Reviews

How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers—and Why That's Great News by Peter Enns

jamiep's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

forrest_brendon's review

challenging informative fast-paced

4.0

marcapitman's review

4.0

This is an important book for helping Christians approach the Bible. Since the Bible shares rules, many of us have been taught that the Bible is a rule book with a clear do-this-don't-do-that set of maxims. Peter Enns does a good job showing how the Bible is really an ongoing conversation by people of faith. And how the Bible seems designed to allow us to continue that conversation. Much of what he shares helped give depth to some of my thinking. But I found the book created more questions than it gave answers.

Which might just be the point.

I received a copy from HarperOne as part of the book launch team.

ndilemma's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

beccafeldhacker's review

5.0

One of the best books I’ve ever read on the Bible. As a progressive Christian, this book was perfect for digging deeper into the historical context and literary devices used by Biblical authors in understanding the what and why of the texts. Highly recommend!

migimasa's review

challenging funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

khuizenga's review

4.0

I liked this much more than the last book I read by him, "The Sin of Certainty." The beginning was a bit of a slow starter for me: Enns tends to hide behind a lot of humor and sarcasm when he tries to make points in order to soften the blow (you can't be mad at him if he is joking right? Right?). Though clearly part of his personality and style, it can sometimes feel a bit dodgy. However, getting into the middle I really enjoyed going through different portions of the Bible and religious history. A lot of what is in here you would get in some undergrad religion classes, but it was a fun way to refresh and catch up on some parts of the Bible we don't tend to talk about in church, especially because many of us don't like dealing with inconsistencies and changes in the text. I enjoyed his analysis of the Old Testament better than the New, but i think that is a matter of personal preference. Glad I read it.

bonitabeckita's review

4.0

I really enjoyed reading this book. Peter Enns seemed to have two major points to make about the Bible. First, that it is a book of wisdom, not a book of rules. He gives lots of examples of how the Bible is ambiguous and contradictory, so if it were just a set of rules to govern our conduct we would have lots of loopholes to argue through at our divine judgement. Reading the Bible as a book of wisdom though, we realize the intent all along was for us to think about this sacred text and then apply it's wisdom to our time and place. As Enns says "...the Bible holds out for us an invitation to join an ancient, well-traveled, and sacred quest to know God, the world we live in, and our place in it." Enns' second point is what has caused me to think most. He suggests the Bible records constant re-imaginings of God, God's character, and God's relationship to Creation. For example, Enns explains how the exile of the Hebrew people forced them to re-imagine God, God's character, and God's relationship to the Hebrew people because this exile didn't fit with their understanding of God's original promise to Abraham and the nation of Israel. Jesus, and especially His crucifixion and resurrection, forced the Jewish-Christian disciples to re-imagine their understanding of God because this didn't seem to fit in the "plan" as they understood it. Enns suggests we are still re-imagining God for our time and place, using wisdom as we do that. What challenged me was to know what the boundaries are around re-imagining. How do I know something I re-imagine about God is true or is just me trying to make God more palatable? Enns doesn't offer any boundaries, and I greatly appreciated that. I believe Enns trusts his readers to pursue this mysterious life of faith without any arbitrary limits he might have set.

My only criticism is in the circular writing style. Enns circled back to repeat his points frequently. I know this makes it understandable and accessible to the read who is not a Bible-scholar. I found it redundant, but not to the point that I did not enjoy the book. In fact, I will likely read it again, slowly, with my Bible out to read closely the passages Enns references.

As with the other books I have read by Peter Enns, I am more excited about reading the Bible. I look forward to reading with this added filter on my lens to seek out the wisdom in this ancient text that can still guide and inspire us in our modern times.

I received an Advance Reader Copy as part of the launch team for this book.

rmiciche's review

3.0

Was written in a way that was easy to read. However, I wish he shared how we could use this wisdom practically when we read scripture....

scoticus_maximus's review against another edition

4.0

This is the first book I have read from a non-literal, non-inerrancy view of the Bible and man is it challenging. You grow up in a certain tradition and your taught that “those people” who think differently are wrong, stupid, deceived, and maybe even evil. Pete is none of those things. He graciously, joyously, and wisely asked us to consider another possibility. That the Bible was never meant to be a hard and fast rule book for living your best life and making it to heaven but instead an invitation from God to engage God and allow God to speak through the writings of humans who were doing the best they could to understand and create awareness about a God is truly unfathomable (even to us highly intelligent 21st century Americans!?)

I’m grateful for another challenging view and grateful for the invitation from Pete and from God to press in.