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Why I Still Believe

A Former Atheist’s Reckoning with the Bad Reputation Christians Give a Good God

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Why I Still Believe

By: Mary Jo Sharp
Narrated by: Jill Blackwood
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About this listen

For anyone who feels caught in the tension between the beauty of God's story and the ugliness of human hypocrisy, Why I Still Believe offers a stirring story of hope.

Why would anyone be a Christian when there is so much hypocrisy in the church? Mary Jo Sharp shares her journey as a skeptical believer who still holds to a beautiful faith despite wounding experiences in the Christian community.

At a time when de-conversion stories have become all too common, this is an earnest response - the compelling conversion of an unlikely believer whose questions ultimately led her to irresistible hope. Sharp addresses her own struggle with the reality that God's people repeatedly give God's story a bad name and takes a careful look at how the current church often inadvertently produces atheists despite its life-giving message.

For those who feel the ever-present tension between the beauty of salvation and the dark side of human nature, Why I Still Believe is a candid and approachable case for believing in God when you really want to walk away. With fresh and thoughtful insights, this spiritual narrative presents relevant answers to haunting questions like:

  • Isn't there too much pain and suffering to believe?
  • Is it okay to have doubt?
  • What if Jesus' story is a copy of another story?
  • Is there any evidence for Jesus' resurrection?
  • Does atheism explain the human experience better than Christianity can?
  • How can the truth of Christianity matter when the behaviors of Christians are reprehensible?

At once logical and loving, Sharp reframes the gospel as it truly is: the good news of redemption. With firmly grounded truths, Why I Still Believe is an affirming reminder that the hypocrisy of Christians can never negate the transforming grace and truth of Christ.

Further resources and discussion questions are available in the audiobook companion PDF download.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Mary Jo Sharp (P)2019 Zondervan
Biographies & Memoirs Christian Living Christianity Religious Studies

Critic Reviews

"By discussing her own struggles and ways to address them, Sharp hopes to connect with others who deal with these barriers as well. She emphasizes that when people share their own faith stories, they can supplement the logical arguments with authentic life experiences. Her goal is to address both unbelievers who are exploring religious faith as well as believers whose faith commitment have happened somewhat recently.... Recommended for those interested in apologetics, both from theistic as well as a nontheistic perspectives." (Library Journal)

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A warm hearted, philosophical reflection on the merits of belief in the age of new atheism.

What I enjoyed about this story was that the authors voice pervaded this recording. Rather than being a collection of philosophical or rational arguments for faith, this book is more of a reflective journal. Throughout the unfolding of Mary-Jo’s story we are exposed to the rational and philosophical perspectives that have influenced her decision to remain a ‘sceptical believer’, however her honest appraisal that there are many factors at play in a human search for truth (including our own internal dialogue), makes this read far less dogmatic than other books written on this theme. I appreciated the open-ended conclusion and the invitation to share your story at the end of the book. This is certainly not an "entry level" apologetics book (some of her discussions around philosophy and new atheism were hard for me to follow), but her overarching theme and conclusions were clear, and the invitation to journey with her throughout this story was one I was glad I said yes to.

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