Patience with God: Faith for People Who Don’t Like Religion (or Atheism)

By Frank Schaeffer
Da Capo Press, $25.00, 230 pages

In Patience with God: Faith for People Who Don’t like Religion (or Atheism), Frank Schaeffer argues that there is a third way that falls between doctrinaire religious faith and atheism. That he does so persuasively is testament to his grounded, real-world approach, and his ability to identify common elements from each perspective.

Schaeffer, who is the son of evangelical missionaries, strives to find a balance between the extremes of fundamentalist Christianity and the “radical atheism” espoused by writers such as Richard Dawkins and by comedian/talk show host Bill Maher in his film Religulous. Schaeffer feels that both perspectives are extreme and that there needs to be some middle ground. He terms his perspective “hopeful uncertainty.” In Schaeffer’s point of view, this approach allows one to believe in God, but without all the absolutes and answers found in fundamentalist Christianity and other organized religions. It also leaves room to question the nature of God, without having to deny that s/he exists.

In Patience with God Schaeffer has written a thoughtful and compelling guide for maneuvering between the twin poles of fundamentalist religion and atheism. It is a moderate approach that many people will find fits their actions and beliefs.

Reviewed by Doug Robins