How (Not) to Read the Bible: Making Sense of the Anti-women, Anti-science, Pro-violence, Pro-slavery and Other Crazy-Sounding Parts of Scripture

Is Reading the Bible the Fastest Way to Lose Your Faith?For centuries, the Bible was called "the Good Book," a moral and religious text that guides us into a relationship with God and shows us the right way to live. Today, however, some people argue the Bible is outdated and harmful, with many Christians unaware of some of the odd and disturbing things the Bible says.Whether you are a Christian, a doubter, or someone exploring the Bible for the first time, bestselling author Dan Kimball guides you step-by-step in how to make sense of these difficult and disturbing Bible passages. Filled with stories, visual illustrations, and memes reflecting popular cultural objections, How (Not) to Read the Bible is a lifeline for individuals who are confused or discouraged with questions about the Bible. It also works great as a small-group study or sermon series.ReviewI use color coded markers to underline particular passages when I read the Bible. Yellow means - 'pay attention!', blue means - 'very poetic', green means - 'super weird or hilarious.' There is a lot of green in my Bible! Dan helps make sense of the more bizarre and demonstrates why we can have confidence that the Bible is a trustworthy and God-inspired. -- David Crowder, Grammy-nominated artist, musician, and authorIn our culture the Bible has, for many people, become an obstacle in their journey of faith. Biblical stories about sex, slavery, and divine violence are often too bizarre and disturbing for most modern readers. Dan Kimball understands this from personal and pastoral experience, and he's given us a thoughtful guide for reading these problematic parts of the Bible. If you're struggling to make moral sense of the Bible, or know someone who is, this book is for you! -- Tim Mackie, The Bible ProjectThere is no one in the world better to write this book than Dan Kimball, and here's why: the Bible presents many problems to many readers, and they can be forceful and fearless in their questioning traditional beliefs in the Bible. They are not looking for pablum or authoritarian decrees, which is what most offer them. They are looking for 'professionals' who see what they see, who feel what they feel, and offer responses that have integrity. It's because the pastoral heart of Dan Kimball has heard people ask these questions and because he has worked through their issues that this book is designed for Dan to write it. A book full of theological wisdom and pastoral care for honest Bible readers who have genuine and difficult questions about the Bible. -- Scot McKnight Professor of New Testament Northern SeminaryWe need this book. Dan Kimball has long been a guide for a generation trying to find their footing in a post-Christian world. For those of us who want to believe, yet struggle to make sense of the Bible in our age. Yet again, he steps in to offer kind, intelligent, wise, and, as you'd expect from Dan, funny guidance; this time around, on how (not) to read the Bible. -- John Mark Comer, pastor of vision and teaching at Bridgetown Church and author of The Ruthless Elimination of HurryIn a world of quick and instant information accessible online, there are many criticisms being raised about the Bible's credibility. For that reason I'm so grateful that Dan Kimball helps us sort thru the puzzling messages emerging in this generation. In How (Not) To Read the Bible, Dan addresses how to make sense of the confusing parts of the Bible and provides us the confidence needed to embrace God's word. I'm very excited see this message get into the hearts and minds of the younger generation. -- Doug Fields, pastor, author, founder of Downloadyouthministry.comHow (Not) To Read The Bible is a 'right now message.' This book will help a generation see how beautiful Jesus truly is. -- Dr. Derwin L. Gray, Lead Pastor Transformation Church Author of The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches About Finding True HappinessI can't count the number of times I've