Shortening the Leap: From Honest Doubt to Enduring Faith - A Book Review

Introduction to Shortening the Leap

Do you ever struggle to believe everything you have been taught about Jesus? Authentic faith seems far beyond our reach in a politicized world. We constantly face a choice between what is right and what is relatable, as if a vast chasm of sin and doubt separates these two.

In his book Shortening the Leap: From Honest Doubt to Enduring Faith, Dr. Robert G. Tuttle, Jr. provides a discussion that takes us from unbelief to authentic faith, meeting us all right where we are. He uses real people in his examples whose lives do not have Hollywood endings. This book is helpful as a guide for someone new to the faith to take some of those first steps to follow Jesus. It is also a valuable tool to provide you with content to discuss with friends who are curious about faith. Most of all, it is a book for those with a heart and a call to go fishing for people, ensuring that we have ways to connect with others and a path that helps them reach Jesus rather than getting lost in the politics of everything else.

Background Information

Dr. Robert G. Tuttle, Jr. graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in 1963, an M.A. from Wheaton Graduate School of Theology in 1964, an MDiv. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, 1967, and a Ph.D. from the University of Bristol in England, 1970. He served churches in North Carolina and Colorado before beginning his teaching career at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. He taught at the Oral Roberts Graduate School of Theology, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and Asbury Theological Seminary’s Kentucky campus before moving to the Florida campus in 2000. He retired from Asbury Theological Seminary as E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism.

This is a biased book review in that I am a former student of Dr. Tuttle and deeply respect and appreciate who he is and his ministry. Here is a link sharing some of his quirks as a teacher that former students have posted. I can attest that I have heard at least two-thirds of them from him.

Since this is not an objective book review, please let me share two reasons for sharing this. Dr. Tuttle’s passion, experience, and dedication to reaching real people for Jesus is unique. He is not a Billy Graham. His passion makes us a little more like Billy Graham in our zeal for the lost, and his wisdom gives us the tools we need to reach them.

I am not being paid or sponsored by Dr. Tuttle in any way other than trying to pay back some of the debt of love I owe him for his prayers, teaching, and ministry in my life.

And now... on to Shortening the Leap!

Summary of the Book

Shortening the Leap is organized around a series of questions that act as stumbling blocks to faith in Jesus Christ. While the book’s organization is not explicitly doctrinal, it serves as a catechism or curriculum of faith, focused on specific questions followed by expanded answers with scriptural foundation and real-life examples. While most people will not struggle with all of these questions before they decide to take the leap and follow Jesus, I have struggled with each one of the questions (and continue to struggle with some of them) throughout my life. This organization leads us in a conversation where our inner doubts and questions get a voice, and we are led to Jesus to trust Him for the answers.

The main themes of this book are all matters of doubt and skepticism in our faith. They range from “Why Jesus?” to “What about other religions in the world?” to “What happens after death?”. They include questions about church participation, grappling with sin and forgiveness in ourselves and others, why there is suffering in the world and even issues about politics that muddy the waters of our faith.

Analysis and Evaluation

Dr. Tuttle’s writing style is straightforward and conversational. However, he shows his full expertise in Christian History, World Religions, and cultural awareness, especially around the Islamic religion. His writing is focused on making his point clear without getting sidetracked by other agendas, which is refreshing around topics that so often derail into political banter without any foundation.

The book's pacing moves quickly, and it is easy to read several chapters in one sitting as Tuttle moves me from one question to the next. In the places where there is some contention around the issues, Dr. Tuttle takes the time to be sufficiently thorough without overwhelming us with more content than we can handle. Even in the deep questions, this book remains a dialogue.

The book’s overall theme is that the more we think critically about the Christian faith and our experiences in life (and the truth of what we know from history), the easier it is to believe and follow Jesus. Thirteen questions serve as the connecting points along the way. Some of these, such as the historical reliability of Jesus, are more straightforward topics in nature, while others, such as “Why there is suffering in the world,” are much broader topics. There is enough meat in these topics to get you started in a good direction, but none are dealt with exhaustively, leaving you plenty to process yourself or with a dialogue partner.

Personal Reflection

Reading Shortening the Leap brought me right back to class and church with Dr. Tuttle. His voice in his writing is the same as his teaching style in person, so it was a pleasant trip down memory lane.

