helpful to Protestants and Catholics alike.” (Marcus Borg, author of The Heart of Christianity )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060563435
• ISBN-13: 978-0060563431
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,244,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Real Thing, April 19, 2004

By 

Gerard Koehn (Colorado Springs, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Faith Worth Believing: Finding New Life Beyond the Rules of Religion (Hardcover)

In his chapter on faith, author Tom Stella points out that it has been said of the people of our culture that we have been innoculated with just enough Christianity to make us immune to the real thing. For cradle Catholics like myself, the Baltimore Catechism served as that first immunization. Apart from imposing a huge guilt trip, the catechism never spoke to me. Stella apparently had a similar experience. In his book A Faith Worth Believing,Finding New Life beyond the Rules of Religion, he tells of how his faith has changed over the years since getting that original indoctrination. This evolution is based on a contemplative spirituality, a belief in the presence of God in all creation and all events. This faith has a tremendous effect on all aspects of religion which he explores in his chapters that correspond to various parts of the Baltimore Catechism. It is a "what I believed then and what I believe now" exposition. Subjects as the Trinity, faith, hope, love, sin, salvation, hell etc are each explored from the standpoint of how his beliefs have changed over time.

In this very readable and personal book, Stella sheds light on the incarnational meaning of our Christian beliefs and does it with honesty, humor and humility. A provocative book, it challenges us as mature Christians to take our faith back into our own hands. I recommend it enthusiastically for those for whom institutional religion has lost its meaning and are looking for a faith worth believing.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Doubt is a part of faith, January 12, 2005

By 

Allan M. Gathercoal "fdoamerica" (Norcross, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Faith Worth Believing: Finding New Life Beyond the Rules of Religion (Hardcover)

Tom Stella brings us a very readable introduction into key themes of the Christian Faith (God, Jesus, the trinity, heaven and hell) that will help those who have doubts about their faith to know that they are not alone.

Tom's writing would make the disciple of Jesus named Thomas (often referred to as `doubting Thomas') feel included. Faith, according to Stella "has more to do with God incarnate in life and relationship that it does with affirming the existence of a Supreme Being".

His writing style comes across as if you told `Father Stella' that you had serious doubts about the creeds of the Catholic Church, at which point he would smile, sit you down, and say, "Doubt is a part of faith, and there is no reason to think of yourself as deficient if you have doubts." Then one by one he goes through key theologies telling you about how he has doubts too, and how he now believes.

However, about half way through the book you realize that Stella is still very much `Father' Stella and is still a priest of the Church (unlike Karen Armstrong, ex-nun, who questions and rejects the Catholic Church, Stella chooses to stay in and with the church). Though, in this book he questions the creeds of the church by the end of the text you know he is still very much a man of the cloth. This attempt to mix water and oil can be a bit confusing, and sometimes noticeably contradicting. On one hand he states that "God is not definable, confinable, not a person", but rather.... "who I am". Thus, you and God are one. However, in his chapter on `Prayer' he changes nothing from the church's teachings. Thus, you pray to a God `out there', "we must be willing to express to God who and how we are." You will find these discrepancies throughout the book..

The book is a fast, easy read that will help those that are struggling with their faith (regardless if they are Catholic or Protestant). In the New Testament the disciple Matthew wrote that, after the resurrection, the disciples went to meet Jesus, they fell on their face and worshiped him "but some doubted" 28:17. If there is a single core message it is: Don't hide your doubts, rather `doubt' boldly.

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, Inspiring, Amazing, July 19, 2010

By 

Damien M. Abrusley "Wine guy" (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Faith Worth Believing: Finding New Life Beyond the Rules of Religion (Paperback)

I like this book so much that I continue to read it over and over. If you are struggling in your religion or faith, then this book is for you. You may find freedom! If you are satisfied in your religion or faith, then you may or may not like this book. In fact, if you are catholic, you may find it offensive.