The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn’t Exist is by Craig Groeschel, published by Zondervan.
What it is
The title is the whole argument. Groeschel’s subject is the gap between what a man says he believes and how he actually spends his week, and each chapter takes one version of it: believing in God but not really knowing him, believing in God but still worrying about everything, believing in God but pursuing money the same way everyone else does.
The structure is repetitive by design, which is either effective or wearing depending on your tolerance. It works because the repetition makes it hard to nod along in general terms; sooner or later a chapter lands on the specific gap that is yours.
Who wrote it
Craig Groeschel founded and pastors Life.Church, one of the largest churches in the United States and the ministry behind the YouVersion Bible app. He writes the way he preaches: short sentences, personal stories, heavy on his own failures rather than his successes. He opens this book with his own version of the problem.
That is worth knowing because it sets the register. This is popular-level, accessible, and unashamedly so. If you want careful exposition or theological depth, this is not the book. If you want something that will actually get read on a lunch break and hit you somewhere true, it is well suited.
What we removed
The old review carried an invented “Reviewer Reflections” section and an FAQ nobody asked. Both are gone. We could not verify claims about discussion questions or study material, so those are not repeated.
One note on editions
This book has been out since 2010 and has appeared in several printings, including expanded editions and a companion study. Check what you are ordering if you specifically want the study version rather than the standalone book.
Where we land
A good gateway book, particularly for a man who considers himself a Christian, has for years, and privately suspects it is not changing much. Groeschel is not subtle and in this case that is the point.
The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel on Amazon