Unabashed Faith: Resisting Anti-Spiritual Influences in the Modern World

by C. Andrew Doyle

A proclamation of living one’s faith joyfully for all Christians to embrace and celebrate.

Andy Doyle is a dynamic speaker and a prolific writer, and his devotion to the faithful followers of Christ is palpable. In Unabashed Faith, he takes on the idea of living faith out loud and helps readers be inspired and motivated to live their faith openly and unaplogetically. In a time where faith can be under attack, Doyle encourages readers to take a deep look at their beliefs, and to see the power of the Christian faith that has been a constant force in the world in general, and in people’s lives individually. In heartfelt, smart prose, he invites believers into a deeper relationship with the divine, to a place where they can proclaim, acknowledge, and celebrate their faith in peace and kinship.


 

224 pages, Hardcover

Published June 3, 2025

About the author

Charles Andrew Doyle (Andy) was elected bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Texas on May 24, 2008 and was consecrated on November 22, 2008 at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Houston. He was seated as the ninth Bishop of Texas on June 7, 2009 at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, following the retirement of the Rt. Rev. Don Wimberly.

Born in 1966 in Carbondale, Illinois, and raised in Houston, Bishop Doyle served five years as Canon to the Ordinary prior to his election. Bishop Doyle holds a bachelor of fine arts from the University of North Texas and served at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Austin before receiving an M Div from Virginia Theological Seminary. He was ordained deacon in 1995 and priest the following year. He served at Christ Church,Temple and St. Francis, College Station, Texas, prior to his appointment to the diocesan staff as Canon to the Ordinary in 2003.

Bishop Doyle is a gifted and experienced teacher and preacher, and has a particular interest in reaching younger generations in order to partner with older and experienced church members to share wisdom across generations, invigorating growth and membership. He has training and expertise in mediation as well as multicultural ministry. Bishop Doyle is bilingual and actively seeks to respond to an increasingly diverse population in the Diocese of Texas.

He believes reaching more and different audiences through electronic means will help build the body of Christ and regularly uses Twitter and FaceBook to have conversations with church members and those looking for a church home. He encourages innovative and grass roots efforts to plant new Episcopal communities.

A published author and accomplished painter, Doyle and his wife JoAnne have two daughters, Zoë, and Caisa.

Reviews

[Dan]

We are less connected to our humanity and the humanity of others, while a new mechanical age of spiritualism seems to make us sicker by the day. In and of themselves, human-created tools are not filled with good or evil; however, they may be used in such ways as to cause good and evil. The anti-spiritual forces that are the focus of this book are linked to the ancient heresy of dualism. Dualism, as this book will show, is marketed to us through the Internet and technology as a tree of knowledge, the focus on the disembodiment of the mind and spirit, the bodily harm inflicted by constant connectivity, the impacts upon energy use, racism, and economic justice. These are everyday forces that draw us from our created selves and undermine an unabashed faith.

Eschew Obfuscation, Andy. Strive for structure and clarity. This book has a beautiful, timely message--but it is poorly organized, poorly written. Andy quotes studies without providing context, flits from topic to topic, and continually assumes an audience of well-to-do people who are successful yet addicted to their Internet and technology and worry a bit about the state of their soul.

For example, Andy starts a paragraph noting "digital activism brings unprecedented means to amplify grassroots voices and promote justice," and then, after a few convoluted sentences, notes that "the tendency with the digital will be to speed discernment up; yet taking our cue from other cultures, we understand the importance of slowing things down to do the work well." So I ask myself at this point: "Self, I wonder what culture he's going to reference in the next paragraph to provide a relevant example of 'slowing things down to do the work well.' Mayhaps the Japanese tea ceremony, something along those lines?" But then Self and I are astonished at where Andy goes. Let's just enjoy the next paragraph together, shall we?

I am now thinking of the discernment of the Ents, which are the very old talking trees in the second book of The Lord of the Rings, entitled The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien (1978). In it two characters, Pippin and Merry, in a rush to save the world, meet an Ent, an ancient and wise tree named Treebeard. They ask Treebeard if the Ents can help them. He must speak with his kin first. The Ent tries to explain to them that in the old Entish language if it is worth speaking about, then it will take a long time to say and to listen. This is an example of deep prayer that brings about engagement. For such prayer to be a part of discernment, it must be practiced for a long time. After all, to sit with the divine is worth doing, for sometimes it takes a long time for the divine to speak and for us to hear.

Wait, what--Ents? They are losing to Sauron because they mull way more than they act. Merry and Pippin have to convince them to take action because their way of endless committee meetings is hopeless. They completely disengage from their world. This, THIS, is your example of a culture which "slows things down to do the work well"? Christians should emulate Ents?

No, just--no.

His message is needed, but he needs to work a little harder on his articulation. Yes, we are addicted and enslaved by technology. Yes, we need to slow down and engage in contemplative prayer. We need help enriching our spiritual lives. There's nothing wrong with the message of the book--the book just needs to flow better. It comes across as rushed and unfocused.

I wanted to like this book. I enjoyed a sermon I heard from Andy recently--really enjoyed it. I had high expectations opening the covers of this book--expectations which were not fulfilled when I closed them a few days later.

Not recommended. There's better books on these topics elsewhere.

[John]

Perhaps slightly mistitled, this book is so very nearly the book I hoped to write myself as part of my exploration of technology in the twenty-first century church. It is absolutely wonderful. A must-read for anyone hoping to grapple with how the church provides simple, historically proven answers for the dilemmas facing an overly-technological, anti-spiritual age. We'll read it together at our Episcopal parish here in Michigan as soon as we can. Thanks, Bishop Andy. Five stars.