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  • Curveball

  • When Your Faith Takes Turns You Never Saw Coming (or How I Stumbled and Tripped My Way to Finding a Bigger God)
  • Written by: Peter Enns
  • Narrated by: Peter Enns
  • Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
  • 4.0 out of 5 stars (4 ratings)

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Curveball

Written by: Peter Enns
Narrated by: Peter Enns
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Publisher's Summary

“Peter Enns is brilliant at taking the big topics, those Christian ideas that usually scare us or intimidate us or worry us, and then make those very places a meeting place with a God who is bigger and wilder and more wonderful and trustworthy than we ever could have guessed.”—Sarah Bessey, author of Out of Sorts and Jesus Feminist

The author of How the Bible Actually Works and The Bible Tells Me So explains how our model of God and faith must evolve as our understanding of the world deepens—just as the Bible describes it should.

Life throws us “curve balls”—from devastating personal losses to world tragedies. These events often leave us doubting God, the Bible, and our faith. But instead of pushing away our reservations, we should embrace them, Peter Enns argues. A leading biblical scholar and Christian mentor, Enns has never been afraid to question the Bible or Christian beliefs. Such thoughtful inquisitiveness, he argues, is part of God’s plan. He wants us to question, because doing so actually leads to a stronger, lasting faith.

By reframing how we see these events, we allow ourselves to see how the Bible itself showcases this very process and that “treating curve balls as the enemy” is not only counterproductive but thwarts God’s goal of helping us become mature and wise. Enns shares a number of curve balls he’s encountered in his own life and the questions he has pondered. Does God care about the millions of people who never heard the gospel? Could I relate to a God who has created a universe this big? If God is so relatable, constant, and caring, how do we explain quantum physics? He reveals how particular biblical passages have helped him find wisdom, and how they can do the same for us.

As Curveball persuasively shows, God is bigger and more mysterious than anyone’s expectations. We need a faith that can grow just as deeply.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Peter Enns (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Curveball

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Lots of good information to ponder

Have listened to/read a few of Peter Enns books and have appreciated each one. Am listening to ""Curveball" for the second time - this time also making notes. Began deconstruction of my faith many years ago, but re-constructing has been very slow and often discouraging, but per Peter Enns thoughts am learning to embrace "mystery" - it seems to be the only way forward that makes sense. Thankful for authors like Peter Enns for being persistent in their faith journey and sharing it with others.

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Listened to it Twice

I have listened to this book two times. I have always enjoyed Pete's work, but truthfully I have pretty much walked away from anything "faith" based in the last couple of years. After fifty years of participating in the Christian tradition, I thoroughly deconstructed what was left and walked away. That said, the premise of this new work by Enns intrigued me, so I thought I would give it a chance.

I was not disappointed. As always, I enjoy Pete's narration (affable and natural); as the author and narrator, he is intimate with the work and reads it with purpose and clarity. I found the mix of memoir and musing compelling, and his analogy of adapting to life's curve balls was effective.

He does a great job of advocating a new perspective on how one views and approaches an expansive and universal God. Having experienced several serious curve balls in my own life this past year, Pete's book offered me some valuable perspective. I am unsure if I have navigated away from my deconstructed worldview, but Pete's ideas and perspectives have given me pause.

I would heartily recommend this book to anyone wrestling with their views on faith and the Christian tradition.

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Excellent

I found this book extremely helpful, and it has been a breath of fresh air after going through the anxiety of a deconstructing faith.

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Meh...

I’ve read two or three books by Enns before, and “Curveball” will be the last. This book is banal, uninspired, unintelligent, and inconsequential. My advice is to just read his “Inspiration and Incarnation” and stop there.

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  • J T Oury
  • 2023-03-06

Once again, Pete Enns does not disappoint!

Somehow, another Pete Enns book that explains (to me) my own thoughts. I'm grateful to Pete for this work of fearless honesty. I'm sure many others who read it will agree!

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  • Jim H.
  • 2023-03-03

A personal testimony

I have enjoyed Peter’s books. This one is very personal and reveals his own deconstruction and reconstruction journey. You may not agree with all his conclusions and he would be fine with that. The key point I took away from the story is allow yourself to get out of your theological box and trust God loves you more than you can imagine. I agree that if the church doesn’t morph it will become increasingly irrelevant. I say this as a former fundamentalist/ evangelical minister of 30 years. Enjoy the book and your own journey with God. He’s so much more beautiful than you think.

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  • Mark Redlon
  • 2023-02-20

Excellent Read

This book was written by a person who has found his way past evangelical/fundamentalist legalism to discover a deeper understanding of what we call God. It is in some ways a road map for people like myself who dare to question the things we have been taught in our past and who continue to search for a loving God for all people.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2023-03-27

Bigger God

This book covers several notions about who God is and what he is like. The author attempts to present a paradigm through personal experiences and then rationalize his beliefs about his view of the cosmos and God. I will say one of the most heretical presentations on the subject I have ever read.

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  • Randall H. Richter
  • 2023-03-16

Taking God out of a Bible size box

Over the past year I became familiar with the author from the Bible for Normal People podcast. I appreciate how he is able to explain the history and culture of the time when the Bible was written in order to obtain a greater understanding of the original content and context. In this book the author shares their spiritual journey. My own evolution of faith lacked much of the language, cultural, and historical knowledge that the author provides, though learning more about the vastness of the universe helped me to have a belief and understanding of God as more than can be contained in a book written by writers several millennia ago.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 2023-03-08

Loved it!

This has been my favorite Pete Enns book yet. I’ve read several of his other books and I thought maybe he would repeat the biographical parts here, but he added all new stories, insights, and new knowledge and wisdom he’s gained. Pete is so honest and candid about his faith journey. No question is off limits. I wish pastors and church leaders could be this honest!

I love that Pete narrated the audiobook himself. That makes a huge difference. If you like Pete’s other books or his podcast, you will enjoy this book!

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  • Carol Vriend Petter
  • 2023-03-02

Thoughtful and timely

Pete Enns narrates his spiritual biography with authenticity, intelligence and sensitivity. I felt lighter after listening to this book.

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  • Rick
  • 2023-02-24

Rick Jackson

Great book! Very helpful in articulating my questions of faith. Very well written and presented. I highly recommend this book.

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  • Jon
  • 2023-02-16

Disappointed

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as others he’s written. I still like and respect him. I was just underwhelmed.

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  • gaudencio fabian
  • 2023-02-15

Interesting.

Loved the book, first time I use audible. Very compelling. I want more like it.