We run our website the way we wished the whole internet worked: we provide high quality original content with no ads. We are funded solely by your direct support. Please consider supporting this project.

Another Sneak Peek from Benefit of the Doubt
As we approach our ReKnew conference next month, we’ll be posting snippets of Greg’s book, Benefit of the Doubt. We hope you’ll be joining us. We extended the deadline for early bird registration. Get on that before Friday at midnight!
What Is Your Actual God?
In light of all this, what should be said about the certainty-seeking model of faith? To put it bluntly, I find it hard to avoid the conclusion that, for all their sincerity, the certainty-seeking, doubt-shunning understanding of faith reflects the same religious idolatry that entrapped the religious leaders of Jesus’s day. The things that make certainty-seeking Christians feel loved, worthwhile, and secure before God—that is, the thing that assures them they are “saved”—is that they feel confident they believe the right things with a sufficient level of certainty. Doesn’t this mean that it is their certainty in what they believe about God, rather than God himself, that is their source of life?
Is this honestly any different from the idolatry that Jesus confronted in the religious leaders of his day?
The Evidence of How We Live
If further proof is needed, consider this. As long as a person remained confident enough in the belief that Jesus is the true revelation of God that they can get their life from him (about which I’ll say more below), would they ever be afraid of confronting ideas that might cause them to doubt any of their other beliefs? I, for one, don’t see how it is possible.
Think about it. If I was confident that God unconditionally loves me because of what he did for me on Calvary, then wouldn’t I be confident that his love for me does not increase or decrease based on how accurate or inaccurate my other beliefs are? So too, if I was confident God ascribes unsurpassable worth to me on the basis of Calvary, then wouldn’t I be confident that my worth can’t be increased because I hold correct beliefs and can’t be decreased because I hold mistaken beliefs? These questions answer themselves.
Boyd, Gregory, Benefit of the Doubt: Breaking the Idol of Certainty, Baker, 2013
Category: General
Tags: Benefit of the Doubt, Doubt, Doubt and the Idol of Certainty, Faith, Greg Boyd, ReKnew, Upcoming Conference
Related Reading

Speaking of Doubt
Xava du via Compfight As long as we’re on the topic of faith and doubt, here’s an excellent piece by Richard Beck on The Gifts and Benefits of Doubt. Are you struggling with doubt and feeling like a spiritual loser for it? We think you’ll appreciate Beck’s insight on this. From the article: The assumption…

Confessions of a Christian Nation: Native American/First Nations Oppression
In this third part of the Confessions series, Brian Zahnd, Brian McLaren, Bruxy Cavey and Greg Boyd confess the sins of the Christian church against the Native American and First Nations people. Thanks to Rex Harsin for his work and vision in producing this series.

Leaders in the Revolution: An Invitation
Kevin Dooley via Compfight Network Exploration Meeting There is a growing movement of pastors, church planters, and churches around the globe who have become convinced that the center of the Gospel is a Jesus-looking God who calls his people to partner with him to advance a Jesus-looking kingdom. They sense that God is pouring out…

Hmmmm, What’s This Tube-Shaped Package at my Front Door?
If you live in the United States and are expecting a ReKnew Manifesto poster you should be getting it anytime now. If you live in another country, it will take a little longer to get there, but they’re all on their way. We just wanted to give you a heads-up that this poster is letter-pressed…

Conflicting Pictures of God
In my ongoing reflections on the ReKnew Manifesto, I’ve spent the last two posts (here and here) arguing that nothing is more important in our life than our mental images of God. If so, then the all-important question is: what authority do we trust to tell us what God is like? To most evangelicals, the…

Hearing and Responding to God: Part 3
We decided to change the title of this series to better reflect it’s content. Hope that’s not confusing. Greg continues his thoughts here on hearing when God speaks to us and being willing to respond even when we’re not completely certain. You can view parts one and two here and here.