Help My Unbelief

Fleming Rutledge brings to her homiletics, the capacity to really empathize with the natural human perspective of the "foolishness of the gospel " while conveying a powerful unwavering faith in the Scriptures as God's story, God's message to humanity, and God's answers to the human condition. Her sermons acknowledge the "faithful doubter," the "doubting seeker," and those "intimidated into silence" by the "incredulity of friends and associates." (Rutledge XII) Rather than arguing with or attempting to persuade them out of their doubts, she allows her text and personal experiences to serve as witness of God's attention to and activity in life and in the world. This quality is very well illustrated by a phrase from the quote of Flannery O'Connor that she used, "It is trust, not certainty." (XVI)

In Help My Unbelief, parish priest Fleming Rutledge draws upon her more than twenty-two years of ministerial service to speak directly to readers plagued by doubts and uncertainties about their Christian faith. Her approach combines pastoral warmth and intellectual clarity as she aligns herself with the struggling questioner facing the most penetrating theological challenges of modern times. Highly recommended reading for all Christians regardless of creed or denomination, Help My Unbelief offers satisfying answers for those who must deal with doubt and who strive for a Christian faith within the context and challenges of the world today.

In her second book of sermons, Fleming Rutledge weaves contemporary concerns into the Biblical story. She manages to expound scripture while speaking to moral and social concerns. In the process, the book affirms faith while owning the difficulty of believing for many of us. She mixes a clear affirmation of traditional doctrines with a disarming humility that understands the writer's own frailities. She offers substance for the mind and the soul in her preaching.