The Sin of Certainty

I thought this was good!

Read my full review here.

I really enjoy Peter Enns's books. I think I may have found this particular book even more helpful to me personally a few years ago, more towards the beginning of my own journey with doubts in the midst of faith. And I think I benefited more from Greg Boyd's book, Benefit of the Doubt, which I read a couple of years ago. But I still would recommend The Sin of Certainty to anyone who has struggled with doubts in their faith. Enns reminds us that certainty is not the point, trusting God is.

Short Review: I think that this is a book that is going to be misread by many and left unread by many more because of the title. The main theme is that the role of the church and of us as Christians is to trust Christ and love others as first priority. Repeatedly throughout the book Enns makes clear that he is not opposed to creeds or theological boundaries, but he is opposed to misusing creeds and theological boundaries as an excuse to not love well.

This is really a book about Enns. And so I think if I were his editor, I would have encouraged him to reorganize the book to make his own story earlier and more central. As it is, he is speaking in the book of his own issues (especially how his doubt and lack of real trust in Christ lead to an eventual deeper faith) throughout the book. But it is not until the last section is where he goes into more biographical story. I think that would have been better to move the biographical section earlier in the book which might have given the uncharitable reader a bit more encouragement to be charitable. Enns can be a bit prickly and for people already pre-disposed to view him badly I think this is a book that will be too easily dismissed.

But there is real need for books like this that are written out of recovered (or recovering) pain. Enns was treated badly in his dismissal from Westminster. His daughter's eating disorder at the same time left him questioning God and without supportive community. So I strongly encourage this as a helpful book, but not one without some issues.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/sin-of-certainty/