See more of this title: A Faith of Your Own: Naming What You Really Believe

A faith should be a living thing. What we believe necessarily evolves in response to insights into the Bible, to questions or doubts we face, to changes in life circumstances, or to things that happen in the larger world. Nevertheless, Christians often find it helpful to identify what they can most fully believe at a given moment. Such clarity empowers the present and leads us toward the future. Such moments can also be mile markers by which we measure our faith journey.

Few Christians arrive at a set of beliefs that remain set in stone for the rest of their lives. What we believe necessarily evolves in response to insights into the Bible, to questions or doubts we face, to changes in life circumstances, or to things that happen in the larger world. A faith should be a living thing. Nevertheless, Christians often find it helpful to identify what they can most fully believe at a given moment. Such clarity-those moments of blessed recognition-both empower the present and lead us toward the future. Such moments can also be mile markers by which we gauge further developments in our faith journey. Each chapter in this book follows a similar format. The first section lists the most common ways a certain topic is understood in the Bible. The second section identifies important ways the church has interpreted that topic since the Bible's inception. The third section introduces contemporary perspectives. With that foundational knowledge, readers can make a judgment as to which viewpoints seem more or less persuasive to them personally. Finally, each chapter ends with questions for reflection for individuals or small groups.