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jfrie65's review against another edition
3.0
This book felt very familiar after listening to the Rob Cast before. It read like it would fit well as a long podcast but the book provided space to show themes through many examples of stories from the Bible. The biggest takeaway was that the Bible was written by humans. And it is in that humanity that God’s holiness becomes even more evident.
aediger2's review against another edition
5.0
So far my favorite of Bell’s books, What Is The Bible? provides a fresh, intellectual, and grace-filled reading of the Bible.
Bell is the reason I first learned the word “heretic” when Love Wins came out, but I after reading this book, I realize that Bell is actually a radical. While heretics stray from or contradict the origin and orthodox, radicals return to the origin/orthodox. Bell demonstrates to readers that he is not straying from the root of Christianity, but rather is seeking it at the heart of the Bible as it was intended at its conception.
Reading this book was a breath of fresh air. After a transformative experience with God’s grace, I found I no longer fit in to the church context I had been a part of. Bell’s book reminded me that my encounter with God and the ways in which it has influenced how I read the Bible are not unfounded, but rather are connected deeply with the contexts and encounters the biblical authors had with God.
I particularly appreciated Bell’s Note on Growing and Changing at the end of the book. This note - and book overall - were simultaneously affirming and challenging.
I have my criticisms of the book and do not personally prefer Bell’s writing style (albeit the line breaks in the middle of sentences was toned down in comparison to his other books), but it was nonetheless worth the read.
Bell is the reason I first learned the word “heretic” when Love Wins came out, but I after reading this book, I realize that Bell is actually a radical. While heretics stray from or contradict the origin and orthodox, radicals return to the origin/orthodox. Bell demonstrates to readers that he is not straying from the root of Christianity, but rather is seeking it at the heart of the Bible as it was intended at its conception.
Reading this book was a breath of fresh air. After a transformative experience with God’s grace, I found I no longer fit in to the church context I had been a part of. Bell’s book reminded me that my encounter with God and the ways in which it has influenced how I read the Bible are not unfounded, but rather are connected deeply with the contexts and encounters the biblical authors had with God.
I particularly appreciated Bell’s Note on Growing and Changing at the end of the book. This note - and book overall - were simultaneously affirming and challenging.
I have my criticisms of the book and do not personally prefer Bell’s writing style (albeit the line breaks in the middle of sentences was toned down in comparison to his other books), but it was nonetheless worth the read.
beccafeldhacker's review
4.0
Fast moving and bite sized chapters with lots of humor and style. Bell’s writing (and speaking) can be choppy for some, but this is basically like a sample platter of Biblical stories with historical context and background knowledge that leads you to the “whoa, the Bible has a lot more going on than I ever thought” realization. That said, besides pointing to the bibliography, it also left me feeling like “this is all great but how can I learn these things on my own now about other stories?”
kpbake427's review against another edition
5.0
This exactly what I need and what I was looking for. I see the beauty of the bible now. He is a master at taking complex ideas and making them easy to understand. I love this book.
need_to_read's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
sharonsueg's review against another edition
4.0
Truly enjoyed reading this book. It flows easily and is quick to read. So many questions and possible explanations are discussed that it keeps the reader searching for more.
jamesmata's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fun listen, though a little hard to process as someone with very, very little knowledge of biblical stories etc going in. It was interesting and the author’s cadence is unique for an audiobook and engaging like a ted talk. Appreciated the refreshing perspective.