It was also encouraging. This book was written at a tense time in our nation, when we faced a lot of tension outside and within but had much more hope than we hold today. I know this is true for the United States, and I suspect it may hold true for several other nations as well across the globe. Our world has not grown better since then. Tensions rise, break apart, and reproduce like growing cells, overtaking our cultures and lives.

It was encouraging to read through this and see Dr. Tuttle’s firm grasp on the gospel during the political storms we faced back then. It gave me a better sense of anchoring than I have felt in a while. If you are interested in Jesus's timeless political values, you can find more in my book here.

The things that stood out to me the most were the stories he shared about lives that were not changed for the better. There were several stories from his younger years as a pastor, dealing with issues of prejudice and entitlement — both in himself and in the churches he pastored — where he gave clear examples of times when he failed to share Jesus because his wounded pride or defensiveness got in the way. These stories that did not have Hollywood endings reminded me that my success in sharing Jesus with others has more to do with my faithfulness in obeying Jesus in how and when to share Him than in the responses that we receive.

There were also some really wild stories about him traveling through the Middle East, crossing political borders between Jews and Muslims, and finding ways to show and share Jesus with both simultaneously. Those moments made me wonder if I was reading an Indiana Jones adventure because he tells those stories so vividly.

I connected with those stories of triumph and tragedy, from the successes and failures in my life, as I tried to share Jesus with others. I look forward to sharing some of those adventures in future articles.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Shortening the Leap

The greatest strength of this book is in what it is: a dialogue between someone struggling with faith in Christ and a disciple of Jesus leading them home. In every generation, we face the temptation to delegate the work of sharing our faith to programs, charismatic preachers, or even books without offering a living, breathing person with a compassionate heart and open ears to provide the individual attention we all need when faced with struggles in our faith. In a world of bait-and-switch routines, the dialogue setup of this book is about as un-gimmicky as you can get.

Shortening the Leap has a structure you could use as a basic faith primer for those curious about Jesus. Yet, I did not find it easily accessible as an instruction book. The stories and examples are relevant but specific to Dr. Tuttle’s experience. These stories and the overarching dialogue contain much of Dr. Tuttle’s personality, meaning some comments may confuse people or rub them the wrong way. He introduces his chapter on politics as a stumbling block to faith in Christ by telling us that some close family members warned him not to include this chapter. Those looking for specific political responses from Dr. Tuttle may be disappointed here. He is not a politician and does not defend politics in this book about growing your relationship with Jesus.

Conclusion

"Shortening the Leap" by Dr. Robert G. Tuttle, Jr. bridges the gap between doubt and authentic faith in Jesus Christ. Through a series of dialogues addressing common stumbling blocks, Tuttle provides a conversational and accessible approach to discussing and embracing Christian faith. His extensive experience and unique storytelling, enriched by real-life examples from his journey, offer readers both encouragement and a deeper insight into the complexities of faith. While the book may challenge some readers with its personal anecdotes and candid reflections, it ultimately serves as a valuable resource for anyone seeking to explore or strengthen their faith in a world fraught with skepticism and political turmoil.

You can get a copy of the book here:

Shortening the Leap: From Honest Doubt to Enduring Faith

Digital copies of this book are available for free at First Fruits Publishing.

Further Thoughts:

Have you read this book? If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Some other questions to consider:

1. How do Dr. Tuttle's personal anecdotes and real-life examples enhance or detract from the central messages of "Shortening the Leap"?

2. In what ways does the book address the intersection of faith and politics, and how effective is Tuttle in navigating these often contentious areas?

3. Reflecting on the structure and thematic approach of "Shortening the Leap," how might this book serve as a practical tool for both new believers and seasoned Christians in their faith journey?

If you enjoyed this book, you might enjoy Dr. Tuttle’s more scholarly The Story of Evangelism: A History of the Witness to the Gospel or In Our Time: The Life and Ministry of E. Stanley Jones. You can check out his book Can We Talk: Sharing Your Faith in a Pre-Christian World for additional reading on sharing your faith. This book also references Tuttle’s book Sanctity without Starch: A Layperson's Guide to a Wesleyan Theology of Grace. This book serves as an introduction to Wesleyan Theology and was used to help start the Walk to Emmaus movement.

If you would like to learn from Dr. Tuttle’s courses, they are available for free at biblicaltraining.org.

Closing

Thank you for taking the time to read this review. I hope you get the opportunity to read this book, and I pray that it blesses you and that God sends you to share Jesus with in healthy, fruitful conversations.