Walking on Water: Skeptics and Believers Discuss Whether Jesus Matters

Using fictional composite characters from her first book, Keire (Resurrection Dialogues) invites the reader to a group conversation where a variety of people from different walks of life explore religious questions. These characters include a Catholic who has become disenchanted with her church, a scientist who can’t wrap his mind around religion’s absolutes, a Jew whose daughter married a Christian, and a philosopher with evangelical roots. They come together to figure out whether Jesus matters in their lives. Keire, a retired minister in the United Church of Christ, has a good handle on what issues can serve as stumbling blocks along the road to religious discovery. Many questions—from basics such as “Why did Jesus have to be baptized?” to the more complex “How can God allow something like the Holocaust?”—are explored. The author presents context from the Bible and leads lively conversations (which are nevertheless respectful of different backgrounds and opinions) with the goal of clarifying Christian beliefs. Each chapter ends with questions intended to prompt further discussion. For readers looking to reconceptualize their relationship with religion, this book will serve as a great starting point for spiritual reflection. (BookLife)