- Paperback: 176 pages
- Publisher: Bethany House (May 1 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0764206028
- ISBN-13: 978-0764206023
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14 x 1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 204 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #600,224 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
Finding an Unseen God is a vulnerable and thought-provoking telling of Alicia Chole's journey from confident atheism to sincere faith in Jesus. Describing herself as a "fierce realist who prefers unanswered questions over fairy tales," Chole explores the mystery of belief. In short, conversational chapters that engage the heart and mind, she invites readers to consider how their portrait of God came into being and to compare it with The Original.
From the Back Cover
Truth is dead.
God never lived.
Life is filled with pain.
Death is the end of life.
These beliefs formed Alicia Britt Chole's worldview as a young woman. "I sincerely believed that there was no God," she says. "As a young Atheist, I simply considered myself a realist who preferred unanswered questions over fairy tales."
Then one day, without warning, Alicia's Atheistic worldview was shattered.
Creatively written, Finding an Unseen God opens a window into Alicia's surprising spiritual journey. With warmth, intellect, and compassion, Alicia invites us to carefully consider what we believe and do not believe, while she paints a vivid portrait of a God who relentlessly pursues even those who deny him.
"Alicia's heartfelt and thoughtful words penetrate the soul and make you feel and think in new ways."--Mark Batterson, author of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day
A gifted speaker, reflective author, and seasoned mentor, Alicia Britt Chole relishes every messy moment of life with her tribe of five in the Ozarks of Missouri.
God never lived.
Life is filled with pain.
Death is the end of life.
These beliefs formed Alicia Britt Chole's worldview as a young woman. "I sincerely believed that there was no God," she says. "As a young Atheist, I simply considered myself a realist who preferred unanswered questions over fairy tales."
Then one day, without warning, Alicia's Atheistic worldview was shattered.
Creatively written, Finding an Unseen God opens a window into Alicia's surprising spiritual journey. With warmth, intellect, and compassion, Alicia invites us to carefully consider what we believe and do not believe, while she paints a vivid portrait of a God who relentlessly pursues even those who deny him.
"Alicia's heartfelt and thoughtful words penetrate the soul and make you feel and think in new ways."--Mark Batterson, author of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day
A gifted speaker, reflective author, and seasoned mentor, Alicia Britt Chole relishes every messy moment of life with her tribe of five in the Ozarks of Missouri.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Discover how God reached out to a young atheist.,
By
This review is from: Finding an Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist (Paperback)
Revelation 12:11 says "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony". And this book is all about the testimony of a young atheist who discovered God in ways she was not expecting it. She got caught completely off guard when He called her to himself.This book is indeed creative. When I first started to read it I was travelling back and forth between her past and her thoughts about why she follows God now. But then I realized that the chapters were numbered in a special way 52, 1, 51, 2, 50, 3... and it kept going like that until the end of the book. So I am uncertain if I read the book in the way the chapters were presented or if I should have read it in the order of the numbers. I guess I could always re-read it in the order 1,2,3... and so on until the 52nd chapter. The other creative aspect of the book is that the cover and each chapter start with a word search. And hidden inside are other words. I had a little fun to try to see what was hidden before reading the chapter. I love it when I read about the story on how someone came to God and chose Him instead of their previous Worldview. WoW! You sense that God is so much at work when you read about their travels on the road to salvation. This book gives you exactly that. The author explains her background and the reasons why she became and atheist at a young age. While you travel with her in her life story, you will learn how God showed Himself to her and how she decided to follow Him. I enjoyed reading the book. I actually devoured it. I find testimonies so powerful in the sense that it energizes you to continue to pursue God and to share His love with others.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Story-coated apologetics,
By
This review is from: Finding an Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist (Paperback)
"All I had to do was survive the hour or two without being caught rolling my eyes, without exploding in laughter, and without initiating a debate. How hard could that be?... That day on June 26, I sat in a little white building expecting nothing. I was not there to begin a noble search. I was not there to embark on a spiritual pilgrimage. I was not there to find a god; I was there to get rid of a Christian." 'Finding an Unseen God' p. 150-151 These are Alicia Britt Chole's thoughts moments before she has an experience that rocks her world. She describes what happens and its aftermath in 'Finding an Unseen God - Reflections of a Former Atheist.' Alicia is the only child of loving parents. She remembers long talks with her atheist father and loyal support from her Catholic mother. Sometime in high school she comes to the conclusion there is no God. A word-search puzzle provides the metaphor and graphic element for the book. Chole extends that metaphor by telling her story in a puzzle-like way. In successive chapters she switches from past to present and from narrating her story to discussing subjects like what is atheism, how to talk to an atheist, the current state of western spirituality, the reasonableness of faith and more. The Contents page gives clues as to which type each chapter is. The chapter titles of the narrative parts appear to the left of the centered chapter numbers, while the discussion / opinion chapter titles are on the right. If you want to read the story chronologically you'd start with Chapter One (pages 15-16) which follows Chapter 52 (pages 11-15). But good luck with that, as the table of contents page contains no page numbers. Chole's writing style ranges from chatty and rambling to reasoning and argumentative, but is always lively, exudes personality, and her story is certainly compelling with its "I was there" tone of certainty. This slim book is a quick read but packs a big punch. Not only is Chole's story absorbing but the apologetic chapters discussing faith, spirituality and religion are persuasive and easy to understand. Read the book to open your mind to the possibility that God really exists, or to strengthen the faith you already have, or to learn how to relate to those whose beliefs differ from yours.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews) 8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
