What do evangelicals believe when they 'believe in the Bible?' Despite hundreds of English versions that differ in their texts, evangelicals continue to believe that there is a stable text—'the Bible'—which is the authoritative word of God and an essential guide to their everyday lives. To understand this phenomenon of evangelical Biblicism, anthropologist and biblical scholar Brian Malley looks not to the words of the Bible but to the Bible-believing communities. For as Malley demonstrates, it is less the meaning of the words of the Bible itself than how 'the Bible' provides a proper ground for beliefs that matters to evangelicals. Drawing on recent cognitive and social theory and extensive fieldwork in an evangelical church, Malley's book is an invaluable guide for seminarians, social scientists of religion, or for anyone who wants to understand just how the Bible works for American evangelicals.

How the Bible Works and How to Read the Bible Literally were both created to help teach and uplift. They use educational visuals to help readers better understand the Bible’s message. Even better, they encourage people to pick up the Bible and read it for themselves. Provides a coherent, big-picture view of the Bible’s message Focuses on key concepts, figures, and moments from the Bible Captivates readers with striking, imaginative visuals How the Bible Works encourages readers to read the Bible on their own but also provides a handy guide to its framework, including explaining “the Bible in 1 sentence,” the major milestones of Biblical history, the connections between the Old and New Testaments, the main genres, and the core covenants. How to Read the Bible Literally demonstrates how reading the Bible literally is the only way to truly understand its message and introduces readers to 5 key questions they can apply to any Bible passage.

'Seldom will you encounter such a fine combination of historical scholarship, interesting reading, and clever humour in one Biblical study. And then filled with faith and hope besides! Peter Enns does it again!' Richard Rohr, author of Falling Upward For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth, argues Bible scholar Peter Enns. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God's wisdom within us. 'The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible's true subject matter', writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn't the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading. Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today. How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that 'being right' is the most important measure of faith, Enns's freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God - which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.

What the Bible Does NOT Say By: Larry G. Root, Ed. D What does the Bible REALLY say about such topics as abortion, the antichrist, capitalism, the death penalty, Mary Magdalene, the Rapture, LGBT, and sexuality?

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I love the Bible. I want to help you love it, too. -> The Bible was not designed to provide clear answers. It was designed to provide spiritual guidance. When we come to the Bible expecting it to be an instructional manual, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. #2 The Bible is not a source book for certainty in matters of faith. #3 The Bible is not a source book for certainty in matters of faith. It is ancient, ambiguous, and diverse, which are not rough patches along the way that we need to deal with but rather what make the Bible worth reading. #4 The Bible was not designed to provide clear answers. It was designed to provide spiritual guidance. When we come to the Bible expecting it to be an instructional manual, we are actually creating problems for ourselves.

What does the Bible teach and what does it not teach? Does the Bible Tell Me So? addresses this question by first examining how the Bible has been misinterpreted in the past and then asking if the same mistakes are being made today. The topic of how to interpret scripture so as to correctly understand what it teaches is extremely important not only for creating unity among Christian denominations but for civil dialogue and peaceful decision making. To correctly interpret the teachings of the Bible, various contexts must be taken into consideration: the literary form the biblical author is using, the beliefs at the time of the original author and audience, and the two-thousand-year process of ongoing revelation modeled in scripture. In this book, author Margaret Nutting Ralph explains each of these three contexts and applies this method of interpretation to historical issues, demonstrating how the Bible was abused to support the deep-seated prejudices of well-meaning people of the past. She then examines this approach in relation to current issues to determine whether scripture is being misused today.

In WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY?, award-winning author Kevin DeYoung challenges each of us – the skeptic and the seeker, the certain and the confused – to take a humble look at God’s Word regarding the issue of homosexuality. After examining key biblical passages in both the Old and New Testaments and the Bible’s overarching teaching regarding sexuality, this timely book responds to popular objections raised by Christians and non-Christians alike, making this an indispensable resource for thinking through one of the most pressing issues of our day.

Examines the arguments used to claim that the Bible affirms same-sex relationships. You may have heard the claim that the Bible, when read correctly, is not against believers entering monogamous, faithful same-sex relationships. The arguments sound quite compelling. "Jesus never talked about same-sex relationships.” “Paul was only condemning exploitative relationships, not consensual ones." “We don’t keep the Old Testament food laws, so why would we keep the ones on same-sex sex?” “If God is love, he can’t be against relationships of love.” And more. Have Christians through the ages just been getting this one wrong? In this concise book, Rebecca McLaughlin looks at ten of the most common arguments used to claim that the Bible affirms same-sex sexual relationships. She analyzes the arguments and associated Bible passages one by one to uncover what the Bible really says. For Rebecca, as someone with a lifelong history of same-sex attraction, this is not just an academic question. But rather than concluding that the Bible does affirm same-sex marriage, she points readers to the gospel purpose of male-female marriage, a different kind of gospel-centered love between believers of the same sex, and God's life-and-love-filled vision for singleness.

Have you ever wondered: what does the Bible have to say about___? Now you fill in the blank. This Ultimate A to Z Resource applies biblical insight to hundreds of contemporary topics ranging from: Addiction Political infighting World hunger Birth control Freewill Dysfunctional families Prejudice and Natural disasters In this handy, portable index, you can easily locate any topic—from the broad (conflict resolution, anxiety, and companionship), to the very specific (contracts, debt, and pornography). Each entry contains a summary of the topic, theological/biblical considerations, and verse references to point you directly to the larger scriptural context. The Bible may be 2,000 years old, but it has relevant and wise words on just about any subject, ancient or modern—it is the Living Word of God, and this quick guide is one great way to familiarize yourself with its contents...one topic at a time. Also contains illustrations from Christian cartoonist Jonny Hawkins.

"As . . . newer approaches [to biblical criticism] become more established and influential, it is essential that students and other serious readers of the Bible be exposed to them and become familiar with them. That is the main impetus behind the present volume, which is offered as a textbook for those who wish to go further than the approaches covered in To Each Its Own Meaning by exploring more recent or experimental ways of reading." „from the introduction This book is a supplement and sequel to To Each Its Own Meaning, edited by Steven L. McKenzie and Stephen R. Haynes, which introduced the reader to the most important methods of biblical criticism and remains a widely used classroom textbook. This new volume explores recent developments in, and approaches to, biblical criticism since 1999. Leading contributors define and describe their approach for non-specialist readers, using examples from the Old and New Testament to help illustrate their discussion. Topics include cultural criticism, disability studies, queer criticism, postmodernism, ecological criticism, new historicism, popular culture, postcolonial criticism, and psychological criticism. Each section includes a list of key terms and definitions and suggestions for further reading.