“Faith in Jesus is not primarily a collection of ‘beliefs’ or a philosophy. It is a relationship.”

Henry Cloud is renowned for his work as a psychologist, leadership consultant, entrepreneur, and author. In Why I Believe he brings his professional expertise and credibility, but mainly his humanity. Cloud wants his friends and readers to know God. This book compiles the experiences and thoughts of the author and his relationship with Jesus, in a sincere way.

Cloud shares anecdotes that capture the essence of his journey to faith, seasons of hardship, witnessing miracles, and seeing God’s clear providence throughout his life. In this collection he includes his story (memoir light) plus questions, doubts, struggles, and discovered answers. Cloud uses appropriate (and adequate, but not excessive) scripture to support his claims and to invite people to know Jesus. 

I really appreciated the humility Cloud demonstrated as he laid out his questions and discoveries from the Bible. I agreed with his assessment that relational hurt and misunderstandings of what is in the Bible wrongly lead many to deny God. His invitation to discover Jesus for yourself is one I echo. And his admission that it is hard to communicate the gospel and the impact of faith to friends is relatable. 

This is a great book and one I recommend - for people curious about Jesus, for those looking for encouragement to share the gospel with friends, and for fans of Henry Cloud who want to know his compelling story. I was a deeply impacted by Boundaries (co-authored with John Townsend) and reading this made me appreciate Cloud’s work even more. 

Some of my favorite parts of Why I Believe were the early childhood stories, the psychology/Bible connections, and the providential moments in Cloud’s life where God so clearly was  at work. It’s fascinating to see “new” psychological ideas or processes addressed in the Bible. I guess there is nothing new under the sun. I greatly enjoyed this reading experience and am grateful to Worthy Books for an early digital copy of the book.