“Remember the goal: Jesus Christ. Nothing less.”- After Doubt by A.J. Swoboda
When I filled out the form to join the launch team for After Doubt I had no idea what I was getting into. I had never heard of A.J. I had never read one of his books or heard a sermon by him. All I knew was that I was looking for more information and perspectives on the ideas of deconstruction and I was willing to pick up a book by someone I had never heard of to expand my knowledge. But I’m glad I took that chance.
As it turns out, After Doubt is a more… orthodox approach to the concepts of doubt, deconstruction, and reconstruction. And after years of hearing only progressive Christians really approach the topic of deconstruction in detail, and conservatives only really expressing wariness at using those terms, it is a relief to hear someone say, “it’s okay to have doubts, just don’t stay there.”
In short, it’s the book I needed five years ago when I was confronted with a rather large set of doubts of my own. But like all works that have been committed to the will of God, I think it’s been published at just the right time for others.
Here are some more of my thoughts in detail.
What I Didn’t Agree With/Am on the Fence About
In one spot, the author mentions the Enneagram as a useful tool for discovering more about our personalities. There’s been some more information about the occultist nature of the Enneagram, and if research bears out these concerns to be legitimate Christians shouldn’t advocate for it to be used. Call me nit-picky, but I believe one can’t be too careful with dealing with things of that nature.
Towards the beginning of the book, A.J. states the following- “Will one go to hell for not having right beliefs? No! But we will likely go through it.” I wish I had taken the opportunity to ask for further clarification on that passage, because at face value it’s a concerning statement. Given the whole context of the book, it seems that the author very much believes in the reality of hell. Therefore, the statement isn’t as shocking to me as when I initially read it, but further clarification after the statement would have been, in my option, beneficial.
My final larger concern was an introduction of an argument from another writer that the creation account in Genesis 2 was “the story of what actually happened” versus the ideal presented in chapter one of the same book. In my understanding of Scripture and the reading of both chapters together, I’m of the mind that this reads too much into the text and the above argument could create more problems than the one it’s supposedly solving.
All of that being said, none of these concerns distract from the main point of the book enough for me to toss it out altogether.
What I Liked
First, the author did a phenomenal job tackling a tough issue in a relatable way. This could have easily been a very academic sounding book, weighted down with theological terms and overly flowery language. But instead, readers can expect approachable terminology with real life examples to enforce concepts. Striking this balance allows After Doubt to be a thoughtful read without causing the reader unnecessary struggle.
Second, Swoboda, as I mentioned above, takes a very orthodox approach to the topics of doubt, deconstruction, and reconstruction. From the very beginning he emphasis that Jesus has to be the center of our faith journey, even if that journey goes through some bumpy paths. I appreciated the fact that he went out of his way to encourage readers not to abandon Jesus as He is presented in Scripture, or traditional Christian beliefs. The author could have very well taken the easy way out. He could have said something like “all conclusions are valid” or “your truth is your truth.” But he gently and compassionately stands for truth, while allowing people room to ask questions and wrestle with ideas. Third, Swoboda normalizes the process of doubt, deconstruction, and reconstruction and promotes it as being a part of a healthy faith walk. This was huge for me. Growing up, I was always told it was okay to have questions and that doubt wasn’t unusual. But for some reason, I still viewed “having doubt” as scary and when confronted with major doubts of my own, I was worried I was losing my way as a Christian. I eventually came out on the other side okay, but in the moment, it was somewhat terrifying, especially since I didn’t have a name to what I was going through (other than existential crisis). I think it will do a world of good if people going through deconstruction and doubt know that it’s okay and that there are people who have walked that path before.
Final Thoughts
If I was allowed, I could list quote after quote from After Doubt that found encouraging or inspiring in some way. Swoboda brings a level-headed perspective to an otherwise daunting topic and more to the point it’s timely. Truly, I think this is a book worth reading.