Does the Bible condone warfare and slavery? Isn't the New Testament's teaching on sex outdated? Surely there's not a literal heaven and hell?
These are just some of the questions that popular Bible teacher Andrew Ollerton asks as he helps us navigate the most challenging topics in the Bible.
God's Book follows the biblical plotline from Genesis to Revelation and reveals how to make sense of difficult passages by considering them in their original setting. When we understand the creation story in its ancient context, we won't need to choose between science or the Bible. When we appreciate that the conquest of Canaan was a unique moment in history, these passages won't justify violence today.
The Bible's 7 toughest topics Science versus Creation Slavery and Old Testament laws Warfare and violence Suffering Miracles and exorcisms Sex Heaven, hell and judgement
Andrew concludes each chapter with a letter to a young adult, giving practical advice on each topic. God's Book is for anyone who is spiritually curious and wants to make sense of the Bible, and for Christians who want to share their faith more confidently in today's culture.
This is an interesting concept - examining the issues raised by the Bible that cause people the most concern and, let's face it, for believers, are the most difficult to witness about when challenged by skeptics.
The author takes the seven toughest topics in the Bible and unpacks them. Whilst it is an easy read in the sense that the narrative flows well and the author is good at explaining things, the topics are tough and I very much felt that this book would be better suited to a group study than being read as an individual; then one could discuss things, argue points and hear the opinions of others.
There could be a short video presentation to set the scene and a series of pointer questions for discussion after reading / studying the next topic. Just a thought and probably one that is already being put into action.
It is a hard book to review; yes, I enjoyed it but it wasn't a book which I rushed to pick up or looked forward to my next session of reading, but I did come away with a greater understanding of some of the topics, a clearer perspective.
This is a book that addresses 7 topics, rather than questions about the Bible. It isn't so much an apologetic, but rather an educational tool for believers. It covers some broad topics and contains in text citations, so that even those that disagree with the ideas can see where they are coming from. The writing style is nice and informative and it contains quotations from people as diverse as Joe Rogan to C.S. Lewis.