Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father's Questions about Christianity [Paperback]

Dr. Gregory A. Boyd (Author), Edward Boyd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2008

Greg Boyd and his father, Ed, were on opposite sides of a great divide. Greg was a newfound Christian, while his father was a longtime agnostic. So Greg offered his father an invitation: Ed could write with any questions on Christianity, and his son would offer a response.

Letters from a Skeptic contains this special correspondence. The letters tackle some of today's toughest challenges facing Christianity, including

Do all non-Christians go to hell?
How can we believe a man rose from the dead?
Why is the world so full of suffering?
How do we know the Bible was divinely inspired?
Does God know the future?

Each response offers insights into the big questions, while delivering intelligent answers that connect with both the heart and mind. Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, or just unsure, these letters can provide a practical, common-sense guide to the Christian faith.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Edward Boyd's agnosticism rested "not ... too much on any positive position ... but rather on a host of negative ones" about Christianity. In an attempt to address these negative issues, his son Greg, a professor of theology, asked his father, a strong-willed, highly intelligent, and stubborn 70-year-old, to enter into a correspondence in which "all of their cards would be laid on the table." Greg would give his father the opportunity to raise all his objections to the veracity of Christianity, and Greg would "answer these objections as well as give positive grounds for holding to the Christian faith."

Three years and more than 30 letters later, Letters from a Skeptic was published and Edward Boyd came to accept Christ. During his journey, he and his son hash through such topics as why the world is so full of suffering; why an all-powerful God needs prayer; how you can believe in someone who rose from the dead; and how another man's death can pardon others. Despite their brutal honesty, both men exhibit respect and love toward one another as they address these volatile subjects. In Edward's second response to Greg, he boldly says, "Well, your distinction between the 'Christian Church' and 'Christians' is interesting and novel, but frankly, I don't buy it." Greg responds, saying, "I've got to admit that you are raising some extremely good points in your letters. You are raising the most difficult questions a theist can face." --Jill Heatherly --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434799808
• ISBN-13: 978-1434799807
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (250 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gregory A. Boyd is the founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn., and founder and president of ReKnew. He was a professor of theology at Bethel College (St. Paul, Minn.) for sixteen years where he continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor. Greg is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (BA), Yale Divinity School (M.Div), and Princeton Theological Seminary (PhD). Greg is a national and international speaker at churches, colleges, conferences, and retreats, and has appeared on numerous radio and television shows. He has also authored and coauthored eighteen books prior to Present Perfect, including The Myth of a Christian Religion, The Myth of a Christian Nation, The Jesus Legend (with Paul Eddy), Seeing Is Believing, Repenting of Religion, and his international bestseller Letters from a Skeptic.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Father - Son Dialog On the Things That Matter August 19, 2006

By Paul M. Dubuc

Format:Hardcover

Greg and Edward Boyd have have given us a great blessing in publishing their correspondence on the nature of Christianity. This book is unique among the many apologetic sorts of books I have read for a few reasons:

1)It's honest. Ed Boyd doesn't go easy on his son about Christianity. The questions are thoughtful, penetrating and genuine, not straw men set up to be easily knocked down. Greg Boyd's answers are equally thoughtful and well stated. He doesn't overwhelm with theological language but does a very good job of explaining difficult ideas in simple language. He honestly admits to uncertainty in places, but does a fine job of showing that uncertainty need not be a serious impediment to genuine faith and rational belief. I have never seen so many difficult questions about Christianity answered so well in so little space.

2)It's intimate. This is a discussion between a father and son who genuinely love and respect one another. It's a model for how important, ultimate issues can be debated in a very constructive manner.

3)It's powerful. Ed Boyd's conversion is more than a mere acceptance of certain religious beliefs. It is a powerful testimony to the power of God to change a human life wonderfully "from the inside out."

Many have objected to parts of Greg Boyd's theology. For example K. Restoule's review here goes so far as to say this isn't really a Christian book because of Boyd's "Open Theism." (See his other books for a more detailed treatment of his theology.) Though I have some questions about this position myself, I think Boyd is a genuine evangelical Christian theologian who is wrestling honestly with how to make the best sense out of the whole Bible's portrayal of God. Restoule's objections are one-sided. There are plenty of places in the Bible where God is portrayed as being shocked (even surprised?) at human behavior. He changes his mind. He is passionate and emotional (if the prophets are to be believed and Jesus is really God incarnate). God doesn't fit in a neat little conceptual box and Greg Boyd is honest about that. He deserves a fairer more open-minded reading than many of his critics give him.

