Permission to Believe

is a powerful statement of belief and faith by Samuel Karff, a prominent rabbi, spiritual leader, and outstanding figure in Jewish-Christian relations. Rabbi Karff, describing conversations he has had his entire career with agnostics, atheists, and other doubters, has been struck by the fact that “on some level my challengers wanted me to win the argument….Granting ourselves permission to believe does not require that we turn away from the ‘ordinary world’ but that we heed these deep intuitions of our heart….Life is not only a puzzle to solve but a mystery to embrace.”

The book contains 10 chapters and explores themes of brokenness, stubbornness, doubt, and faith.

Chapter titles

What Is Faith? What Kind of Life Is This Anyway? Confronting the Obstacles to Faith, Recovering Faith, Prayer—The Vital Connection, Overcoming A Crisis of Faith, When Prayer Is Not Enough, The Power of Love, Living in a Broken World, Sustaining Faith in Our Later Years, Dance, Laughter, and Hope.