Surprised by Faith
Original price was: $16.99.$11.89Current price is: $11.89.
This book confronts false stereotypes and examines the astonishing body of scientific and historical evidence supporting the truth that God exists and cares about people’s future.
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Surprised by Faith will strengthen your own faith in God, in the reliability of the Bible, and in the truth of Jesus Christ.
– Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The world is changing so rapidly that many are shaken with uncertainties. This is compounded by an erosion of confidence in absolute truth and traditional values. The result is a floundering search for a reliable source of purpose and meaning in life. Fear, not anticipation, fills some hearts as people think about the future. Some contend that turning to faith is anti-intellectual. “God is about religion,” they say, “a crutch for the weak.” These are mere caricatures resulting from ignorance. This book confronts false stereotypes and examines the astonishing body of scientific and historical evidence supporting the truth that God exists and cares about people’s future. This is the Gospel with evidence.
As a college student, amid academic success and athletic achievement, Don Bierle began searching for answers to the important questions of life. He found there is more to life than what can be seen, touched, and measured! Using the scrutiny and logic of his scientific training he tested the foundations for faith, and was surprised—and changed—by the answers he discovered. Hundreds of thousands of people have now discovered these answers through his book Surprised by Faith. For them, the discovery has been an “Ah-ha!” experience resulting in transformation and a life of peace and hope.
About the Author
Dr. Don Bierle holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in the life sciences and an M.A. in New Testament studies. A college professor for more than 30 years, he is skilled at communicating complex subjects in a clear, original and fascinating way. He is currently president of FaithSearch International in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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5 reviews for Surprised by Faith
Dr. Bierle writes with an academic style, but it is easy to understand and enjoyable. The book provides a solid overview of the abundant evidence for the Christian faith, such as the unique nature of the Christian God (compared to other religions) and the New Testament’s robust status as a historical work (rather than myth). His theological reasoning is very insightful and his personal experiences relatable, making this an excellent resource for students, those interested in apologetics, and anyone hoping to share information with a seeking friend!
I love a good redemption story. If you liked “The Case for Christ” you will love this updated Surprised by Faith by Dr Don Bierle. As an educated man, scholar, and philosopher of sorts – Dr Bierle was not satisfied with the answers and lack of answers he had found when seeking to learn “WHY?” he existed. Thus began his journey to find out why so many believed in God with so little evidence – and to discover if there was indeed evidence of His existence after all. Dr. Don Bierle went seeking his own purpose, and what he found was so much more.
I enjoy the writing style of Dr. Bierle very much. It’s the perfect combination of intellectual material, and common sense. It is not difficult to follow & understand. It gets to the heart of the matter, using science, intellect and good sense. I think we can all benefit by reading it – especially those on the fence, or who do not believe there is evidence of God’s existence.
I read my ebook copy on Amazon for free. (limited time)
Disclosure: I do social media work for Aneko Press and help with reviews and affiliates. The opinions I share are my own, and are not paid reviews.
Since I’ve been a Christian, I’ve always been interested in Apologetics, the art of defending the Christian faith. The Scripture, found in 1 Peter 3:15, …”Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” prompted me to have that interest. It also prompted me to not only understand why I believe what I believe, but to be willing and ready to share it with others. I feel like it’s a great responsibility and I don’t take it lightly.
When I received a copy of the newly updated book, Surprised by Faith, by Dr. Don Bierle, I was excited to learn this was a book on Apologetics. The subtitle for the book explains well, Dr. Bierle’s quest to uncover proof that would defend his faith: “A skeptic discovers more to life than what we can see, touch, and measure.”
As a college student, Don Bierle, began to search for answers. During his undergraduate and graduate studies, he became cynical about faith and religion. He felt faith was not based on truth but rather on personal preference and opinion. He linked faith with emotion and suspected it was an illusion that offered a type of security blanket to the believer. He viewed religion as being a crutch for the weak. But as he surmised these views, Don still had questions. Like many others, he wanted to know what his purpose was in life. He wanted to understand why he was on planet Earth. He wondered what significance and value his life held. There were more questions than there were answers and Bierle wanted his questions to be answered.
As he began to research, Dr. Bierle started with the basic question of wondering about God’s existence. Was He real and if He was really real, how could he know for certain? Bierle detemined for God to exist, he needed tangible proof. He wanted to see, feel, and touch him and the only way to do that would be to have physical evidence of His existence.
Don studied world religions. He compared their likes and their differences. He studied many books and religious leaders. The Christian claim that Jesus was God intrigued him. He also learned Christianity claimed God made Himself available to be known in the natural world of reason and evidence. In order to test this claim, written records of the existence of Jesus would need to be produced. Reliable and trustworthy records from the first century must exist and not only that, there must be a scientific method of gathering facts and the evidence must be reviewed objectively.
The jumping off point for Bierle’s research began with the statement “Is the Bible True?” In his book, Dr. Bierle compared Biblical text against ancient historical documents for accuracy. His research revealed ancient manuscripts recorded by eyewitnesses attested to the fact that Jesus did exist and the Bible was actually true. Not only did Bierle research documents, he studied historical artifacts found in Israel and in the surrounding regions. Dr. Bierle said in his book, “Based on the very methods which literary and historical scholars use today, the only reasonable and logical conclusion I can draw is that the Bible is the most reliable book of antiquity.” Archaeological discoveries confirmed writings found in the New Testament and proved they were historically reliable.
Questions presented in Surprised by Faith include:
Why Am I Here?
Is the Bible True?
Is Jesus Really God?
Can Faith Be Reasonable?
Where Am I?
How Can I Know God?
The book presents factual evidence of the existence of Jesus Christ as a human being on Earth. Dr. Bierle takes a scientific approach to prove each piece of information he gathered. Like a lawyer presenting evidence for an important case, Dr. Don Bierle thoroughly researched and uncovered evidence to provide even an Atheist with enough information to win the case for faith.
I found the book interesting and well written. I enjoyed learning about historical artifacts and how they fit into Biblical history. My own personal faith was reaffirmed as I read Dr. Bierle’s book. This book is an important tool to help both unbelievers and believers understand answers to basic questions we all have about our faith.
I was given this copy of Surprised by Faith by Aneko Press in exchange for my review. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to provide my honest opinion without being persuaded to give a positive review.
An analysis of facts and comparisons as to whether God exists, whether Christianity is valid and if Jesus was a real person. The book is very good at outlining in the beginning chapters, plus setting a stage for beliefs outside of God and Biblical oriented facts, into a well put together comparison. As the information is presented in factual and not defensive terms this exploration into faith offers an excellent opportunity for non threatening Apologetics. The facts as presented are not able to be ignored by any investigative individual seeking the truth. Very good factual read. I received a copy of this book from Aneko Press and this is my independent opinion after reading this book.
I think the author does an excellent job of expressing where he started from in his desire to discover if Christianity was true or not. It has some of the same information that is in Josh McDowell’s books, Evidence That Demands a Verdict (Vols. 1 & 2), but I think presented in a much more accessible format. Dr. Bierle is easy to understand without feeling like you’re being demeaned; he is honest in his evaluation of the facts as well as sharing his own personal story. If a person is seeking to know more about the roots of Christianity and whether those roots are solid or hollow, this is a great place to start.