My Faith So Far: A Story of Conversion and Confusion

by Patton Dodd

In this frank, funny, and often challenging memoir about life in and out of the church, twenty-something Patton Dodd reveals his quest for an authentic experience of God. On his journey he attempts to pinpoint and justify his belief in God, first with the fervent absolutes that characterize a new believer’s faith but then with a growing awareness of the cultural complexities that define his faith and encompass his understanding of Christianity.  When a spiritual awakening in his last year of high school wrenches Dodd out of his rebellious party days, he embarks on a quest for God. He exchanges pot smoking for worship dancing, gives up MTV for Christian pop, and enrolls at a Christian university. Soon, however, he finds himself ill at ease with the other Christians around him and with the cloying superficiality of the Christian subculture. Dodd tells his story in contradictory terms—conversion and confusion, acceptance and rejection, spiritual highs and psychological lows. With painstaking honesty, he tries to negotiate a relationship with his faith apart from the cultural trappings that often clothe it.  Dodd’s moving story paints a nuanced and multilayered portrait of an earnest quest for the hunger for genuine faith, the bleak encounters with doubt, and the consuming questions that challenge the intellect and the soul. This is a story that will resonate with the emerging generation of young adults attempting to break new ground within their own faith tradition.

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ellyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir covers the end of the author's high school years and the beginning of his college years, during which time he gave up smoking pot and embraced evangelical Christianity wholeheartedly. He speaks in tongues, dances at worship, prays for hours (literally) without ceasing, and even attends Oral Roberts University. His thoughts and experiences were absolutely fascinating to me, and he does a great job describing his quest for faith and fulfillment. The doubts that he eventually begins to feel show that nothing comes easily or can be forced. It was a great read and provided lots of insight into a subculture that is completely foreign to me.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting about charismatic and pentecostal christians, Oral Roberts university. doubting his faith