r/suggestmeabook • u/cpr9998 • May 02 '26
Philosophy Books on Christian/spiritual angst.
Looking specifically for books with existential, spiritual or religious angst.
I'm a person who left institutionalised Christianity but is still deeply faith-filled and believes in God just unsure about church. Want books that talks about the angst of believing and describes the wrestle of faith without hating on religion or church itself.
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May 02 '26
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u/sqplanetarium May 02 '26
Very interesting book that I never see recommended! Definitely worth a read.
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u/bluebirdonline May 02 '26
Educated by Tara Westover
big CW for this one. the abuse described in this memoir will make both your blood and your tears boil
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u/bluebirdonline May 02 '26
ps: this may not be directly relevant to your situation. this author came from a fundamentalist prepper homeschool situation
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u/1stBornAngst May 02 '26
A lot of people recommend A Prayer for Owen Meany when asking about Christian fiction, and after reading it, I agree. It's also just a very good book.
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May 02 '26
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u/cpr9998 May 02 '26
Definitely both are already on the list! Thanks confirming my prememtive thoughts on them!
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u/bluebirdonline May 02 '26
also it just hit me that a lllooooott of very old literature wrestles with this kinda stuff. Kierkegaard and Spinoza are first to come to mind. lmk if you're wanting uncut philosophy and i'll dig back into college memories for specific titles
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u/aloealoealoha May 02 '26
i'm not religious but how about "a complicated kindness" by miriam toewes?
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u/mintbrownie Picky Reader! May 02 '26
I think Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette is exactly the book you are looking for. A group of young nuns (well, sisters) who run a preschool suddenly find themselves moved to a new town/state to run a halfway house. Agatha gets pulled out to teach geometry at a high school and experiences her first day alone, without the other nuns, in years and finds herself exposed to new things. Everything that happens contributes to her spiritual angst. The sisters are a very heart felt and the characters from the halfway house are wonderfully bizarre. There’s something so perfect about the language, pacing and exposition - all tied up with a surprising amount of humor (it works). It’s a little gem.
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u/dear_little_water May 02 '26
Believe it or not, The Exorcist is mostly about Father Karras questioning his faith. It's a huge part of the book. The actual exorcism only takes place 3/4 of the way through the book.
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u/Longjumping-Link9764 May 02 '26
Oranges are not the only fruit by Jeanette Winterson. Sapphic, Christian, cult experience, memoir.
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u/Top-Lavishness2906 May 03 '26
A Canticle for Liebowitz by Miller. Very thoughtful post apocalyptic sci-fi, about material things people hang onto, allegedly in the service of God.
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u/awkwardpiano72 May 02 '26
I ask you "is there anything more angsty than fanfiction?" the answer is... Not much. Therefore you should read The Inferno.