Beyond Fundamentalism and Atheism

This introductory chapter discusses the main themes that inform this study's exploration of faith and doubt. Many consider the strength and merits of faith to lie in an individual's unshakable certitude, while doubt is often depicted as an enemy to faith altogether, or at best an uncomfortable hiccup along the glorious journey to faith—a purifying fire that functions to distill true faith. Yet this chapter argues that it is certainly possible to articulate either atheism or religious faith without being dogmatic. More importantly, it emphasizes that faith and doubt can be interwoven in dynamic ways and become attentive to the depth and height of spiritual reflection and speculation.