Wishful Thinking: How I Lost My Faith and Why I Want to Find It

This heart-wrenching, unflinchingly honest memoir follows a woman's search to reclaim her lost faith, against all odds--perfect for fans of Lauren Winner and Kate Bowler. Donna Freitas wants to believe. Raised Catholic, she sang songs about Jesus as a child and lived in a house where nuns and priests were regular guests, yet she found herself questioning the faith of her family, examining the reasons none of it added up, and distancing herself from the God of Christianity. Despite her questions--or perhaps because of them--she made a career out of trying to understand God, pursuing a PhD in religion. But even as she taught college students about mystics, theologians, and others who wrestled with God, she was never able to embrace a faith of her own. In this searingly honest and deeply personal book, Freitas retraces her roundabout path up and out of the wilderness toward hope, and her dogged--and ongoing--search for faith. She talks about her experience with the Catholic abuse scand