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Finding Faith in a Skeptical World

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Finding Faith begins with the account of Galaska's conversion from atheism to Christianity after which he takes us through a light course in Christan apologetics, beginning with the question, "Who is Jesus?" There is a chapter on prayer, one on forgiveness, redemption and salvation, satan, sin, the Bible, hypocrisy, creation, miracles...He seems to have the major bases covered. He even tackles historic atrocities committed by the church.

In short, Finding Faith reads like a Christian apologetics for folks who don't know a lot about Christianity. It sets out to correct negative misconceptions about the faith. And Galaska does a good job of it. His writing is clear and simple to understand, yet he doesn't talk down to the reader. He tackles a good number of the world's criticisms about Christians with factual information in a way that the world simply does not have an opportunity to hear very often. He takes on the most commonly held misconceptions about Christianity and adds a few others of interest as well.

On the subject of Galaska's audience, people who have made up their minds to worship themselves and their functional gods probably won't read beyond the preface. The beginning of the book is a bit slow and churchy. I don't know that your typical unbeliever would get past that long enough to give the book much of a shot. In my opinion, the book would need a much stronger hook to get an atheist into the meatier chapters. I do know, however, that God is God and He can use anything He chooses to lead someone to saving faith. I wouldn't be at all surprised if He uses Finding Faith repeatedly to that end or, I should say, that beginning.

Finding Faith is well-researched. One complaint I tend to have with apologetics written for unbelievers is that the authors frequently include biblical text references in with their content. To an unbeliever, this referencing can be off-putting since they tend to discount biblical teaching out of hand. Rather than interjecting scriptural and bibliographic references throughout, Galaska includes pages at the end of the book with the references to support his writing, allowing the reader access to that information without it becoming a possible distraction. In light of Galaska's target audience, I see the method he chose as quite effective.

The short chapters and down-to-earth style of writing make this an easy read. Based on the author's former experience as an atheist, it is aimed, as the title suggests, toward those who are skeptical of the claims of Christianity. I would suggest using this book as a springboard for conversation rather than just giving it to an unbeliever without follow-up. The book has many good points but its simplicity results in it being simplistic at times. There were a few places I felt could be misunderstood, as I initially disagreed with some statements but then realized upon closer reading that his choice of words simply skated precariously close to the edge of that disagreement. However, the book is not intended to be a deep theological thesis but a practical discussion of faith and its relation to a host of common questions.

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World by Chet Galaska is a first rate primer on the problems of faith. Galaska, a former atheist, comes at finding faith from the point of reason, explaining why belief in God makes sense. It's a tough argument in a world that has come to value relativism and turns to science for explanations for everything. Creation vs evolution, the crimes of Christians, the existence of Hell, all of these are difficult questions for those who consider faith to overcome. Galaska's book is perfect for them and for those who have recently come to faith. I've read many of these books, I understand that there isn't enough room for the author to address each of these issues in depth, so he provides some of the basic arguments for each of these and in the back gives resources for those interested in more resources. Some of his anecdotes are very powerful, especially the story about his son and a Golden book, and I appreciated his metaphor of a prism to viewing faith. It's a great kickstart to conversations about faith, especially for youth.

Finding Faith In A Skeptical World is author Chet Galaska's story of how he moved from atheism to Christianity. It was only after much study, attending church, mentoring, and meditation that Chet came to believe in God. Chet takes the questions that plague us all and answer them in an easy to understand manner. He covers topics such as prayer, salvation, and sin. In open and honest terms, he discusses hypocrisy, miracles, satan, and other controversial issues. The purpose behind this book is to assist unbelievers, baby Christians, and mature Christians.
In a recent post Chet, Galaska stated: "There's nothing closed-minded about freely weighing one belief system against another and choosing to adopt the one that makes the most sense. In fact, it is downright enlightened compared to secular people who automatically dismiss and ridicule Christianity without looking into it at all ("looking into it" means clearing your mind of the anti-Christian clutter it's absorbed and looking at the faith objectively."
The best thing about this book is the way it is written. Too often scholars and pastors write in terms impossible for laymen to understand; they just assume that people have been Christian for years and understand the terminology and concepts. Chet writes in a conversational, direct, concise, and friendly manner. We could have been sharing a cup of coffee as we discussed Christianity.

If you, or anyone you know or love, is a new believer (or an as-yet undecided seeker), this is a must-read book! If I were a pastor, I'd insist everyone read it before joining the church or becoming involved in ministry. Yes, it's THAT good!

If you're looking for a deep theological discussion, this isn't the book for you. But if, like Gandhi, you "might have been a Christian except for Christians," this is an introduction to another way of looking at the issues that often stand in the way of people looking for something more--straight from the mouth of one who drifted away and then came back.

Doctrinal squabbles aside, this easy-to-read book provides a springboard for talking with those whose past experiences may have been tarnished by their interactions with others and their questions about things that just don't ring true for them.

Chet and I disagree on a few things, but that only keeps it interesting, and causes me to stretch to define what I believe and why.

But we have no disagreement about the core message of Christianity -- that there is a Higher Power and all works together for good for those who love.

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World is an enjoyable, interesting and entertaining look at religion in today's society. With so many negative things taking place all around us, it is often difficult to know where to put one's faith. With short and simple chapters, the reader can easily and quickly engross themselves for as long or as little as time allows.

One of the features of Finding Faith that I really enjoyed was the fact that each chapter begins with a sort of "question of faith" Some examples are "People generally agree that Jesus was a "wise Man." But it's a huge leap from "wise man" to being the Son of God, and the idea is farfetched. Why should anyone believe it?", "There seems to be a different kind of church on every street corner. They all claim to be Christian, but they often disagree. How can one faith produce such an assortment of views and still be credible?" and " The Bible was written thousands of years ago by people who couldn't have had a clue about what life today would be like. On top of this, it's difficult to read and understand. How could it possibly be relevant to me?" I think the reason that I enjoyed this take on religion and beliefs is because it isn't written in a "preachy" sort of way and takes into account those hard to answer questions that may cross people's minds.

Author Chet Galaska has a wonderful and talented way to take the reader on his journey of self and spiritual discovery. This is a very enjoyable read that can easily be reread and shared with family and friends. Mr. Galaska's journey is told in a friendly way that will engage the reader and help to answer questions of their own faith, that they may have. As a Catholic, I enjoyed each and every aspect of the writing. It was quite interesting, when in the beginning, Mr. Galaska speaks of the fact that after excepting God into his life, he found his temper to be very mellow and the outbursts nearly non-existent. Our family has a good friend who this exact experience happened to. Once he opened himself to God and began attending Church, his entire outlook on life and personality completely changed and his life became much calmer and more mellow.

Anyone experiencing upset, dissatisfaction with their life, or just wanting an enjoyable read, pertaining to faith, will greatly enjoy Finding Faith in a Skeptical World. I enjoyed Finding Faith and commend the author on an excellent job expressing both himself and his talent.

Some books about faith overwhelm you with complex theology and language. Some are so condescending that they turn you off. But that definitely isn't the case with "Finding Faith in a Skeptical World" by Chet Galaska.

"Finding Faith" is a guide to what faith in God truly means. For the believer, it provides answers to questions they often feel inadequate to discuss. And for others, "Finding Faith" can help explain some of the most difficult concepts surrounding putting your faith in an all-knowing, all-powerful, loving God.

* Why doesn't prayer always work?
* What is sin and why is it important?
* Why do bad things happen?
* How is the Bible relevant to me?
* Why are there so many different Christian churches?
* How are Christians expected to conduct themselves?
* Why doesn't science prove there's a God?

These and many more topics are discussed by a former atheist who became a Christian after several years of investigating the faith with an open mind. Christian churches should keep multiple copies on-hand and every Christian home will want to own a copy of a book that offers so much information in such an encouraging way.

An engaging and powerful book awaits you in "Finding Faith in a Skeptical World" by Chet Galaska.