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Why Trust the Bible? (Revised and updated): Answers to Ten Tough Questions
'You don't honestly believe all that stuff in the Bible!'
Challenged by her friends, and later as a student by theological teachers, Amy Orr-Ewing was determined to leave no stone unturned in her eagerness to prove that the Bible was unique and wholly reliable. Her passion drove her to complete an in-depth study of the answers to ten of the most frequently raised objections she encountered, including:
* Isn't it all a matter of interpretation?
* Can we know anything about history?
* Are the original manuscripts reliable?
* What about the canon?
* What about other holy books?
* Isn't the Bible sexist?
* What about all the wars?
* Isn't the Bible out of date on sex?
* How can I know?
Sensitively yet convincingly, the author addresses the issues and the arguments, showing that we have every reason to trust the Bible today.
Challenged by her friends, and later as a student by theological teachers, Amy Orr-Ewing was determined to leave no stone unturned in her eagerness to prove that the Bible was unique and wholly reliable. Her passion drove her to complete an in-depth study of the answers to ten of the most frequently raised objections she encountered, including:
* Isn't it all a matter of interpretation?
* Can we know anything about history?
* Are the original manuscripts reliable?
* What about the canon?
* What about other holy books?
* Isn't the Bible sexist?
* What about all the wars?
* Isn't the Bible out of date on sex?
* How can I know?
Sensitively yet convincingly, the author addresses the issues and the arguments, showing that we have every reason to trust the Bible today.
176 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2005
41 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Amy Orr-Ewing
22 books51 followersDr Amy Orr-Ewing is the Co-Director of The Oxford Centre of Christian Apologetics, and speaks around the world on how the Christian faith answers the deepest questions of life.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 26, 2024
absolutely incredible !! tackles big questions while still being accessible, and builds on the questions in a logical way. really has deepened my understanding of the bible.
June 11, 2021
Amy Orr-Ewing sets out to answer 10 common questions Christians get regarding the Bible, particularly the New Testament.
- 1. Isn’t it all a matter of interpretation?
- 2. Can we know anything about history?
- 3. Are the biblical manuscripts reliable?
- 4. Is the content of the manuscripts reliable?
- 5. Did a group of men decide what would be in the Bible?
-6. What about the other holy books?
- 7. Isn’t the Bible sexist?
- 8. What about all the wars in the Old Testament?
- 9. Isn’t the Bible out of date on sex?
- 10. How can I know?
Overall, a helpful overview of several important topics. As with any such overview, the concise and undeveloped answers might primarily appeal to believers who themselves need some reassurance on these matters but will not do a great deal to equip someone who wants to have meaningful discussions with questioning unbelievers. It’s a great starting point, but there are no recommendations for further study. It would be very helpful if she directed people to further resources to consult to dig deeper into these topics.
STRONGEST CHAPTERS
Chapter 2. The chapter on historical knowledge and how we come by it was thought provoking. Using holocaust denial as an illustration of the dangers of denying the possibility of real historical knowledge was insightful.
Chapter 3. The review of NT manuscript evidence was strong. I appreciate that she used up-to-date numbers on her chart comparing the NT and classical literature. Many people (including me, to my shame), have used this same chart with out-of-date numbers (which tend to be more favorable to the NT).
Chapter 9. An insightful exploration at the original plan for males and females as divine image bearers and its restoration in Christ.
WEAKEST CHAPTERS
Chapter 6. The examination of the Qur’an didn’t strike me as very convincing. The argument was primarily based on instances of historical disagreement with the NT. The argument seems to be that since the NT is correct, the Qur’an must, so it cannot be an authoritative book. She points to divisions within Islam over the interpretation of the Qur’an as evidence that it is inferior to the NT. While this chapter does a great job highlighting differences between the NT and Muslim and Hindu holy books, it does not present as strong an argument regarding the superiority of the NT.
Chapter 8. This chapter sidesteps many of the more difficult issues regarding warfare in the OT, specifically genocide during the conquest. She deploys too many arguments with too little explanation to make it of much help. She never addresses the issue of the command to kill children head on, though she does cast doubt on whether it really happened.
- 1. Isn’t it all a matter of interpretation?
