Jump directly to the Content

Facing the Skeletons in God's Closet

Wrestling with the toughest questions of Christianity.
Facing the Skeletons in God's Closet
Medieval anatomical woodcut (detail).

Every healthy Christian struggles through the dark corners of our story and doctrine, the tough teachings that Joshua Ryan Butler calls "The Skeletons in God's Closet." Butler, Pastor of Local & Global Outreach at Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon, has wrestled too, and in a new book, offers pastoral, honest insights specifically addressing some of the most difficult bone-piles, including hell, Old Testament "holy war," and judgment. I caught up with Butler for his take on speaking faithfully to our pressing questions. - Paul

Paul: Your book, Skeletons in God's Closet, tries to help people who wrestle with topics like hell, judgment, and holy war. Are these personal topics for you?

Josh: Yes! Back in college, I had a radical encounter with Jesus, but friends immediately bombarded me with questions like, "So do you think I'm going to hell now?" "How can you follow such an arrogant and violent religion?" I was at a loss for how ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
WLL: Chick-fil-A founder passes; Chewing Tobacco; Osteen Radio
Wednesday Link List
WLL: Chick-fil-A founder passes; Chewing Tobacco; Osteen Radio
To Link is to Live!
From the Magazine
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
Empty Streets to the Empty Grave
While reporting in Israel, photographer Michael Winters captures an unusually vacant experience at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close