Life After God: Finding Faith When You Can’t Believe Anymore

Pastor Feldmeir’s (A House Divided) book is less about navigating a post-religious existence, as the title implies, and more about viewing God differently for people who find themselves struggling to maintain their faith. The author relates his own struggles with religion and the view he once had that God is an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent deity who is personal and fully good. The book examines theodicy in a world full of suffering and asks readers to consider God again, this time from a shifted perspective. The author says that readers are likely to be more satisfied if they view God as responsive to their problems, not defined by the coercive use of power. Feldmeir also urges readers to avoid thinking of faith as an all-or-nothing concept. Feldmeir drops science-related metaphors into the mix, but this tactic is strained at times. With poetically framed prose, historical and pop references, and a pastoral tone, this book is mindful of the style of Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis.