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Blind Spots in the Bible
Widely known and popular author, who has also written When You Walk and The Unlocking for BRF. A quirky look at some difficult bits of the Bible and asks awkward questions. Aims not to provide complete answers but to get readers thinking Provides Bible readings, comment and a short prayer, comment or question for reflection.
160 pages, Paperback
First published October 20, 2006
About the author
Adrian Plass
138 books103 followersAdrian Plass is a writer and speaker who has produced over thirty books in the last twenty years. The best known of these is probably The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, a gentle satire on the modern church, which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. This and other books have travelled to other countries and are translated into a number of foreign languages. Other books include biography, novels, short stories, a fictionalised account of the author's experiences as a residential child care worker, and collections of poems and sketches. A bemused Anglican, Adrian lives with his wife and daughter in a small market town near the Sussex South Downs.
Adrian has been in demand as a speaker in venues as varied as prisons, schools, churches, festivals, literary dinners and theatrical settings. His work also includes contribution to national and local radio and television. Live presentations combine humour, poetry, and story telling, largely revolving around his own inadequacies and struggles as a Christian and a human being.
In recent years Adrian has been joined by his wife Bridget in presenting a more varied and dramatic style of performance. Adrian and Bridget met at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and have found particular satisfaction in being allowed to ‘do a bit of acting’. They have also been privileged to work alongside World Vision on several occasions, visiting Bangladesh and Zambia, writing two books and touring both in the UK and abroad with the aim of encouraging people to take up child sponsorship
Their work now takes them as far away as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa, while trips to Europe have introduced the added dimension of speaking through interpreters. Not easy when you're trying to be funny!
Adrian's latest books include ‘Jesus Safe Tender and Extreme‘, published by Zondervan, ‘Blind Spots in the Bible’, published by BRF, and most recent of all ‘Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation’ published by Authentic Media. He and Bridget have also collaborated with friends in Canada to produce a CD of his favourite sketches from the last 20 years called ‘Preaching to the Converted’ while ‘A Touch of Plass’, CTA’s documentary video, is now out on DVD.
2008 began with a visit to Bolivia for Bridget and Adrian in collaboration with the charity Toybox to look at projects involving street children. Later on there will be a DVD, a book and a number of presentations promoting their work.
Adrian's central motivation continues to be his love for Jesus, although some may feel he expresses it rather eccentrically. His passion is to communicate the need for reality in faith, and a truth that he learned during a difficult stage in his life: "God is nice and he likes me..." Some have described his work as being ‘one long confessional’. They may well be right!
Adrian has been in demand as a speaker in venues as varied as prisons, schools, churches, festivals, literary dinners and theatrical settings. His work also includes contribution to national and local radio and television. Live presentations combine humour, poetry, and story telling, largely revolving around his own inadequacies and struggles as a Christian and a human being.
In recent years Adrian has been joined by his wife Bridget in presenting a more varied and dramatic style of performance. Adrian and Bridget met at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and have found particular satisfaction in being allowed to ‘do a bit of acting’. They have also been privileged to work alongside World Vision on several occasions, visiting Bangladesh and Zambia, writing two books and touring both in the UK and abroad with the aim of encouraging people to take up child sponsorship
Their work now takes them as far away as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa, while trips to Europe have introduced the added dimension of speaking through interpreters. Not easy when you're trying to be funny!
Adrian's latest books include ‘Jesus Safe Tender and Extreme‘, published by Zondervan, ‘Blind Spots in the Bible’, published by BRF, and most recent of all ‘Bacon Sandwiches and Salvation’ published by Authentic Media. He and Bridget have also collaborated with friends in Canada to produce a CD of his favourite sketches from the last 20 years called ‘Preaching to the Converted’ while ‘A Touch of Plass’, CTA’s documentary video, is now out on DVD.
2008 began with a visit to Bolivia for Bridget and Adrian in collaboration with the charity Toybox to look at projects involving street children. Later on there will be a DVD, a book and a number of presentations promoting their work.
