Peter Enns, The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires our Trust More than our “Correct” Beliefs
The title captures the essence of the book: 1. There is no “correct” belief; 2. we can only trust.
Peter Enns, a Harvard PhD in the Old Testament, resigned under pressure from the Westminster Theological Seminary, his alma mater, where he had taught for many years. There is no need to list how he teaches differently from the “correct” beliefs, as this can be found easily on the internet.
While reading this book, I can feel the pain and the anguish of his soul. I think he wrote in a reactionary way. He is confident that the Bible contradicts modern science, history, and other “correct” knowledge. Yet he chose to trust God. I believe Bart Ehrman is also confident that the Bible contradicts modern science, history, and other “correct” knowledge. However, he chose not to trust in any God. I can understand why Bart Ehrman did, but not Peter Enns.
A catching phrase in The Sin of Certainty is “trust God anyway.” He argues that one can still trust in God even if one does not understand the mystery. But at the same time, he discredits the Bible in many aspects. Peter Enns gives courage to believers who have serious doubts about the Bible to stay as Christians. His citing of the Wisdom Literature helps Christians to put their doubts and faith in perspective. But readers outside the faith would simply ask why, in the first place, I need to trust in God if the faith builds on falsehood and mistakes??
“I can choose to trust God with childlike trust regardless of how certain I might feel.”
“I need to be willing to let go of what I think I know, and trust God regardless.”
“a faith that is not so much defined by what we believe but in whom we trust.”
I am sure many Christians who still hold “correct” beliefs share his attitude, too, though they are going in different directions.
“I believe that faith in the Creator is necessarily transrational (not antirational) and mystical.” Well said. But it does not communicate. It will leave seekers dumbfounded.
“Of course, believing is never empty of content. The Israelites trusted God because of what God had done for them, namely delivering the Israelites from harm (Egyptian slavery and Babylonian captivity being the two big examples).” Wait a minute, Christians who believe in the Bible, which records the very same event, seem to be treated differently by Peter Enns.
All in all, this book is challenging. To those who are in doubt, this book can point you to two ways: either give up your faith (easier to do), or trust in God anyway (but based on what?)