When Faith Disappoints

The Gap Between What We Believe and What We Experience

By: Lisa Victoria Fields

Narrated by: David Kinnaman, Lisa Victoria Fields, George Newbern

For anyone who feels the weight of injustice, trauma, and suffering, the founder of the Jude 3 Project invites you to discover how to find hope when you can’t make sense of the pain.

“Lisa Fields brilliantly offers hope for all who seek to practice their faith without the cruel dogma nurtured by Western culture.”—Otis Moss III, senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago

Living as a Black woman in America, Lisa Victoria Fields understands the tension of relying on God in a broken world. While pursuing her calling in full-time Christian ministry—an often white, male-dominated vocation—she saw the contentions many people have with Christianity. She heard the theological questions, but instead of arguing for her faith, she listened to the barriers and heard the pain in their hearts: Why doesn’t God protect me from suffering and injustice? Others don’t seem to think I have value—does God?

Now, in her debut book, Fields shows us how emotional pain—often more than theological concerns—is at the root of our doubt. She invites us to bring our deepest soul questions to this journey as she explores:

• Seven pain points that might be keeping us from faith: a lack of personhood, peace, provision, pleasure, purpose, protection, and power

• Honest talk about how Christianity doesn’t seem to meet our very valid needs

• Why wrestling with God doesn’t negate our faith but instead deepens it

• What it looks like to allow God to bring healing to our pain so we can see Him and others more clearly

Through vulnerable storytelling and thoughtful use of Scripture, Fields tends to our hurting hearts and offers hope and resolve. She helps us move forward as we cling to a faith that brings us back to the truth of Christianity—not despite the pain of this world but in light of it.

©2024 Lisa Victoria Fields (P)2024 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Lisa Fields compassionately confronts the brokenness and failure of the human condition through the lens of faith, yet brilliantly offers hope for all who seek to practice their faith without the cruel dogma nurtured by Western culture. A worthy addition to your personal library.”—Otis Moss III, senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Chicago

“Wisdom and empathy fuel Lisa Fields’s new book, When Faith Disappoints. Drawing from her wealth of experience as an apologist and her story as a doubter, Fields offers a work that centers and normalizes our doubts and fears.”—Dr. Christina Edmondson, co-author of Truth’s Table

“Lisa Fields has accomplished the rare feat of writing a book that would be useful for people inside and outside the faith. Christians who have struggled with doubt and disappointment, and those considering the claims of Christianity, will find themselves challenged and inspired. I highly recommend it.”—Esau McCaulley, author of How Far to the Promised Land

Awesome

The book was very uplifting and inspirational. It was not hard to follow or absorb the principle concepts and direction of the book given its somewhat heavy subject matter. Great book! Thumbs up to the author!

Timeless and relevant

This was a great book. Packed with so much truth and practical application. It's a book I forsee reading in multiple seasons of my life. It's not a book you read once and forget it. It's definitely a boom that should be read frequently as a reminder of just how good God is and why we wrestle with our faith and continue to choose God in the end. Highly recommend.

Her examples of issues & scripture that brings hope through the issues.

Her lived out life that matches what we all must live out and live through.

Real & Very Reassuring

This book was exactly what I needed in suffering season.. Lisa touched on all pain points in a way that made me really look over every aspect of my life that has caused me true pain.. and somehow it seemed as if my pain was all interconnected to my experience with each one. I’ve wrestled with God on WHY? What is the cause of my pain? Was it me? Was it somebody else? Who do I have to blame? This book helped me to realize that all of that does not matter.. what matters is that God is with me, He sees me, He loves me and He is in control. Thank You, Lisa for your transparency and your guidance. I’m sure this will be a book I pick up many more times in this lifetime.

Careful and Intentional

This book was so on time for me. Almost every issue Lisa pointed out has been a struggle of mine in my current season. I appreciate her vulnerability with each topic, not excluding her own pain, questions, doubts and fears. I love the prayers so much because they are so honest. I also love how she doesn’t promise anything because that is how we got disappointed in the first place 😂 but she does encourage us to press into the pain, to continue in our pursuit of God and to let Him be our source. I can’t say I am at the best place but this definitely is helping me become better.

Inspired to commune with Christ

Understand that being saved does not exempt you from suffering and trials but when we understand who our maker is we can trust and lean on him and he will keep his promises!! A must read for believers and nonbelievers

Right on time

I enjoyed the personal feeling the author gave as the read the book. It felt like a conversation at times. I appreciate the things she says because they go unspoken many times. This was helpful to my prayer life and thoughts towards my faith practically. A great book!

Lots to Consider

I have been waiting for this book. My faith crisis has waxed and waned over the years. God has been faithful in guiding me to work that has helped me hold on. Thank you Lisa Fields.

Excellent work!

I love and appreciate your transparency and relatability. Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world.

Practical. Applicable. Faith-filled. Hope restored.

What an amazing guide for life! While one may feel the painful reality of disappointment, this book gives us hope in our Source. Lisa’s candid approach to sharing everyday issues that impact so many believers (and non-believers alike) with practical but necessary steps that must be taken to heal and be reconciled. I’m working through several issues that were raised, and I highly recommend this resource to anyone who has suffered disappointment, even disappointment with self.