Study Questions
John Marks, Reasons to Believe
Prereading Questions for the Entire Book
- What was the last non-fiction book you read and why?
- Without reading the book, what do you think of Reasons to Believe's proposed topic and content?
- What do you believe? Why do you believe what you do?
- What is your attitude toward other people's belief systems in America? Around the globe?
- How would you characterize the relationships between people of different belief systems in America today?
- How many different kinds of Christianity are you aware of? Is this a subject that matters to you?
Chapter-by-Chapter Guided Reading Questions
Book 1: The Way
First Things
1 The Prodigal
What does "being left behind" mean according to Marks' book? Does this agree with your prior understanding of the phrase?
2 The Nation
What is the relationship between religion and American history according to Marks? According to your understanding of history?
What is the difference between the nation and the country, according to Marks?
3 Lillies
Describe Marks' family upbring compared to how you were raised.
4 The Country
Marks describes a survey finding that African-American and white evangelical protestants believe that God is authoritarian, Catholics think God is benevolent, mainline Protestands and some African-American Protestants consider God to be critical, and Jewish and unaffiliated believers think God is distant (50). Do you agree with these definitions?
Why do you think African Americans are statistically the most religious people in the country? (51)
5 Heaven
What are some of the pop cultural and lay depictions of heaven? How is heaven conceived by the Evangelicals whom Marks interviews? Do you have an image of heaven?
6 The Man Himself
Don McWhinney, the parent with a schizophrenic son, asks Marks, "How is my sorrow different than the sorrow you experienced in Bosnia? And yet I still believe. My faith has been strengthened. Why not yours" (77)? Why do you think Don's faith was strengthened but Marks' was not? How do you evaluate Don's reasons for his increased faith? How do you evaluate Marks' reasons for his loss of faith?
7 The Fundamentals
What is Marks' definition of evangelic and where does it come from? Do you have a definition of evangelical; and, if so, where does it come from?
8 Man of Shadows
How does Jim interpret the McWhinneys' motives in taking Marks to church after the death of their son? How does Marks?
9 Words
How does Tommy Nelson use the Bible to comment on American culture? How do you read Marks' attitude toward this sermon? Do you agree with Nelson's criticism and solution? Why or why not? Are there other commentators you know of who speak about the Bible in American culture? Do you have positive or negative opinions of them?
Book 2: The Truth
10 The Great Commission
What is the truth, and what should be one's duty regarding the truth, according to an evangelical like Tommy Nelson who practices the Great Commission? Are there truth(s) you believe in; and if so, what are your responsibilities according to those truths?
11 The World
Define the term worldview. What is the Truth Project's worldview?
Why do you think churchgoing has declined from 65% of Greatest Generation Americans in the 1940s, 35% of baby boomers in the 1960s, 16% of bridger generation Americans in the 1980s, to a projected 4% in the 2000s? Where did Marks obtain these statistics? Use GALILEO's Statistics: CAUSEWeb to verify these statistics. Do you believe churchgoing will continue to decline? If so, or if not, why?
12 Specklebird
What is your view of the proliferation of megachurches? What do you think Marks' opinion is of these reenactments and performances? What do you think the term specklebird means to Marks?
13 Shepherd
Marks writes, "I have to confess an ambivalence about churches in general" (141). What does he mean? He talks about his upbringing as a reason for his feelings. What is your attitude toward churches; and has your upbringing influenced your feeling or not?
Marks is tolerant toward being evangelized (153). Do you have the same tolerance?
14 Weather
Marks writes, "Many of today's Christians cite their faith as a reason to go to the polls" (160). What do you think about the relationship between religion and politics?
Marks writes, ". . . nothing spoke more eloquently to believers, and to nonbelievers who were paying attention, than the success of a population of believing volunteers measured against the massive and near-total collapse of secular government efforts" (168). What is Marks' view of church responses to Hurricane Katrina? Do you think the same type of Christian response to natural disasters, compared to government action, will continue?
