Bad Examples from the Bible

by Patrick Henry Reardon

We all know that we learn best through our failures—so why not learn also from the failures of others? In Bad Examples from the Bible, eminent author, scholar, and priest Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon provides us with a plethora of characters from the Bible whose bad decisions, character flaws, and sinful desires show us how not to live our lives. This book demonstrates how to avoid the mistakes made by Eve, Cain, Saul, Pilate, Delilah, and many others.

101 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 27, 2025

About the author

Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor of All Saints' Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois, and a senior editor of Touchstone magazine.

Father Patrick was educated at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), St. Anselm's College (Rome), The Pontifical Biblical Institute (Rome), and St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary (South Canaan, PA).

He has authored many books including: Christ in the Psalms, Christ in His Saints, The Trial of Job: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Job, Chronicles of History and Worship: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Books of Chronicles, and Creation and the Patriarchal Histories: Orthodox Reflections on the Book of Genesis.

In addition, Father Patrick has published over a thousand articles, editorials, and reviews, in "Books and Culture", "Touchstone", "The Scottish Journal of Theology", "The Catholic Biblical Quarterly", "Pro Ecclesia", "St. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly", and other journals on three continents over the past forty-plus years.

Reviews

[Megan Leathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t let the slim profile of "Bad Examples from the Bible" fool you; it is a powerhouse of theology, humor, and profound insight. Father Patrick Henry Reardon masterfully explores the "darker" side of the biblical cast, featuring notorious villains like Cain and Delilah alongside more obscure figures like Amaziah and Adonijah. Most intriguingly, he includes figures like Peter and Jacob, challenging the reader to look closer at the flaws of the faithful.

The book is seasoned with Father Patrick’s dry, delightful wit. For instance, while discussing the more harrowing parts of Scripture, he quips:

"Everybody, I suppose, has his own favorite among the ten plagues inflicted on Egypt. Mine is number six. On the outside chance, however, that its finer details may have slipped the reader's mind, let us quickly rehearse the account."

If I have one minor complaint, it is only that I found myself wishing each chapter were a bit longer. Reardon’s insights are so compelling that I wanted to linger in each story just a while more.

Despite the humor and brevity, Reardon is careful to frame his work with a sense of purpose, never dwelling on evil for its own sake. He concludes the book with a sobering and necessary reminder:

"Let us take stock, then, of what these stories have told us about the moral life. Chief among these, I submit, is the constant, lifelong need for spiritual vigilance."

Through his thought-provoking narrative and deep biblical insight, this book makes a perfect gift for any Christian. I would be absolutely delighted if he wrote a sequel (perhaps with fewer but more "meaty" chapters)

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compact, evocative, and thought-provoking read. In this meditative book, Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon explores themes of vice and virtue by examining examples of ne’er-do-wells from the Bible. Some examples will be well-known (Eve, Cain, Esau), but others force the reader to think more deeply about their inclusion (Uzzah, Abimelech, Peter). Fr. Reardon uses each example to illustrate a significant point regarding vice and virtue. While not all of these will apply to each person, everyone will be able to find several to which they are prone to succumb. Each chapter is rather brief, making it perfect for a short devotional or discussion prompt. Personally, I found myself pausing after finishing one chapter or section and saying “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” Besides the examples themselves, Fr. Reardon’s introduction and afterward perfectly bookend this volume. In the introduction, Fr. Reardon discusses topology in an easily accessible manner that prepares the reader for the journey ahead. In his afterward, he reminds the reader of what is truly important in this life of spiritual struggle and offers a great deal of encouragement. Readers can look forward to a well-written and accessible volume covering many of the “bad examples” that will encourage you to look inward and see where you might be a bad example yourself.

[Bekah Baty · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who often learns by example, I so appreciate a book like this. Fr. Patrick provides many well researched examples of people throughout the Holy Scriptures who didn't quite measure up to the Lord's standards in various different ways. He provides lots of historical context as well to provide better understanding. I have read books similar to this, and they were much less scholarly and more just based on opinion/casual. I especially loved his chapters on Eve, Esau, Demas, Rehoboam, Pilate, Ananias and Sapphira, and St. Peter. He repeatedly finds typologies of NT figures in those from the OT and it is easy for readers to see the connection and not have to jump through mental hoops. A quick read that I will recommend others to read! Looking forward to reading some of Fr. Patrick's other books now!

[Josiah Hamilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was overall a sloppy, uneven, loosely-related collection. Let me start with the good. There’s some really excellent and wise stories that felt like I was getting to listen to a wonderful homily. Unfortunately these seem to be the minority. The writing style is also a bit uneven with Fr. Reardon peppering in some fancy archaisms like chary and contemn, which had me grabbing for a dictionary, but then dropping any sense of formality to call someone a picklepuss. There’s a few times that Fr. Reardon expounds on women’s appearances that just feel a little weird to me. Specifically, his description of his delight with Hedy Lamarr, or Abimelech going gooey inside at the appearance of Sarah. Perhaps I’m just being too sensitive, but I didn’t like it. I also wish the chapters were a bit longer, especially the good ones.

[Jennifer Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father Reardon’s new book, Bad Examples from The Bible, is a clever idea. It’s filled with cautionary tales from scripture to help guide us in the way we should go. I like Father Reardon’s writing style and appreciate his light-heartedness.

This book is twenty-six chapters long, each with a bad example. The chapters were only a few pages each which made them all very digestible and the book an overall quick read. Unfortunately, I think the conciseness of the chapters inhibited the author from fleshing out completely what we are to learn from each of these examples. I think halving the amount of subjects and doubling the focus on each would have given each story a greater impact on the reader.

I would consider this a good survey of bad examples, but would like to see a more in depth study of these cautionary tales.

[DJ Palmire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Patrick Henry Reardon has written a lovely little book examining the "bad examples" from the Bible. The book is a quick read with each chapter being about a different character and a brief discussion of their shortcomings and sin that mark the episode described. There are insights that will be useful for both a newcomer to the faith as well as for the experienced!
Personally, I found the book to be a helpful tool for preparation of confession. Finding some internal sins and tendencies that aren't as obvious as others, but can be just as dangerous or even more. I don't think a confession tool was high on the intent list of Fr. Patrick, but it can be used as a tool in the toolbox for confession too.

[Shanda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Father Patrick Henry Reardon is a national treasure for the Eastern Orthodox community. His latest book, Bad Examples from the Bible, opens dialog on the rarely discussed stories and difficult topics the Bible has to offer.

This book is small but meaty. Your thoughts will linger as you start to see the verses and stories in a new light. I like the compact nature because it has allowed me to revisit the text several times in a way a larger manuscript would have made difficult.

If you are a Father Reardon fan, you will enjoy this book.

[Sophia Namee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75- the author claims a man died from heart issues because he didn’t have Christ in his heart… like, maybe it was just a heart attack? Not everything has to mean something—sometimes things just are.

I appreciate the attempt at drawing lessons, but I felt there was a lot of over-interpretation.

[Simon Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fr. Patrick uses the examples of a variety of unsavory characters and their deeds from the Scriptures to illustrate the consequences of those who cease their spiritual vigilance.