About the Bible: Short Answers to Big Questions, Revised and Expanded Edition

by Terence E. Fretheim

In this newly revised and expanded edition About the Bible: Short Answers to Big Questions, Terence E. Fretheim offers straightforward answers to reoccurring questions about how the Bible was written, organized, and interpreted - and why people have such different opinions about what the Bible has to say. Built on a bestselling volume first introduced to readers in 1999, this edition welcomes added questions to a unique question-and-answer format. Among the questions are: Who wrote the Bible? How did it come to be? Do Lutherans believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, for instance the Creation Story? Can we draw responsible ethical discernment from the Bible? How do we read the Bible for spiritual growth? Arranged according to topic, the books is ideal for individual and group use. Both devoted Bible readers and Bible novices are sure to find answers to many of their biggest questions here.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Chad King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of a theology class. It's a nice overview of some of the questions raised by the Bible, such as who wrote the Bible, is it a closed canon, how come different versions of the Bible have different books, why is the God of the Old Testament so different than the God of the New Testament, why do we pray, why is there so much violence in the Bible, etc.

It's a thought-provoking book, especially for anyone that has (or is interested in having) questions about the Bible or Christianity in general.

One note about the Kindle edition: It's terrible. The formatting is wonky and often letters are missing from words. Not sure how this happens, but avoid the Kindle edition if possible.

[Martha Richey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 2 chapters were the best in my opinion. They highlighted why Bibles vary and a detailed map of the flow of scriptures throughout the Bible. The balance of the book was a bit harder to relate to. Overall, A helpful read for those interested in understanding more about the Bible.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written and pithy, this book doesn't necessarily lend itself to cover-to-cover reading, but is great as something to pick up from time to time, or excerpt for people with questions.

[ferguson (winston’s version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess it was ok. but the multiple different biblical books were confusing. I enjoy the optimistic look at the Bible.

[Jerry]

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[Linette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good insights. I enjoyed the section on "Can God change his mind." That section was the reason I wanted to purouse the book in the first place. A good read for new Christians. :)

"Human acts [that:] treat the non-human creation simply as the sphere of use-value or market-value, refusing the acknowledgment of its autonomous goodness, are acts of terrorism in direct opposition to the intention of the creator." ~Francis Watson