Can we still find beauty in being a Christian? Or in Christian institutions? Author Jared Ayers was disappointed with the church’s reaction to the growing number of religiously unaffiliated and wrote a book for people in the borderlands of faith.

In You can Trust a God With Scars, Ayers walks readers through a gentle examination of the Christian faith and what it can offer we who search. In this conversation with host Karen Stiller, Ayers shares his own times of doubt, what helps him draw closer to God and trust, and how being a new author is changing how he views the world.

A post-conversation note from Jared: “We need places where we can have real conversations about faith, life, and God. I found this conversation with Karen on Good Books Big Questions one of those all-too-rare places, and I hope others experience that too.”

After the talk with Karen: “I enjoyed this so much. I especially appreciated that Jared didn’t give pat, formulaic answers for why bad things happen and how tough life can be sometimes. I left with shows to watch and music to listen to because this guy is really plugged into popular culture.”

Jared mentions The Undertaking: Life Studies From The Dismal Trade by Thomas Lynch.

Visit Jared’s site and reach out to him with your own questions and thoughts about his book and this conversation.

Email Good Books Big Questions at [email protected] and give us your feedback.

Who is Jared Ayers?
Rev. Dr. Jared Ayers is a pastor, speaker, professor, and writer. He is a graduate of Western Theological Seminary and the Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination. A pastor for more than two decades, he currently serves as senior minister at First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach, Florida, and as an adjunct faculty member at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Jared is married to his wife, Monica, and they’ve been graced with two sons and a daughter.

The views and opinions expressed in this recording do not necessarily reflect the positions of NavPress or The Navigators.