Letters from a Skeptic

Letters from a Skeptic – Gregory A. Boyd

For years, Edward Boyd was a committed skeptic who had little patience for Christianity. His son, Gregory Boyd, became a Christian theologian and pastor. Eager to share his faith with his father but aware of how deeply they disagreed, Gregory proposed an unusual idea: a correspondence in which his father could ask any question and raise any objection he had about God and the Christian faith.

Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father’s Questions about Christianity is the collection of the letters they exchanged over three years. Edward asks challenging and often pointed questions, and Gregory responds with patience, respect and careful reasoning.

Their conversations cover many of the most common objections to Christianity. Edward asks about the problem of evil and suffering, the reliability of the Bible, the existence of God, the claims made about Jesus, the role of the church and the hypocrisy of believers, the question of what happens to people who have never heard of Christ, and the idea of hell. Gregory addresses each question honestly, acknowledging difficulties while explaining why he believes the Christian faith provides answers.

Beyond the intellectual debate, the book is also a moving story of a father and son seeking to understand each other more deeply, and it follows Edward’s journey as his views evolve over the course of the correspondence.

Thoughtful and accessible, Letters from a Skeptic is a valuable read for skeptics, seekers and believers alike, and for anyone interested in honest conversations about faith, doubt and the big questions of life.