*"Well written, often poignant and surprisingly relatable."* - Kirkus Reviews *"A hugely readable journey of cultural and spiritual discovery, sparkling with wit and wisdom."* - Alister McGrath *"Carolyn Weber's memoir reads like a fast-paced novel. I loved the humor, skillful use of language and her compelling account of her steps...
*"Well written, often poignant and surprisingly relatable."* - Kirkus Reviews *"A hugely readable journey of cultural and spiritual discovery, sparkling with wit and wisdom."* - Alister McGrath
*"Carolyn Weber's memoir reads like a fast-paced novel. I loved the humor, skillful use of language and her compelling account of her steps to finding God at Oxford. I was totally captivated from beginning to end."* - Marilyn Meberg *Surprised by Oxford* **is the memoir of a skeptical agnostic who comes to a dynamic personal faith in God during graduate studies in literature at Oxford University.** Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles big questions in search of Truth, love, and a life that matters.
From issues of fatherhood, feminism, doubt, doctrine, and love, Weber explores the intricacies of coming to faith with an aching honesty and insight echoing that of the poets and writers she studied. Rich with illustration and literary references, *Surprised by Oxford* is at once gritty and lyrical; both humorous and spiritually perceptive. This savvy, credible account of Christian conversion and its after-effects follows the calendar year and events of the school year as it entertains, informs, and promises to engage even the most skeptical and unlikely reader.
"Surprised by Oxford *is a sprightly contribution to the genre of spiritual memoirs in the vein of C.S. Lewis's* Surprised by Joy *and Lauren F. Winner's* Girl Meets God. *Carolyn Weber is an unconventional thinker whose engagingly told faith journey will speak to folks who still believe that thoughtful people cannot be Christian."* - **Lyle W. Dorsett**
*"Well written, often poignant and surprisingly relatable."* - Kirkus Reviews *"A hugely readable journey of cultural and spiritual discovery, sparkling with wit and wisdom."* - Alister McGrath *"Carolyn Weber's memoir reads like a fast-paced novel. I loved the humor, skillful use of language and her compelling account of her steps...
*"Well written, often poignant and surprisingly relatable."* - Kirkus Reviews *"A hugely readable journey of cultural and spiritual discovery, sparkling with wit and wisdom."* - Alister McGrath
*"Carolyn Weber's memoir reads like a fast-paced novel. I loved the humor, skillful use of language and her compelling account of her steps to finding God at Oxford. I was totally captivated from beginning to end."* - Marilyn Meberg *Surprised by Oxford* **is the memoir of a skeptical agnostic who comes to a dynamic personal faith in God during graduate studies in literature at Oxford University.** Carolyn Weber arrives at Oxford a feminist from a loving but broken family, suspicious of men and intellectually hostile to all things religious. As she grapples with her God-shaped void alongside the friends, classmates, and professors she meets, she tackles big questions in search of Truth, love, and a life that matters.
From issues of fatherhood, feminism, doubt, doctrine, and love, Weber explores the intricacies of coming to faith with an aching honesty and insight echoing that of the poets and writers she studied. Rich with illustration and literary references, *Surprised by Oxford* is at once gritty and lyrical; both humorous and spiritually perceptive. This savvy, credible account of Christian conversion and its after-effects follows the calendar year and events of the school year as it entertains, informs, and promises to engage even the most skeptical and unlikely reader.
"Surprised by Oxford *is a sprightly contribution to the genre of spiritual memoirs in the vein of C.S. Lewis's* Surprised by Joy *and Lauren F. Winner's* Girl Meets God. *Carolyn Weber is an unconventional thinker whose engagingly told faith journey will speak to folks who still believe that thoughtful people cannot be Christian."* - **Lyle W. Dorsett**
This biography tells of the author's years at Oxford University and how she came to faith during that time. I feel like most coming-to-faith biographies I've read have all been dramatic circumstances, or out of other religions, or from developing countries. So I actually really enjoyed this one, as the author is very relatable and similar to the sorts of people I might meet at an Australian university today. It was encouraging to see how she made friends with Christians who weren't afraid to challenge her and talk about their faith, which ultimately led to her conversion. I was already a big advocate for university ministry, and reading this book definitely strengthened that. It's amazing to see how young adults, at a very pivotal point in their lives, are often open to learning and discussing new things - such as Christianity! This biography can be a little academic in it's language at times (mostly due to the fact that the author was studying a high level degree at Oxford during the period she writes about), but it is minimal enough that it doesn't detract from the main storyline.
A
Anonymous
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
3 years ago
Interesting.
I am always fascinated by accounts of people's coming to faith. This is an unusual one that was quite memorable - I read it back when we could get ebooks and have just read the sequel. Easy to read.
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Anonymous
I recommend this product
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10 years ago
Encouraging
I am always interested in people's stories of how they came to faith. This one gives encouragement to those who, like TDH, are called upon to answer multitudes of questions by seekers. Very satisfying ending.
