Curveball - by Peter Enns (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Peter Enns is brilliant at taking the big topics, those Christian ideas that usually scare us or intimidate us or worry us, and then make those very places a meeting place with a God who is bigger and wilder and more wonderful and trustworthy than we ever could have guessed."--Sarah Bessey, author of Out of Sorts and Jesus Feminist

The author of How the Bible Actually Works and The Bible Tells Me So explains how our model of God and faith must evolve as our understanding of the world deepens--just as the Bible describes it should.

Life throws us "curve balls"--from devastating personal losses to world tragedies. These events often leave us doubting God, the Bible, and our faith. But instead of pushing away our reservations, we should embrace them, Peter Enns argues. A leading biblical scholar and Christian mentor, Enns has never been afraid to question the Bible or Christian beliefs. Such thoughtful inquisitiveness, he argues, is part of God's plan. He wants us to question, because doing so actually leads to a stronger, lasting faith.

By reframing how we see these events, we allow ourselves to see how the Bible itself showcases this very process and that "treating curve balls as the enemy" is not only counterproductive but thwarts God's goal of helping us become mature and wise. Enns shares a number of curve balls he's encountered in his own life and the questions he has pondered. Does God care about the millions of people who never heard the gospel? Could I relate to a God who has created a universe this big? If God is so relatable, constant, and caring, how do we explain quantum physics? He reveals how particular biblical passages have helped him find wisdom, and how they can do the same for us.

As Curveball persuasively shows, God is bigger and more mysterious than anyone's expectations. We need a faith that can grow just as deeply.

Review Quotes

"Peter Enns is brilliant at taking the big topics, those Christian ideas that usually scare us or intimidate us or worry us, and then make those very places a meeting place with a God who is bigger and wilder and more wonderful and trustworthy than we ever could have guessed." -- Sarah Bessey, New York Times bestselling author of A Rhythm of Prayer and Jesus Feminist

"Nobody can help you navigate a faith crisis with more candor, grace, and humor than Pete Enns, and you'll even learn amazing things about the Bible in the process. This book is a grand slam." -- Brian D. McLaren, author of Faith After Doubt and Do I Stay Christian?

"This is a road map for the deconstruction journey that we've all been waiting for. Curveball reminds readers that faith crises are not something to be feared but are opportunities for spiritual growth that can help you re-embrace God as more beautiful, loving, and mysterious." -- Jonathan Merritt, contributing writer for The Atlantic and author of Learning to Speak God From Scratch

"Pete Enns's spiritual memoir combines wit and wisdom, along with biblical and theological insights! The vision of God Pete humble proposes is different from the one many of us were given. And far more winsome." -- Thomas Jay Oord, author of God Can't

"Curveball is an intimate testimony from a trusted friend that the ultimate mystery of God doesn't need certainty or finality to be grounded in love." -- Tripp Fuller, host of Homebrewed Christianity

"As Curveball persuasively shows, God is bigger and more mysterious than anyone's expectations. We need a faith that can grow just as deeply. (A Most Anticipated Book of Spring 2023)" -- Englewood Review of Books

"A refreshing, convincing, accessible argument for facing religious uncertainty head-on. Will leave readers with insights about using doubt to enrich one's faith." -- Publishers Weekly