for real,
By Lady Arwen - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Finding an Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist (Paperback)
Is there a Divine being truly overseeing the universe as we know it? And if so, how involved in our lives is this Divine being? Alicia Britt Chole does not join in the age old debates on this topic, but rather challenges the very foundation from which these questions have arisen in Finding an Unseen God. And you won't find any dry philosophies or grandiose theories within the pages of this book. This is palpable, real life, and completely genuine. This is the first time I have come across a non-Atheist earnestly validating Atheistic beliefs, I would say rare indeed. Chole's depth of insight and approach left me thinking, "huh, I've never thought of it in that way before." Not only was the read intellectually stimulating, but personally moving. Chole shares her journey, an Atheist not looking for a Divine being ,who's life becomes abruptly interrupted in one day. This is a story you want to read and will more than likely never forget!Chole makes use of every space, leaving out dull repetition and prolonged points. The 160 some page book is comprised with purpose behind every word and broken down into pleasantly short chapters. I personally was kept up during the night, unable to resist starting a new chapter. Chole offers more than a fresh perspective or new idea that only fades with the sun. What she respectively submits before you will make it clear if your belief system is livable. Placing my own beliefs next to her test was both terrifying and assuring. She speaks as one with experience, as she has lived from varying places across the spectrum of world beliefs. Her story telling abilities are captivating, sharing applicable details in unreservedly honest fashion. I have walked away from this book more informed, challenged, and wanting to read it all over again! 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must read 'Finding an Unseen God'!,
By Jamie Whitmoor-Pryer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Finding an Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist (Paperback)
"Finding an Unseen God" is a personal account of a former atheist who was not 'looking for God'. She did not sense a 'void' in her life. She did not lack love in her life, or a good family. God literally 'interrupted' her life, as said in her own words:"In a period of minutes, I had abruptly transitioned from being completely certain that god-concepts were self-medicating illusions of the masses to being confronted mentally, physically, and emotionally by tangible confirmation that God IS." Throughout the rest of the book, Chole weaves an amazing tapestry of apologetics, intellectual questions, and provoking thoughts, with her personal journey from childhood to the present. It is both mind-stimulating and emotional. She challenges the Christian to THINK and to identify and evaluate the premises supporting our arguments. And she challenges the Atheist to reconsider the foundations on which they stand. For both groups, she reminds us to listen more than we speak...carry responsibility for the human we are interacting with, as well as to the 'unseen others' who share their opinion...and to walk in humility. I'd encourage you all to read it! Be challenged, be encouraged and be reminded of the amazing God who relentlessly pursues even the toughest of us! 7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Challenging, Encouraging, and Faith Strengthening.,
By Lori "homeschoolreviewsandmore.com" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Finding an Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist (Paperback)
Truth is dead. God never lived. Life is filled with pain. Death is the end of life. These were the beliefs of a young woman who believed God to be a fairy tale. Finding An Unseen God: Reflections of a Former Atheist by Alicia Britt Chole tells her story of growing up, how her realism and intellect led her to atheism and how the God she denied showed up when least expected.This book is a memoir, an autobiography, and a testimony. There are two threads to the story. She gives us a glimpse into her life growing up, weaving that in with her experience of finding God. The chapters are short and written with such grace and respect that I found myself compelled to finish the entire book in one sitting. She doesn't write to convince other Atheists to her viewpoint (though she does share things to think about when it comes to your beliefs) but merely shares her story. This is a book that I believe could be enjoyed by someone who is not a Christian but is interested in how one woman's worldview was transformed. It is an encouraging read for Christians as well. Not only is it an inspiring story of how God pursues us, but she includes ideas that can help us to be more sensitive to others. There is a chapter on <em>Things Not To Say To An Atheist </em>(for example, "If there's no such thing as God, why do you have to deny his existence?"). She makes an appeal for the importance of showing love over winning debates, with a heart tugging example of a debate won but lost by a lack of love. I am typically not a fan of biographies, I actually prefer fiction for my reading relaxation, but this book was different for me. I really liked this story, it was challenging, encouraging, and faith strengthening. To me, it cries out to be discussed and dug into deeper and my hope is to use this book as the Summer Book Club choice for our church. I highly recommend it. |
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