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The Christian Agnostic is a book written in the early sixties by the Methodist Minister Leslie Weatherhead. The book was written with Mr. Weatherhead's belief that the theological demands of Christianity act as barriers and stumbling blocks for modern Christians. The ideas in the book were (and to a degree now) very progressive. The book is written like a series of essays and covers a mutlitude of topics. "Authority and Certainty" is covered along ideas versus dogma. Weatherhead considered a "christian agnostic" to be "a person who is immensely attracted by Christ and who seeks to show his spirit, to meet the challenges, hardships and sorrows of life in the light of that spirit, but who, though he is sure of many Christian truths, feels he cannot honestly and conscientiously 'sign on the dotted line' that he believes certain theological ideas about which some branches of the church dogmatize; churches from which he feels excluded because he cannot 'believe."

The book was dedicated "To Kingsley my son and my friend."

[edit] Contents

• I. Dissatisfaction and Disappointment
• II. Agnosticism and Doubt
• III. Authority and Certainty
• IV. God and Our Guesses
• V. Christ and His Achievement
• VI. The Holy Spirit and The Spirit of God
• VII. The Church and The Churches
• VIII. The Bible and Its Inspiration
• IX. Providence and Care
• X. Prayer and Faith
• XI. Evil and Sin
• XII. Death and Survival
• XIII. Judgement and Hell
• XIV. Reincarnation and Renewed Chances
• XV. Heaven and Goal
• XVI. Credo and Commitment

[edit] Editions

Various editions of The Christian Agnostic exist. The first was published in 1965 by Abingdon Press (New York). Hodder and Stoughton (London) published an edtition in 1965 as well. Abingdon Press published editions in 1965, 1972, and in 1979 (Festival edition, Tennessee). James published their edition in 1989.

The copyright was/is held by Leslie D. Weatherhead in 1965. The paperback, US version was published by Abingdon Press, publishing arm of the United Methodist Publishing House, in October 1979 as a Festival Book edition.

ISBN 0-687-06978-5 (Festival Edition, Abingdon Press, Nashville, Third printing, 1983).