Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College

In this helpful guide, bible scholar Kruger (The Ten Commandments of Progressive Christianity) delves into the intellectual challenges Christian students will face when they enter college. Kruger, inspired by his own experience at university and the impending matriculation of his daughter, formats the work as letters to his daughter as he candidly shares his memories of feeling unprepared for college life, dispenses fatherly advice, and mulls matters of faith. Kruger tackles tough questions like “Wouldn’t a Loving God Save Everyone?” (“the doctrine of hell, though challenging and difficult,” allows for the opposing path to “God’s vast, unfathomable love”) and “How Do I Handle Doubts About What I Believe?” by encouraging readers to use faith questions for spiritual growth and to “doubt your doubts.” He examines skepticism about Christian beliefs related to scientific studies, miracles, and the historical authenticity of the Bible, insisting that scientific theory and Christianity are compatible (though the theory of evolution, he suggests, remains unproven), testimonies of miracles are real, and scriptural inconsistencies boil down to misinterpretations of manuscripts hand-copied over millennia. Additionally, Kruger offers insight on finding God’s plan for one’s life and explains that opposition can strengthen faith. University-bound Christians will appreciate Kruger’s intellectual and theological guidance. (Apr.)