- 2. Can we know anything about history?
- 3. Are the biblical manuscripts reliable?
- 4. Is the content of the manuscripts reliable?
- 5. Did a group of men decide what would be in the Bible?
-6. What about the other holy books?
- 7. Isn’t the Bible sexist?
- 8. What about all the wars in the Old Testament?
- 9. Isn’t the Bible out of date on sex?
- 10. How can I know?
Overall, a helpful overview of several important topics. As with any such overview, the concise and undeveloped answers might primarily appeal to believers who themselves need some reassurance on these matters but will not do a great deal to equip someone who wants to have meaningful discussions with questioning unbelievers. It’s a great starting point, but there are no recommendations for further study. It would be very helpful if she directed people to further resources to consult to dig deeper into these topics.
STRONGEST CHAPTERS
Chapter 2. The chapter on historical knowledge and how we come by it was thought provoking. Using holocaust denial as an illustration of the dangers of denying the possibility of real historical knowledge was insightful.
Chapter 3. The review of NT manuscript evidence was strong. I appreciate that she used up-to-date numbers on her chart comparing the NT and classical literature. Many people (including me, to my shame), have used this same chart with out-of-date numbers (which tend to be more favorable to the NT).
Chapter 9. An insightful exploration at the original plan for males and females as divine image bearers and its restoration in Christ.
WEAKEST CHAPTERS
Chapter 6. The examination of the Qur’an didn’t strike me as very convincing. The argument was primarily based on instances of historical disagreement with the NT. The argument seems to be that since the NT is correct, the Qur’an must, so it cannot be an authoritative book. She points to divisions within Islam over the interpretation of the Qur’an as evidence that it is inferior to the NT. While this chapter does a great job highlighting differences between the NT and Muslim and Hindu holy books, it does not present as strong an argument regarding the superiority of the NT.
Chapter 8. This chapter sidesteps many of the more difficult issues regarding warfare in the OT, specifically genocide during the conquest. She deploys too many arguments with too little explanation to make it of much help. She never addresses the issue of the command to kill children head on, though she does cast doubt on whether it really happened.
June 25, 2021
3.5
accessible and concise, but I wanted a deeper dive.
accessible and concise, but I wanted a deeper dive.
June 12, 2014
A lively wee book on apologetics, well written and certainly thought provoking and helpful. It is probably too short a book to really offer any fully formed arguments, though there's enough material here to engage the world and it's view intelligently on many fronts. I thought the section on the sexism question was a little light and if I'm honest perhaps a little unfairly skewed against a traditionalist view of the role of women. I enjoyed the read nonetheless.
November 5, 2024
Amy Orr-Ewing was one of the first apologists I ever watched many moons ago. This book is short, so if you want something that goes deep this is not the book for you.
I skipped a few chapters (reliability of NT manuscripts, interpretation etc) and mainly focused on the chapters on other holy books, is the Bible sexist, what about wars and how can we know real history. In each of these chapters I learnt a few things that will help me chat to people in my life.
I did three stars instead of four because at the end of each chapter Amy should have added some further reading recommendations for people who want to go deeper on the topic.
I skipped a few chapters (reliability of NT manuscripts, interpretation etc) and mainly focused on the chapters on other holy books, is the Bible sexist, what about wars and how can we know real history. In each of these chapters I learnt a few things that will help me chat to people in my life.
I did three stars instead of four because at the end of each chapter Amy should have added some further reading recommendations for people who want to go deeper on the topic.
June 30, 2017
A great short book. The book is easy to read and you fill finish it no time with great satisfaction. It doesn't go very deep into the subject and don 't expect the book to answer all your questions on the validity of the Bible.
July 11, 2024
It was interesting, but I think for people really having questions about trusting the Bible, it was too academic for certain readers. It should have been more to the point, less language, but still providing the evidence. The author has great answers to difficult questions
January 9, 2025
This is an excellent book that atheists, agnostics, and Christians alike will benefit from. Wonderfully organized and articulated—the author answers many common questions of the Christian faith in an ever changing world.
November 27, 2018
Very useful insights, particularly into the role of women.
