Faith, Doubt, and Other Lines I've Crossed: Walking with the Unknown God

Bakker (Son of a Preacher Man) calls his latest book "a chronicle of my doubt." The son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, televangelists tainted by scandal in the 1980s, Bakker outlines his struggles with his childhood faith and offers a vision of Christianity based on unconditional love, radical forgiveness, and full embrace of the Other. The pastor of a church that meets in a bar, Bakker has a special place in his heart for the GLBTQ community and offers a spirited biblical defense for the acceptance of sexual difference. He expresses a faith that encourages questions and emphasizes relationships rather than rules. Bakker writes in a simple, down-to-earth style as he counters the focus on exceptionalism, exclusion, sin, and guilt that dominate some forms of evangelical Christianity. Like fellow evangelical Rob Bell, Bakker doesn't believe in a God who would consign people to hell for all eternity. Love trumps justice; participating in community trumps official church membership; compassion trumps dogma. His book should appeal to seekers, youth, and all who are searching for a loving and forgiving Christianity. (Feb. 12.)