Adrian's central motivation continues to be his love for Jesus, although some may feel he expresses it rather eccentrically. His passion is to communicate the need for reality in faith, and a truth that he learned during a difficult stage in his life: "God is nice and he likes me..." Some have described his work as being ‘one long confessional’. They may well be right!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 20, 2022
Adrian Plass, in his inimitable style, comments on short passages of Scripture that are either confusing, controversial, or easily misunderstood. It feels like something of a random selection, with some well-known passages, some more obscure, switching from book to book within the Bible.
There are six broad sections to this volume, on topics such as 'the real nature of Jesus', 'Lessons for the Church', and 'Beyond the Veil'. Then there's a catch-all 'unclassified' blind spots section. I'm not sure that Plass's blind spots are the same as mine, but he explains each time why he chose the passage, whether it was because people puzzle over it, or because of something he had not really understood until he happened to read it for the umpteenth time.
There are anecdotes, stories, questions, comments... written with some satire, some dry humour, and some immense honesty. Thought-provoking and interesting. Although I have to admit that re-reading five years after I first read this - and again another ten years later - I hadn't actually remembered much of it.
Recommended.
Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
There are six broad sections to this volume, on topics such as 'the real nature of Jesus', 'Lessons for the Church', and 'Beyond the Veil'. Then there's a catch-all 'unclassified' blind spots section. I'm not sure that Plass's blind spots are the same as mine, but he explains each time why he chose the passage, whether it was because people puzzle over it, or because of something he had not really understood until he happened to read it for the umpteenth time.
There are anecdotes, stories, questions, comments... written with some satire, some dry humour, and some immense honesty. Thought-provoking and interesting. Although I have to admit that re-reading five years after I first read this - and again another ten years later - I hadn't actually remembered much of it.
Recommended.
Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/...
June 27, 2018
Please don’t judge this book by how long it took me to read it! It lends itself really well to being read in small chunks so I’ve been reading it a small part at a time while waiting for the shower to get hot, which means it’s take a long time, but it’s also prolonged the enjoyment and given me time to mull over each snippet I’ve read.
The book takes what are mostly familiar passages from the Bible and points out small parts of it that either we don’t tend to notice, or that we notice and tend to avoid. Maybe because the sentence is unobtrusive, or maybe because thinking about it in too much depth would be difficult.
Each one starts with the Bible reading, then Adrian’s commentary of it, followed by a short prayer. Adrian’s commentary (as is the case in his other books) was insightful but relatable, using his own life experiences to add context to the readings. At times full of humour, sometimes satire or just downright honest, I really enjoy Adrian’s style of writing.
It was a great way to dive deeper into passages which I have read many times before and felt like I understood, the different perspectives were eye-opening. It has definitely made me want to go back to other passages that I am maybe too familiar with and try and read them more critically/analyse them a bit deeper to see if I have truly understood what is being said.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/06/27/adrian-...
The book takes what are mostly familiar passages from the Bible and points out small parts of it that either we don’t tend to notice, or that we notice and tend to avoid. Maybe because the sentence is unobtrusive, or maybe because thinking about it in too much depth would be difficult.
Each one starts with the Bible reading, then Adrian’s commentary of it, followed by a short prayer. Adrian’s commentary (as is the case in his other books) was insightful but relatable, using his own life experiences to add context to the readings. At times full of humour, sometimes satire or just downright honest, I really enjoy Adrian’s style of writing.
It was a great way to dive deeper into passages which I have read many times before and felt like I understood, the different perspectives were eye-opening. It has definitely made me want to go back to other passages that I am maybe too familiar with and try and read them more critically/analyse them a bit deeper to see if I have truly understood what is being said.
Posted on: http://emmaloui.se/2018/06/27/adrian-...
November 18, 2015
As a Christian, I found this fascinating in expanding my knowledge of the Bible, and highlighting many bits I'd missed the first few times of reading them. I really enjoy Adrian Plass' style of writing too, it's very well articulated, but also relatable and humourous.
August 26, 2019
Thought this may have been a comical look at strange parts of the Bible. Indeed there was some humour but this book is so much more than that: in turns interesting, thought provoking, moving and at times inspiring. Excellent.
August 3, 2011
Some real food for thought - and some laugh out loud moments, as usual!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews