The Evangelical Experience

At some point in life, each of us has questioned authority. The Evangelical Experience tells the story of one man’s crisis of faith and the excruciating decision he made based on unresolved doubts. The author is obviously qualified to compare and analyze theological writings. He was in seminary working toward a master’s degree in theology at the time his faith was challenged.

He has written the book under a pseudonym out of concern for his family, friends, church members, and professors. It is clear from reading The Evangelical Experience that the author has no axe to grind. The book is supported by references and is written with respect and balance.

Readers will learn the history, doctrine, and philosophy of Evangelicalism and that it is not itself a denomination. Its tenets are part of many denominations, in varying degrees. Fundamentalism is not the same thing as Evangelicalism. The book discusses salvation, the quandary of believer/non-believer relationships, methods of proselytization, devotional use of scripture, and theological diversity.

The problem developed when the author started noticing, through his studies, that there are verses in scripture that seem to disagree with each other. One example he offers is that, in Ephesians, Paul set forth the belief that Christians are “saved by grace,” while James 2:24 states: “A person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Additionally, he faced the question of how a just and loving God could allow evil to exist and how good people from other faiths and backgrounds could be condemned to Hell because they had not been saved or somehow brought into the Christian faith. These same complexities have troubled many people over the ages.

For readers interested in biblical history or anyone who has questioned contradictions within scripture, this book is worthy of your time and effort.