If God is the most powerful being in existence, he can do anything; even limit himself in some respects (not all) with regard to his knowledge of the future. To some people this implies a diminshment of God. If so, it is a self-diminishment--no other being has done it to him--and he is still is the most powerful being in existence--no one else has more foreknowledge than he. So how is God diminished? Is God unable to right any wrong just because he didn't "know" it would happen beforehand (because it wasn't part of reality before it happened)? I don't think so. I think Boyd makes a good point when he suggests that the conception of God that many Christians have may owe itself more to the ancient Greeks than to Christianity (or the Judaism from which it sprang) and biblical teaching.

Greg Boyd is a passionate, whole-hearted Christian with the Highest regard for the Bible. That comes out very clearly in this book. I highly recommend it.

70 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent. Many hard questions finally explained. July 15, 2000

By Spiff

Format:Hardcover

I loved this book and read the 190 pages in few days. I am struggling with my own doubts about religion. My belief in God is strong, but any details are blurry (that includes the choice of religion). Edward Boyd asked several questions which have been leaving me confused about Christianity, I found myself suprised many times at how he was just asking what I often wondered about. Several times I was thinking "ok, that explains it, but what about XYZ, I want you see explain that one, ah!" and later Edward did ask something like it and his father managed to come up with a pretty solid answer. The topics include: Why has Christianity done so much harm? Why is the world full of suffering? Why does God create famine,earthquakes? Couldn't it all be by chance? Why does an all-powerful God need prayers? Why trust the Gospel as true? What about the contradictions? How could a man rise from the dead? Why are there so many different interpretations of the Bible? What about other holy books of other religions? Do all non-Christians go to hell? Why would God torture people in an eternal hell?

Plus many other. Sometimes you'll get answers that are based on faith, sometimes you get clear facts, but I have to admit I have never read any explanations that left me thinking it was making sense.

If you already believe, this book might help you to see things a bit more clearly. If you are a skeptic (like me), it will leave you less confused.

Ultimately, I do not believe I will find any final answer from books. It will have to be a deep personal experience, but I am gathering as much info as I can. I dare quoting the Bible: "Test everything, hold on to the good" (1 Thess 5:21).

This book was great clearing up a few problematic issues like the concept of Hell. Of course I still don't understand many things, and still have a lot to learn, but if you are a skeptic, buy it now.

A previous reviewer wrote that Boyd claims to know the truth, but resorts to compromise when his beliefs are on the line. Maybe he does sometimes, but even Boyd himself near the end admits that you cannot be 100% of anything. He admits things might be different, but gives you enough facts to make you start looking at other options as if they are as hard to believe in as the whole "christian stuff".

I also recommend another book which also clears out many issues and some good arguments from atheists: "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. "The Journey" Bible is also easy to read and addequate for people who don't believe yet. I've been trying to explore it, it's a lot easier than most Bibles.

The book ends a bit quickly, the last 2 months were not written, it abruptly ends with Gregory's father saying he is ready to believe. I am curious about how he feels now, and it would be interesting to read more correspondence between the two.

In general, a great book, with many strong arguments. Doubts will always be present, but this was one of the most interesting books about Christianity I have read so far.

No matter what you believe in (or don't believe in), buy it. I am sure you will find some good thoughts in it, even if you don't end up converted or fully convinced.

47 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Better Title: Answers for Skeptics May 11, 2001

By Michael Erisman

Format:Hardcover

An excellent book for anyone who is curious about Christianity and the many common misconceptions about what Christianity is all about and who God is. The book is essentially correspondence between a Father and Son, in which the Father asks dozens of tough questions about his Son's faith, all in letter format (including the small talk and pleasantries). Among the questions are "Why believe in God in the first place?", "Why would an all powerful God need prayer?", and dozens more about the Bible, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and Christian doctrine. What makes this book so compelling is the honest way the questions are posed, and the answers delivered. The son (Gregory Boyd) answers these tough questions with logic, theology, science, and uses a straightforward approach which is neither "preachy" or "academic" but rather grounded in everyday language. In particular, the section on "Why believe in God in the first place" addresses the fallacies of "random chance" theories such as Darwinism's evolution. For example, the Son poses the question back to the Father regarding all human longing for meaning and a supreme being by saying "Where did our longing for something that never existed, and that never could exist (if we are a result of random chance) come from?" He presents some questions which atheists and evolutionists have been skirting and simply have no answer for. Overall, the book is easy to read and will challenge the way you think about Christianity, and the rational, logical, and even scientific conclusions which all point to God. It also demonstrates a rare feat these days: a passionate debate about a serious subject, handled with maturity and love. A great example for anyone who engages in theological discussions with persons who have strongly opposing viewpoints. Buy this book and read it - it is worth the effort!