August 8, 2024
This book is unreal! Touches so clearly on the big questions. If you like Case for Christ, you’ll love this because it touches on contemporary questions which are relevant today!
April 24, 2025
Excellent book. Deeply researched and thoroughly considered. Highly recommended.
August 1, 2025
Excellent. Although I found the first two chapters confusing and the parts around sex and sexuality are underdeveloped and two dimensional.
September 21, 2025
Essential Christian Apologetics - in a clear and down-to-earth manner.
January 29, 2018
A good primer for engaging with commonly asked questions about what the Bible is and how it can be understood. The author has clearly had a lot of experience of answering the questions answered here with real people and her comments are intelligent but accessible. The only slight (and addmitedly uncharitable) beef in my oven is that time and space is initially wasted answering questions posed by those refusing to appreciate the irony of asserting there is no such thing as truth.
October 29, 2014
There are some interesting sections in this book, particularly the comparison of the Bible with other religions' holy books, but the author's writing is problematic.
For instance, Orr-Ewing brings in questions such as 'Is it internally coherent?' and 'Does it contradict itself?' (p.26) but doesn't acknowledge that the answer is often 'no', even in smaller sections of the Bible.
She contradicts herself. 'The main point to remember here [...] is that the authority of the Bible was not dependent upon councils of men choosing its books' (p.64); however on the preceding page, Orr-Ewing mentions the 1546 Council of Trent, when 'the Roman Catholic Church gave full canonical status to the Apocrypha.' Surely this is an example of a 'council of men' choosing which books to hold as sacred?
Certain sentences sound incredibly biased e.g. 'The Qur'an contains confusions of the original stories as recorded in the older biblical texts' (p.71) What about older Near Eastern flood myths, which the story of Noah appears to be a re-adaptation of?
'The Bible was not written as myth' (p.76); presumably here Orr-Ewing means mainly the New Testament, as the mythical qualities of Genesis have now been largely accepted by academics and many Christians.
When talking of the Hindu Vedas Orr-Ewing is anxious to establish that they 'are not historical documents in the same sense as the Old and New Testaments', because they 'record outbursts of praise [...] as well as mythical stories.' (p.77) So does the Bible: the Psalms are 'outbursts of praise', the first few chapters (at least) of Genesis are a mythical story, and books such as the Song of Songs are anything but 'historical documents'.
For instance, Orr-Ewing brings in questions such as 'Is it internally coherent?' and 'Does it contradict itself?' (p.26) but doesn't acknowledge that the answer is often 'no', even in smaller sections of the Bible.
She contradicts herself. 'The main point to remember here [...] is that the authority of the Bible was not dependent upon councils of men choosing its books' (p.64); however on the preceding page, Orr-Ewing mentions the 1546 Council of Trent, when 'the Roman Catholic Church gave full canonical status to the Apocrypha.' Surely this is an example of a 'council of men' choosing which books to hold as sacred?
Certain sentences sound incredibly biased e.g. 'The Qur'an contains confusions of the original stories as recorded in the older biblical texts' (p.71) What about older Near Eastern flood myths, which the story of Noah appears to be a re-adaptation of?
'The Bible was not written as myth' (p.76); presumably here Orr-Ewing means mainly the New Testament, as the mythical qualities of Genesis have now been largely accepted by academics and many Christians.
When talking of the Hindu Vedas Orr-Ewing is anxious to establish that they 'are not historical documents in the same sense as the Old and New Testaments', because they 'record outbursts of praise [...] as well as mythical stories.' (p.77) So does the Bible: the Psalms are 'outbursts of praise', the first few chapters (at least) of Genesis are a mythical story, and books such as the Song of Songs are anything but 'historical documents'.
June 20, 2007
Great book on the authenticity/historicity of the Bible, as well as countering 10 common questions.
The first half is much better than the second half as it covers the history of the compilation of the Bible as well as other Hindu/Islamic texts, therefore focusing much more on the historical questions than theological questions
The second half draws the theological views of biblical views on sex/marriage/homosexuality which is considerably weaker than Amy's account of the Bible's history, and for the latter topics/questions which she engages in the book, there are plenty of other books which handles the issues with much more necessary depth than the simplicity which she offers.
The first half is much better than the second half as it covers the history of the compilation of the Bible as well as other Hindu/Islamic texts, therefore focusing much more on the historical questions than theological questions
The second half draws the theological views of biblical views on sex/marriage/homosexuality which is considerably weaker than Amy's account of the Bible's history, and for the latter topics/questions which she engages in the book, there are plenty of other books which handles the issues with much more necessary depth than the simplicity which she offers.
March 2, 2014
This book addresses ten common questions concerning the Bible that the author has been asked by non-Christians.
As would be expected from the title, the reliability of the Bible is discussed at length, but it also deals with less obvious questions such as those about sex, sexuality and war. These chapters were probably my favourite.
I liked the highly intellectual but readable style (post-modernism never seemed so easy to understand!)
The only criticism that I have was that I already knew much of the material, but as the intended audience was those with no or little knowledge about the Bible that's fine!
As would be expected from the title, the reliability of the Bible is discussed at length, but it also deals with less obvious questions such as those about sex, sexuality and war. These chapters were probably my favourite.
I liked the highly intellectual but readable style (post-modernism never seemed so easy to understand!)
The only criticism that I have was that I already knew much of the material, but as the intended audience was those with no or little knowledge about the Bible that's fine!
January 9, 2016
This is a non technical book that seeks to dispel the common misunderstandings around the inerrancy and antiquated facts of the Bible. Much is discussed in this slim volume and it would go far towards helping a Christian convince themselves and other believers and non believers of the strengths of holding to a faith in Christ. Further resources are signposted for those wishing to delve deeper. An essential read for those unsure of the Bible history and it's position in today's post-modern context.
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November 30, 2025I found this book to be an excellent, concise, defense of the the Bible and Christianity.
Could a book be written that would more thoroughly cover each and every chapter? Indubitably. But this book sums up many questions one might have concerning Christianity and its reliability.
The book reads well and is in an enjoyable format.
For most of the book I kept thinking to myself “this is a five star book.” But I felt uneasy as I read one or two of the chapters near the end and did not agree with all that was written on some of the secondary issues which seems semi out of place in this book.
Could a book be written that would more thoroughly cover each and every chapter? Indubitably. But this book sums up many questions one might have concerning Christianity and its reliability.
The book reads well and is in an enjoyable format.
For most of the book I kept thinking to myself “this is a five star book.” But I felt uneasy as I read one or two of the chapters near the end and did not agree with all that was written on some of the secondary issues which seems semi out of place in this book.
June 13, 2010
Really helped me answer the queries thrown up by Dakins, more so than "The Dawkins Delusion". I was amazed to find out things like there are 24,000 (or something) fragments of the bible that indicate it says now what it said when it was written. And there is strong evidence that the Gospels and Acts were written thirty years after Christ's death. It all helps to to have the facts to combat the fallacies that are generally accepted about the bible.
January 26, 2023
For only having 138 pages, this book packs wallop! Don’t be fooled by the plain cover. Inside are 10 common questions that people ask of Christians, and Dr. Orr-Ewing takes them head-on with intelligence, dispassion, careful logic, and most of all, heart. I’m so glad I read this, and I’m tempted to reread it again. It’s a very balanced and well researched approach, yet a manageable-sized read. With her help, you’ll have just what you need to know how to respond to nonbelievers or curious ones.
May 13, 2015
Easy to understand. Amy Orr-Ewing is not afraid to engage with the tricky questions. She defended the Bible in front of a panel of skeptical Oxford professors, and this short book is a product of the studies leading up to that. She reminds me, in her deep thinking, of C.S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton.
March 13, 2012
A very very good little book. The author has presented her case in a very lucid and convincing manner. I heartily recommend the book to all those interested in apologetics.
February 6, 2013
Not the greatest read but very informative and helpful
October 26, 2013
Very academic but heartfelt and warm, concise yet thorough.
Would wholly recommend this to a seeker.
Would wholly recommend this to a seeker.
September 10, 2016
It's a good intro & survey to the topic and goes to just the right depth for someone who wants the answers resolved without having to take (a) course(s) from a seminary school.
July 6, 2022
So so so so so so so so good
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews