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Doubting Toward Belief: Molly Worthen’s Journey to the Resurrection
Historian Molly Worthen, a former skeptic who once envied those with faith, embarked on an unexpected journey toward belief in Jesus' resurrection. Her academic work in American religious history led her to examine Christian claims more deeply. Conversations with a pastor and advice from theologian/Christian apologist Tim Keller prompted her to reconsider her skepticism, as she found the evidence for the resurrection more compelling than she initially thought. This shift in perspective on the supernatural culminated in her baptism in a Southern Baptist church, a surprising turn for someone with an academic background who had previously dismissed such beliefs. Worthen’s story illustrates how open-mindedness and supportive relationships can lead to profound and unexpected changes in one’s convictions.
Thought-Provoking Quotes:
“From that fairly early point, age 18 or 19, I think I already detected in myself a real envy of people who had a religious home, who had some confidence in a set of answers to the big questions.” - Molly Worthen
“I realized I had a lot of questions that I had never looked into. Despite being a historian of Christianity, I’d never really, in a close and thoughtful way, investigated the basic historical claims of the faith.” - Molly Worthen
“The case for the reality of the resurrection was just a whole lot better than I thought. And the case for my old worldview was starting to crumble.” - Molly Worthen
“I have read the gospels plenty of times, it’s part of my job description. But I had always read them out of duty, I was never gripped by them. But there was a grittiness and a reality—especially in Jesus’ encounters with the people He heals—that really arrested me for the first time.” - Molly Worthen
“Maybe we’ll get to hang out with the apostles one day. It’s almost a credit to their humanity and respect for one another that they just let each other tell the story like they were friends.” - Melanie Penn
“My faith is very fragile. I am always having to revisit the questions I've been wrestling with for a long time and needing reassurance, and I'm always hungry to read more and learn more. Even if you feel fairly firm in your faith, I think you need a community where you can ask those questions without being afraid that you'll be taken as some kind of heretic.” - Molly Worthen
“I think it's so important—whether you're a Christian or a seeker—to find a community that is comfortable with doubt. I would encourage people who have questions to persist in finding, until they find a conversation partner who supports them.” - Molly Worthen
“Christianity is unique among the world religions in that it stands or falls on a discrete event that believers say happened in history. And it happened close enough to our own time that there actually is evidence.” - Molly Worthen
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:
The New York Times
The New Yorker
Foreign Policy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump
Tim Keller
J.D. Greear
C.S. Lewis
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
The Reason for God by Tim Keller
Veritas Forum
*Watch this interview on the YouTube channel!
*All episode music is by Melanie Penn.
Guest’s Links:
Molly Worthen’s website
Connect with Melanie:
The Rising (Album)
Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Spotify
*The Rising Podcast is a production of Four Eyes Media.
Thought-Provoking Quotes:
“From that fairly early point, age 18 or 19, I think I already detected in myself a real envy of people who had a religious home, who had some confidence in a set of answers to the big questions.” - Molly Worthen
“I realized I had a lot of questions that I had never looked into. Despite being a historian of Christianity, I’d never really, in a close and thoughtful way, investigated the basic historical claims of the faith.” - Molly Worthen
“The case for the reality of the resurrection was just a whole lot better than I thought. And the case for my old worldview was starting to crumble.” - Molly Worthen
“I have read the gospels plenty of times, it’s part of my job description. But I had always read them out of duty, I was never gripped by them. But there was a grittiness and a reality—especially in Jesus’ encounters with the people He heals—that really arrested me for the first time.” - Molly Worthen
“Maybe we’ll get to hang out with the apostles one day. It’s almost a credit to their humanity and respect for one another that they just let each other tell the story like they were friends.” - Melanie Penn
“My faith is very fragile. I am always having to revisit the questions I've been wrestling with for a long time and needing reassurance, and I'm always hungry to read more and learn more. Even if you feel fairly firm in your faith, I think you need a community where you can ask those questions without being afraid that you'll be taken as some kind of heretic.” - Molly Worthen
“I think it's so important—whether you're a Christian or a seeker—to find a community that is comfortable with doubt. I would encourage people who have questions to persist in finding, until they find a conversation partner who supports them.” - Molly Worthen
“Christianity is unique among the world religions in that it stands or falls on a discrete event that believers say happened in history. And it happened close enough to our own time that there actually is evidence.” - Molly Worthen
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:
The New York Times
The New Yorker
Foreign Policy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump
Tim Keller
J.D. Greear
C.S. Lewis
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
The Reason for God by Tim Keller
Veritas Forum
*Watch this interview on the YouTube channel!
*All episode music is by Melanie Penn.
Guest’s Links:
Molly Worthen’s website
Connect with Melanie:
The Rising (Album)
Website
YouTube
Spotify
*The Rising Podcast is a production of Four Eyes Media.
