The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture's Most Controversial Issues

by Dan McClellan

A New York Times Bestseller
A Publishers Weekly Bestseller

The Bible is the world's most influential book, but do we really know what it says? In The Bible Says So, Dan McClellan leverages his popular “data over dogma” approach, and his years of experience in the academy and on social media, to lay out in clear and accessible ways what the data indicate the Bible does and doesn't say about issues ranging from homosexuality, abortion, and slavery to monotheism, inspiration, and even God's wife. Smart, accessible, and informative, The Bible Says So is an invaluable resource for our fractious times.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion

304 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2025

Reviews

[Katie :)]

This book was fantastic. Dan McClellan’s “data over dogma” approach to common assertions about what the bible “says” is a breath of fresh air to someone who grew up in the evangelical christian sphere, and also just objectively interesting from a historical perspective. Dan breaks down how different subjects are discussed in the bible based on the intended meaning by the original writers in the context of ancient southwest asian culture and historical influence. I learned so many things I never learned before, like how god had a wife or co-god Asherah who was worshipped alongside him until Josiah forbade it. Even the ancient cultural taboo of women on top during sex whose influence is echoed in the bible’s discussion of gay sex. Highly recommend.

[Malum]

Dan McClellan is a brilliant bible scholar with a very good YouTube channel. Anyone who watches his channel will be in familiar territory with this book. My only problem with it is the title says "what we get right and wrong" but it's all just what we get wrong. Since Dan's channel focuses largely on correcting bad takes that people have on the bible, I would like to have heard more about what he thinks people get right about it.

[Travis]

An extremely interesting read from a scholar who spent years translating, studying, and writing peer-reviewed papers on the Hebrew/Christian bible. You must be willing to think critically and acccept that you may have been wrong about the topics covered in this book, though. I love Dan McClellan's slogan: "data over dogma". Truth matters, think critically.

[Matthew O'Neil]

Dr. McClellan is always insightful, fair, and hilarious. This book made me realize why I got a ‘B’ on my graduate thesis, but it helped correct misinformation I’d put into it. I also chuckled a number of times at the titles of different sections. Great book.

[NFranke]

We often approach the Bible looking for certainty rather than understanding. One of the biggest ideas in this book is that our beliefs, traditions, and assumptions shape the way we read the Bible.

As someone who has read the Bible cover to cover and grew up hearing that “all Scripture is God-breathed,” this was an interesting read hearing a completely contradictory perspective of that. It definitely made me pause and think about beliefs that have been deeply ingrained in me and the worldview I was raised with.

This wasn’t an easy book. He gives a lot of data. It’s dense, packed with historical context, and I found myself reading just a chapter or two at a time so I could actually process what I had read.

What I appreciated most is that the author isn’t trying to tell readers what to believe. Instead, he asks a different question: What did these ancient texts mean in their original context before centuries of interpretation, translation, and tradition were layered on top?

One idea that really stuck with me is that the Bible isn’t presented as one perfectly seamless story. Instead, it’s a collection of ancient writings from different authors, cultures, and time periods that sometimes offer different perspectives. Whether you agree with that conclusion or not, it’s an interesting lens to consider.

A few takeaways:
• Interpretation evolves. The same passages have been understood very differently throughout history.
• Original context matters before applying ancient texts to modern questions.
• Sometimes we learn more by letting the Bible be what it is than by expecting it to answer every question we bring to it.

I don’t know that I agreed with most of his arguments, or I just need more time to process and research that information, but I came away with a deeper appreciation for the complexity of the Bible and the importance of reading it thoughtfully.

This is one that feels much more like a book to slowly process than one to simply finish.

[Cosette]

I came to this already a fan of Dan McClellan's social media content, so I had a fair idea of what to expect: accessible biblical scholarship that takes the text seriously without pretending it means things it doesn't. The book delivers exactly that.

McClellan has a gift for grounding academic rigour in plain language, making the book a useful reference for anyone who needs to understand what the Bible actually says (and doesn't say) about some of the most controversial issues in modern political and social discourse. He challenges common misconceptions without being condescending about how those misconceptions formed in the first place.

I'd particularly recommend this to anyone outside Christianity who finds themselves on the receiving end of Bible-based arguments, or to people navigating the aftermath of religious trauma who want a clearer picture of what the scholarship actually supports. It won't help you win arguments with the truly committed, but it will give you solid ground to stand on.

[William Schram]

I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. Dan McClellan is someone I haven't heard of before, but the subject of the book is the Bible and what it does and doesn't say. McClellan has a conversational style and makes a lot of references to popular music. It was interesting seeing the hot takes that the Bible establishes on a variety of topics.

I enjoyed the book. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Allen Scott]

Only giving 4 stars because I would have greatly appreciated a section focused on having conversations with others about the topics within.

Dan is not a Christian but that, in some ways, makes him a good source for a fresh perspective. We all have dogma but Dan lacks the Christian raising that makes us especially dogmatic of our views of Scripture.

This is a good starting point for looking into other perspectives.

[David Wegley]

This is a great book if you actually, as a non-biblical scholar, want to understand what the Bible actually says. I have read the Bible cover to cover multiple times. I was taught the Bible through multiple churches and denominations and never actually heard most of these stories and the way things were translated. Mostly it is due to it not fitting the dogmas that the church wants to perpetuate.

Highly recommend.

[Chris Allmon]

Pretty well written overall. Some spots here and there where Dan seemingly falls into the same logical pitfalls he accuses his opponents of doing (or at least doesn't explain why it's different when he did it) but by and large an interesting and entertaining read on the beliefs of early biblical writers.

[Curtis]

The author offers a very different view of Biblical texts. Very well researched and presented, challenges some of my thoughts and beliefs - and reinforces others. We don't always have to agree and discussions are always worth the time.

[Steve Scott]

This is a must-read for anyone serious about biblical scholarship, even those who take a non-academic approach such as personal study or in a group setting like Sunday school.

[Kevin Arey]

Great book written by a viral Bible scholar. A lot of it is his opinion, but he gives great arguments. Highly recommend it.