Am I a Better Christian on Zoloft?
Am I a Better Christian on Zoloft? And Other Questions About Faith I Should Probably Keep to Myself, Mark Tabb. Grand Rapids: Revell, 2025. Softcover, 158 pages.
The title of this one right away got my attention. I wasn’t looking for this book and I hadn’t heard of it. It just popped up on Amazon as a recommended read and, being on Zoloft myself, I was intrigued.
Though he is a New York Times bestselling author, I’d never heard of Mark Tabb. The bio blurb at the back of the book says he is a “firefighter turned pastor turned writer and ghostwriter.” I wasn’t able to determine what kind of a church he served as a pastor. At any rate, how he tackles the questions asked in this book reflects well on whatever the author’s background might be.
Here’s the complete list of questions addressed:
- Am I a better Christian on Zoloft?
- Can I call myself a Christian if I don’t watch The Chosen?
- Do I really have to chase my dreams?
- Did not allowing my children to watch The Simpsons make any difference?
- Is God sort of mean?
- If I believe God is in control, why am I so upset about the last election?
- Why don’t I feel it?
- Did the church in ancient Ephesus have a Creative Arts Director?
- Can I claim Jeremiah 29:11 as my life verse if I’ve never read the book of Jeremiah?
- What if I’m wrong?
Each chapter tackles one of those questions. As you can tell from these questions, Tabb isn’t your typical Christian author.
Indeed, the word that springs to mind to describe this book is unconventional. The author has a unique style and approach to discussing theological matters. For example, in the chapter on Jeremiah 29:11, Tabb imagines a conversation between Jeremiah and a promotional agent. The promotional agent wants the prophet to tone things down and be more positive if he wants his book to be embraced by readers. When the agent hears about 29:11, he sees coffee mugs, t-shirts, and plaques for hallways. Jeremiah challenges him in the spirit of “a text without context is a pretext.”
One thing I appreciated was Tabb’s strong position on the sovereignty of God. He writes, “Throughout the Bible, we find God is actively involved in what takes place here on earth” (p.90). Another thing I appreciated was his take on the relation between faith and feelings: “The biggest step of faith is trusting God completely as life plods along in the ordinary. No fireworks. No miracles” (p.112).
This is a well-written book pitched at a broad audience. Tabb has a good sense of humour mixed with a conversational style that holds your attention. Checking out a new-to-you author can sometimes be hit-and-miss, but this was a definite hit for me.
Originally published in Clarion 75.4 (March 20, 2026)