15 Nineveh
What is the purpose of Christian charity in a global context, according to Jerry Rankin, head of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (183)?
Do you agree with Marks' view that a missionary like Niki McDonnall could be "under the spell of complete delusion" (187)
16 Sweet D
Have you ever seen media representations that conflict with your values, and how do you reconcile this when you are amongst your peers?
17 Shofar
What do you make of the relationship between faith, music, and commerce depicted in this chapter?
Book 3: The Life
18 Wretch
Do you have a conversion story of your own or know someone with a conversion story?
Is John Marks' conversion story convincing or understandable to you?
19 Daddy
After examining the stated liberal arts mission of GCSU, how do you think this differs from the descriptions of Christian colleges that Marks provides? What tenets of liberal arts colleges and Christian colleges do you find admirable?
20 Young Life
Does each member of your family hold the same beliefs? Do each of your friends? What do you perceive as the advantages and disadvantages, if any, of this?
21 Girlfriend
Marks recounts the story of Daniel and how his beliefs affect his relationship with his girlfriend. How do you think Americans as a whole are influenced by religion in their romantic relationships?
22 Submission
Do you perceive Christianity as having different meanings for women as compared to men? Do any of the belief systems or institutions you adhere to have different expectations for women and men? Do you agree with these differences?
23 Skin
What do you think Marks' view is of the African-American influence on Christianity? Do you agree or disagree with his view?
24 Geist
Does Marks believe that members of the gay community can nurture a belief in and relationship with God? Do you agree or disagree with Marks' view?
25 The Castle
What are the components of Marks' dilemma between Dawkins and Meier (330)? What do you make of Marks' crisis?
26 Habakkuk
Marks reports on the work of David Barton in this chapter. Do you think Barton's claims about the contributions of religion to American history are valid or a worthwhile pursuit?
27 Burn
Marks predicts "an incompatibility in the body politic will only ever resolve itself through a massive act of violence" (349). What do you think of his forecast? his comparison of this act to civil war?
28 Eunice
Throughout the book, Marks continues to join evangelicals in worship and in prayer. Despite his asserting that he has been left behind, Marks has said that he wanted to his portrayals of evangelicals to be compassionate. Do you think he has achieved his goal?
Afterword to the Paperback Edition
Marks writes, ". . . I felt the inadequacy of both faith and reason to answer our deepest questions" (370). Are faith and reason, separate or combined, adequate to answering your deepest questions?
General Questions after Reading the Entire Book
- After reading the book, why do you think the Billy Graham Center in the Institute of Strategic Evangelism of Wheaton College, Abilene Christian University, Baylor University (the Southwest Baptist University), Davidson College (a Presbyterian private liberal arts college), and New York University invited Marks to talk about Reasons to Believe? What kinds of discussions do you think happened at those institutions?
- Do you think Marks' loss of faith is sorrowful or sad to him on a tragic level? Or do you have another interpretation?
- Texas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky are featured prominently in the book. What similarities and differences do you notice between Oklahoma culture and the community from which you come?
- Can you name any lessons you have learned from this book?
- John Marks shared his spiritual journey with you. What do you consider to be his motive for sharing his story? If you have had a spiritual journey, would you share it with others? Why or why not, and with whom?
- What is Marks' attitude toward the beliefs of others? Would you consider adopting Marks' approach when interacting with others whose world views differ from your own? Or, would you modify his approach? How so and why?
- Reflect upon the kinds of discussions you have had with others of different belief systems, or watched. Can you predict the outcome if believers of different faiths could discuss their personal "reasons to believe"?
- What evidence did you find that told you John Marks was familiar with his topic? Was unfamiliar with his topic?
- How has learning about others' beliefs ever strengthened your own belief?
- John Marks is very interested in evangelical beliefs and culture, so much so that he devoted two years of his life to studying and researching them. What topics and issues might you be interested in reading more about, learning more about, either in a non-fiction book, a class, or perhaps a major?