A Stranger in the House of God: From Doubt to Faith and Everywhere in Between

Growing up the son of agnostics, John Koessler saw a Catholic church on one end of the street and a Baptist church on the other. In the no-man's land between the two, this curious outside wondered about the God they worshipped---and began a lifelong search to comprehend the grace and mystery of God.

A Stranger in the House of God addresses fundamental questions and issues faced by spiritual seekers and mature believers. Like a contemporary Pilgrim's Progress, it traces the author's journey and explores his experiences with both charismatic and evangelical Christianity. It also describes his transformation from religious outsider to ordained pastor.

John Koessler provides a poignant and often humorous window into the interior of the soul as he describes his journey from doubt and struggle with the church to personal faith.

This poignant and often humorous spiritual journey explores the Christian faith through one man’s pilgrimage. From early beginnings outside the church, through charismatic and contemporary evangelical churches, to being a ministry professional, John Koessler sheds light on the nature of the Christian life and the fundamental struggle every believer faces in the life of the church.

“John is honest, open, winsome, and human. His story will bring healing and hope to its readers. I hope they are many.”

–John Ortberg, Author and Pastor

“It’s real, authentic, and honest! And, most importantly, it will stimulate you to live with renewed courage and tenacity in your walk with Jesus.”

–Joe Stowell, Pastor and Former President, Moody Bible Institute

"[John Koessler’s] memoir, in which he proves himself a graceful writer, is a coming-of-age and coming-to-faith saga. The book is immediately accessible….Koessler is disarmingly self-revelatory, at first curiously observing people of faith as an outsider, then eventually gushing theological and spiritual insights while never positioning himself above his readers….In an age when the church faces disparities among right-wing conservatives, the emergent church, and even a Pope who claims the Catholic Church as the only true church, Koessler’s quiet little memoir is instructive. ’A Stranger in the House of God’ returns us to common roots -- to how churches and believers are viewed by outsiders, and to how the power of God unto salvation is still operative on middle America’s Everyman." — Christianity Today



"Honorable Mention - 2007 Book of the Year for the Preacher’s Soul. In the ever-expanding sphere of spiritual memoirs, John Koessler’s "A Stranger in the House of God" deserves a special look. Koessler paints a portrait of his faith journey in courageously transparent strokes, inviting us to feel the pain of being an outsider looking in, the whiplash of failed prayer, the ups and downs of pastoral ministry, or the uncertainty of deciphering theology that seems just beyond grasp. From start to finish, we feel a subtle push to reflect on our own faith journey or simply to gather enough courage to take another trembling step." — PreachingToday.com

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Reviewed by Jake Bishop (Chicago IL), July 19, 2007

Dr. Koessler read an excerpt from this book in my pastoral theology class at Moody. He read his first chapter about his first pastoring experience, it was a very honest and well written look at being a pastor. His wit insight, and honesty will be a joy for the reader. Now that the book is out, and I am still a poor college student, this is the next book that I will buy, as soon as I have the money!

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