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Item Description...
Product Description Pastor James MacDonald addresses today's disturbing trend away from taking God's Word seriously. He clarifies the misconceptions that surround the infallibility, reliability, and historicity of the Bible and explains why he believes it is the inspired Word of God, how it originated, what the Bible is good for, and its benefits to us. Written to believers and non-believers who have questions, this book on the Good Book has the answers.
Item Specifications...
ISBN 1581346220 EAN 9781581346220 UPC 000000854447
Pages 128
Dimensions: Length: 7.6" Width: 5.2" Height: 0.4" Weight: 0.3 lbs.
Release Date Mar 11, 2004
PublisherGOOD NEWS PUBLISHING #65
Availability 41 units. Availability accurate as of Mar 19, 2010 10:04.
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Excellent summary of the external and internal evidence for the Bible being God's Word Sep 30, 2008
This book is an excellent summary of the evidences for the Bible being God's Word. It also prompts further study into each category and sub-categroy of evidence. It also references sources.
Great small group book Aug 16, 2007
I used this book in a small group recently with much succuess. James MacDonald breaks everything down wonderfully, and most of the critical data is conveniently cited. This is by no means an in-depth study into the authenticity of the scriptures, but it is a perfect introduction to the topic. You will note that alot of his sources are more in depth books anyways.
This book is great for the new believer, or curious skeptic, and definitely sparks a new love and faith for the Word of God.
Not what one hopes it would be. Mar 24, 2006
While I prefer to give positive reviews, sometimes a cautioning review is more helpful than one of praise. I had heard many good things about this book; and indeed many of the issues raised in its pages, such as the textual history of the bible, are good ones for Christians to consider. They can help us better understand our religious heritage, provide new ways for us to understand scripture, and express our faith. However, in order to do so there needs to be honest intellectual engagement with the issues at hand. This book does not contain such engagement. I was surprised and disappointed when I began to read it and discovered that its purpose is not really a defense of the Bible, rather its an attempt to dismiss or explain away information or perspectives that the author disagrees with. In making his case the author often misrepresents the perspectives he is responding to, he leave out a great deal of context central to the issues, and he uses poor examples to buttress his point of view. If you are new to the bible or know little about it, this book may be a appealing because it's an easy read and passionately written, but those are its only admirable qualities. The historical study of the bible, it textual exegesis, and Christian apologetics are wonderful and rich fields, but there are times when this richness is traded in for a narrow political passion for defense of the beliefs we hold dear. While this is perfectly understandable, it is, in the end, inexcusable and does not advance the cause of the faith or the sacred texts that inform it.
Passion... Jul 1, 2005
James is one passionate man. He will believe what he believes until God shows him otherwise. He writes with authority, which can come off as arrogant at times, but once we get beyond our critical attitudes, we can offer thanks to James for his work. And sometimes we need someone that will get in your face like James does...especially in this "believe what you want, it's all relative" age.
James offers a background on the Bible and how it came to be, as well as what the Bible is good for and why it's important to our DAILY lives. I recommend listening to his radio ministry...he's an amazing speaker. [...]
Good Introduction to the Bible Nov 4, 2004
I gave this book three stars because it's good, but not excellent.
The Good Stuff: It's easy to read and can be polished off in one sitting for the reader who has a few hours to spare. The author's style is conversational. So, reading this book seems like talking to a good friend. It covers all of the common questions about the Bible, and provides good plausible answers. It's upbeat and doesn't intimidate. So, it would be a good choice for the curious non-believer, the Christian who hasn't felt drawn or compelled to read the Bible, or the believer who isn't convinced that the Bible is a viable source for guidance and happiness.
Why Not Excellent? The book only scratches the surface, which is okay for the audience I mentioned above. But it would leave a deep thinker wanting much more. So, if using this book to spread the Word, be prepared to offer a follow-up recommendation to the more philosophical seeker. The author is not fond of the myriad of audience-focused Bibles that are available these days. (Men's, Women's, Teen's, "Farmer's", etc.) My feeling is that if they get a person to read God's Book, keep 'em coming! I personally have done youth ministry for over two decades. Teen Bibles, that can help point the young reader to verses that address issues in their lives, are tremendous. The author warns against study Bibles that place commentary adjacent to Bible verses. I personally have grown in my understanding of the Word from using the Life Application Bible. The commentary can be insightful and can provide context that would otherwise be missed. I do think that other commentaries should be explored as well, especially for "difficult verses". The author seemed to discount the value of commentary entirely. The author is a proponent of word-for-word Bible translations. As a Latin student (back in the day), I know that word-for-word translation of the Orations of Cicero to English would not have made a lot of sense to a modern or postmodern American. Keeping true to the text but conveying the original thought, in my mind, is a much more effective way to translate. NIV is my usual Bible translation of choice. However, the poetry and simplicity of "The Message" has been enjoyable and inspiring to my wife and me as well. A better recommendation would be to read parallel Bibles to compare word-for-word to thought-for-thought translations.
In Summary: I would recommend this book for its style, content and brevity as an introductory evangelism tool to get folks to open and read the Bible. However, be prepared to discuss the book with your audience. And discuss the responsible opposing viewpoints that exist to some of the author's assertions. Three stars!
