Customer Reviews

Help My Unbelief

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In Help My Unbelief, parish priest Fleming Rutledge draws upon her more than twenty-two years of ministerial service to speak directly to readers plagued by doubts and uncertainties about their Christian faith. Her approach combines pastoral warmth and intellectual clarity as she aligns herself with the struggling questioner facing the most penetrating theological challenges of modern times. Highly recommended reading for all Christians regardless of creed or denomination, Help My Unbelief offers satisfying answers for those who must deal with doubt and who strive for a Christian faith within the context and challenges of the world today.

In her second book of sermons, Fleming Rutledge weaves contemporary concerns into the Biblical story. She manages to expound scripture while speaking to moral and social concerns. In the process, the book affirms faith while owning the difficulty of believing for many of us. She mixes a clear affirmation of traditional doctrines with a disarming humility that understands the writer's own frailities. She offers substance for the mind and the soul in her preaching.

Fleming Rutledge brings to her homiletics, the capacity to really empathize with the natural human perspective of the "foolishness of the gospel " while conveying a powerful unwavering faith in the Scriptures as God's story, God's message to humanity, and God's answers to the human condition. Her sermons acknowledge the "faithful doubter," the "doubting seeker," and those "intimidated into silence" by the "incredulity of friends and associates." (Rutledge XII) Rather than arguing with or attempting to persuade them out of their doubts, she allows her text and personal experiences to serve as witness of God's attention to and activity in life and in the world. This quality is very well illustrated by a phrase from the quote of Flannery O'Connor that she used, "It is trust, not certainty." (XVI)

What does a well written, well intended Evangelical do with Paul's blatant anti-feminist language? She IGNORES them! You have to ignore it, as with so much of the Bible-Otherwise it doesn't stand up to textual and theological criticism.

For example, 1 Tim.2:11 (and I quote from NKJV) "Let a woman learn in silence with ALL SUBMITION. AND I DO NOT PERMIT A WOMAN TO TEACH (why doesn't this speak to you Mrs. Rutledge?) OR TO HAVE AUTHORITY OVER A MAN, BUT TO BE IN SILENCE.

1 TIM.5:9 "DO NOT LET A WIDOW UNDER 60 YEARS OLD BE TAKEN IN TO THE NUMBER, AND NOT UNLESS SHE HAS BEEN THE WIFE OF ONE MAN, WELL REPORTED OF GOOD WORKS: IF SHE HAS BROUGHT UP CHILDREN, IF SHE HAS LODGED STRANGERS, IF SHE HAS WASHED THE SAINTS FEET (?!)... BUT FOR THE YOUNGER WIDOWS; BUT FOR WHEN THEY HAVE BEGUN TO GROW WANTON AGAINST CHRIST, THEY DESIRE TO MARRY, HAVING CONDEMNATION, BECAUSE THEY HAVE CAST OFF THEIR FIRST FAITH." He goes to hurl more insults at young women, calling them 'gossips and busybodies.' Elsewhere, Paul "suffers to have a woman teach," I could go on and on...

This book was a last ditch effort to eek out some value out of Christianity- but instead, she helped me CONFIRM MY UNBELIEF. It's just not persuasive content- Just more Billy Graham boiler plate "Christ died for you" BUSINESS of the church. What a let down.

Once I got half way through, I realized I had nothing new in my hands. The title was catchy for skeptics like myself, but she fails to deliver any novation on the matter of 'Unbelief.' The skeptic knows they don't know it all. That is there creed. This author went on the bandwagon without addressing a true doubters real concerns. She makes herself the proverbial ostrich with her head in the sand. Skip it. Go get "The Book your church doesn't want you to read" instead. Have a great day!