View all episodes
By Four Eyes MediaHistorian Molly Worthen, a former skeptic who once envied those with faith, embarked on an unexpected journey toward belief in Jesus' resurrection. Her academic work in American religious history led her to examine Christian claims more deeply. Conversations with a pastor and advice from theologian/Christian apologist Tim Keller prompted her to reconsider her skepticism, as she found the evidence for the resurrection more compelling than she initially thought. This shift in perspective on the supernatural culminated in her baptism in a Southern Baptist church, a surprising turn for someone with an academic background who had previously dismissed such beliefs. Worthen’s story illustrates how open-mindedness and supportive relationships can lead to profound and unexpected changes in one’s convictions.
Thought-Provoking Quotes:
“From that fairly early point, age 18 or 19, I think I already detected in myself a real envy of people who had a religious home, who had some confidence in a set of answers to the big questions.” - Molly Worthen
“I realized I had a lot of questions that I had never looked into. Despite being a historian of Christianity, I’d never really, in a close and thoughtful way, investigated the basic historical claims of the faith.” - Molly Worthen
“The case for the reality of the resurrection was just a whole lot better than I thought. And the case for my old worldview was starting to crumble.” - Molly Worthen
“I have read the gospels plenty of times, it’s part of my job description. But I had always read them out of duty, I was never gripped by them. But there was a grittiness and a reality—especially in Jesus’ encounters with the people He heals—that really arrested me for the first time.” - Molly Worthen
“Maybe we’ll get to hang out with the apostles one day. It’s almost a credit to their humanity and respect for one another that they just let each other tell the story like they were friends.” - Melanie Penn
“My faith is very fragile. I am always having to revisit the questions I've been wrestling with for a long time and needing reassurance, and I'm always hungry to read more and learn more. Even if you feel fairly firm in your faith, I think you need a community where you can ask those questions without being afraid that you'll be taken as some kind of heretic.” - Molly Worthen
“I think it's so important—whether you're a Christian or a seeker—to find a community that is comfortable with doubt. I would encourage people who have questions to persist in finding, until they find a conversation partner who supports them.” - Molly Worthen
“Christianity is unique among the world religions in that it stands or falls on a discrete event that believers say happened in history. And it happened close enough to our own time that there actually is evidence.” - Molly Worthen
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:
The New York Times
The New Yorker
Foreign Policy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump
Tim Keller
J.D. Greear
C.S. Lewis
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
The Reason for God by Tim Keller
Veritas Forum
*Watch this interview on the YouTube channel!
*All episode music is by Melanie Penn.
Guest’s Links:
Molly Worthen’s website
Connect with Melanie:
The Rising (Album)
Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Spotify
*The Rising Podcast is a production of Four Eyes Media.
Thought-Provoking Quotes:
“From that fairly early point, age 18 or 19, I think I already detected in myself a real envy of people who had a religious home, who had some confidence in a set of answers to the big questions.” - Molly Worthen
“I realized I had a lot of questions that I had never looked into. Despite being a historian of Christianity, I’d never really, in a close and thoughtful way, investigated the basic historical claims of the faith.” - Molly Worthen
“The case for the reality of the resurrection was just a whole lot better than I thought. And the case for my old worldview was starting to crumble.” - Molly Worthen
“I have read the gospels plenty of times, it’s part of my job description. But I had always read them out of duty, I was never gripped by them. But there was a grittiness and a reality—especially in Jesus’ encounters with the people He heals—that really arrested me for the first time.” - Molly Worthen
“Maybe we’ll get to hang out with the apostles one day. It’s almost a credit to their humanity and respect for one another that they just let each other tell the story like they were friends.” - Melanie Penn
“My faith is very fragile. I am always having to revisit the questions I've been wrestling with for a long time and needing reassurance, and I'm always hungry to read more and learn more. Even if you feel fairly firm in your faith, I think you need a community where you can ask those questions without being afraid that you'll be taken as some kind of heretic.” - Molly Worthen
“I think it's so important—whether you're a Christian or a seeker—to find a community that is comfortable with doubt. I would encourage people who have questions to persist in finding, until they find a conversation partner who supports them.” - Molly Worthen
“Christianity is unique among the world religions in that it stands or falls on a discrete event that believers say happened in history. And it happened close enough to our own time that there actually is evidence.” - Molly Worthen
Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned In This Episode:
The New York Times
The New Yorker
Foreign Policy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump
Tim Keller
J.D. Greear
C.S. Lewis
The Language of God by Francis S. Collins
The Reason for God by Tim Keller
Veritas Forum
*Watch this interview on the YouTube channel!
*All episode music is by Melanie Penn.
Guest’s Links:
Molly Worthen’s website
Connect with Melanie:
The Rising (Album)
Website
YouTube
Spotify
*The Rising Podcast is a production of Four Eyes Media.