The Holy Uncertainty of Faith

The opposite of faith is not doubt. It's certainty.

Public Theology is based on the work of Zach W. Lambert, Pastor of Restore, an inclusive church in Austin, Texas. He and his wife, Amy Lambert, contribute to and moderate this account. Zach’s first book, Better Ways to Read the Bible, will release on August 12, 2025 and is available to preorder today. All of the content available at Public Theology is for those who identify as Christian, as well as those who might be interested in learning about a more inclusive, kind, thoughtful Christianity. We’re glad you’re here.

Also, we are happy to cover subscription costs for anyone who needs it but can’t afford it at this time. If you would like to join the Public Theology community and gain access to our paid subscriber content (which we keep behind a paywall for the privacy and connection of our community) but cannot afford to do so, please message Amy Lambert directly.

---

“Are you a Christian?”

When someone asks if you are a Christian, what they are almost always asking is, “Do you believe all of the things I’ve deemed necessary for Christians to believe and do you believe them in the same way I do?”

This is an incredibly recent (and remarkably shallow) understanding of the Christian faith. It’s also a concerning shift as right belief can change for a variety of reasons and based on numerous factors; just look at the shift in many Evangelicals’ beliefs and priorities over the past ten years.

In our post-enlightenment, scientific-method centric world, we’ve reduced Christianity to doctrines, dogmas, and belief statements. But faith is something we embody and experience, not something to which we intellectually assent. It is more than belief, it is a posture. It’s a way of living and moving in the world.

“The life of Christian faith is more than agreeing with a set of beliefs about Christ, morality, or how to read the Bible. It means being so intimately connected to Christ that his crucifixion is ours, his death is our death, and his life is our life—which is hardly something we can grasp with our minds. It has to be experienced.”

Pete Enns

One unfortunate consequence of this shallow understanding of faith is the framing of faith and doubt as being in opposition to one another. If faith is absolute certainty about our beliefs, then any doubts or questions become an attack on faith. This explains why we so often see doubts and questions condemned by Christians.

But I disagree with this premise. The opposite of faith is not doubt. In fact, I believe that the opposite of faith is certainty. If I’m absolutely sure about everything I believe, placing my faith in God and choosing to trust Jesus becomes unnecessary.

Even Jesus had doubts and questions. Even Jesus wrestled with his faith. We see this most clearly on the night before he died on the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane.