The Bible Explained: A College Student's Guide to Understanding Their Faith

by Cyril Chavis Jr., Elbert McGowan Jr. (Foreword)

Are you intellectually curious and spiritually hungry?


College is a key time of life. You are figuring out who you are and what you believe. Among the variety of different spiritual systems on the college campus, chances are that you have considered Jesus. You have heard contradictory opinions about Christianity, so you want to learn for yourself. You want to get to the source, the Bible.

Opening up the Bible is easy; the hard part is understanding it. You know that the Bible is the place to go for answers, but you are frustrated. The Bible has dozens of books, multiple genres, numerous different authors, and hundreds of pages. You need a guide to help you understand.

Look no further. Pastor Cyril knows what it is like to be an intellectually curious and spiritually hungry college student. The Bible Explained will help you understand the Bible's most essential and powerful beliefs. Written from a Black pastor to Black college students, this book speaks directly to students at historically Black colleges and universities. You will learn all of the beliefs every Christian college student should know after four years of college. Whether you are merely curious about the Christian faith or have been a Christian for a while, come and see that God is more glorious and enjoyable than you ever knew.

In each chapter, The Bible Explained helps you understand a key topic that the Bible addresses. Pastor Cyril will explain each topic from the Bible while using the Westminster Shorter Catechism questions 1-38 as a topical outline. Not only that, he will lean on the wisdom of influential Christian African ancestors from the continent and diaspora.Why is the Bible so important?Why should I trust the Bible when people interpret it in competing ways?Who is God and do I actually need him?What is God up to in the midst of suffering?Who am I and what is my purpose?What went wrong with the world?Is there hope for me?Who is Jesus?What did Jesus actually do?What does it mean to be saved?What are blessings and how do I enjoy them?What happens when and after we die?Enter the joy of truly understanding the Christian faith.

The Bible Explained is the inaugural book of Hidase Publishing, a Black owned publishing company that creates Christian content that addresses African experiences all over the globe. This book is Black owned, Black edited, Black designed, and Black funded.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2023

Reviews

[Elena Palomino · Rating 4 out of 5]

An up-front, straightforward explanation of the basics of the Christian faith, written directly to college students. Sometimes in the midst of Western Christian culture, it’s easy to forget about what it is we really believe, down to the simplest questions like who is God, what is the Bible, what is sin, and who am I in light of all of this. That’s why back-to-basics resources like these are so important, not dumbing down the Gospel, but rather teaching its central features in all their glory. What I also loved about this book is that it’s written specifically to Black college students; Chavis brings examples specifically from Black history and culture, and he openly addresses hard questions that the Black Christian community faces like does Christianity hurt Black people, was heaven a white ideology meant to pacify African Americans, and can you be a Christian who also fights against Black oppression. My one complaint is that sometimes Chavis leans too heavily on trendy Gen Z examples and metaphors; I think I would have appreciated this book far more if I had read it as a freshman or sophomore in college. And many of his examples won’t be very relevant in just a few years. But overall, an excellent basics of Christianity guide that I would recommend to most college students.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a campus minister seeking to serve a diverse group of Gen Z students, this book is an answered prayer! I relished Chavis’ rare combination of biblical depth and contextual illustrations. This book does the seemingly impossible: making a 500-year-old catechism come to life by applying it to the daily lives of 18-22 year olds. I can’t wait to discuss this book with student after student!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful & clear explanation of the gospel. Really practically explained the WCF & shorter catechism. Liked it!

[Nicholas McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cyril has written a book that has been desperately needed: an introduction to solid doctrine from a distinctly African American perspective. This book is very clear and direct, breaking down big concepts in easy to digest categories. But the two truly unique contributions of this book are 1. Cyril’s drawing from African history to show how the African church has created, contributed to, and been empowered by the orthodox Christian faith. 2. Cyril’s easy grasp of college student’s concerns, and his use of effective illustrations to make these high level concepts sink deep. Highly, highly recommend.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!!!

I read this book as a 13 year old kid. It taught me so much about how God works, and how I work. I’m going to do lots of things differently in the future.