Are you struggling with doubt in your Christian faith? Are you afraid to voice your questions? Are you looking for practical tools to support someone on their journey through doubt?

Pastor, professor, and award-winning author A. J. Swoboda has witnessed many people wrestle with their core Christian beliefs and doubt. Too often he has seen people enter a period of legitimate questioning only to end up abandoning their faith altogether, especially if the church fails to take up its role as a companion in questioning.

Doubt and questioning present us an opportunity to deconstruct and reconstruct ideas and beliefs—to deepen in understanding about who we are and what we believe about God. The church and Christian companions have positive roles to play in this deconstruction and reconstruction process. The questioner, too, has real reason to be encouraged to navigate the terrain of doubt, equipped with the proper tools and a healthy dose of honesty.

Drawing on his own experience of deconstruction, Swoboda will share tools to help people navigate their faith in what might feel like a hostile landscape. He will show us how deconstruction is a legitimate space to encounter the living God.

Whether you are questioning your own faith, leading those through a doubt journey, or care deeply about the church and how we respond to those who question their faith, we invite you to join us. After Doubt offers a hopeful, practical vision of spiritual formation for those in the process of faith deconstruction—and those who serve them.

Speaker bio

A.J. Swoboda (Ph.D., University of Birmingham) is an assistant professor of Bible, theology, and world Christianity at Bushnell University. He also leads a Doctor of Ministry program around the Holy Spirit and leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary. Swoboda is the author of several books, including After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith without Losing It (Brazos Press, 2021), the award-winning Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World (Brazos Press, 2018), and The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith (Baker Press, 2016). He is married to Quinn and is the proud father of Elliot. They live and work in Eugene, Oregon.

Event partner

Cru is an interdenominational Christian group and a registered student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Active on over 1,200 campuses in the US and around the world, Cru exists to help students navigate their spiritual journey and discover how they can have a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Many students from Southern Wisconsin gather weekly meetings to learn and enjoy genuine community with each other through Cru.