One of my most vivid academic memories from college was taking Introduction to Philosophy from Dr. Wennberg. He’d present an idea in class and then invite us to rebuke the idea. I remember the day he said that there are appropriate times to lie, and he used a few Scripture stories to back it up (one he used was the story of Rahab who lied to protect the Israelite spies). On those few occasions when I’d try to rebuke his position, I had to quickly concede my defeat in the argument because Dr. Wennberg was so far ahead of my thought process. I was frustrating…and extremely instructive.

I’m thankful for what Bob Wennberg taught me in that class. I was never a philosophy major and have probably never quoted a single line from what I read or studied under his tutelage, but that’s not the point. His class helped shape how I think. It encouraged me to question authority and conventional wisdom, but to do so with an openness and humility. Obviously, I fail at that fairly often! But he instilled the goal and lived the model that has inspired me.

So, it is with relish that I picked up his recent book “Faith at the Edge.” If you have ever had doubts about your faith, if you have ever struggled in your relationship with God, or if you have ever felt that God was simply absent, you are going to love this book. Beyond that, if your vocation focuses on the spiritual development of people, then you’ve probably had to lead people through dark spiritual times. You may have been at a loss on what to say or where to direct them. This book will be a tremendous resource.

One of my favorite chapters was entitled, “Why a Week with Mother Teresa Might Be Better for the Doubter Than a Week with C.S. Lewis.” Westmont College has posted this chapter online and you can read it here.

Finally, on a personal note, Dr. Wennberg has recently announced that he has pancreatic cancer. This disease took my sister a few years ago, and it saddens me to think of what Bob is going through now. I ask you to pray for him and his wife Eleanore.