Is the Bible Intolerant?

by Amy Orr-Ewing

Book Overview

Why bother with the Bible? Of all the books in the world, the Bible sticks out like a sore thumb. For some, it's uniquely and divinely inspired, and thus the only authoritative source of truth. For others, it's a quaint relic from a bygone era that offers personal comfort to some but little more to anyone else. For still others, the Bible is a tool of sexist oppression, or a reactionary account of a violent God, or an arrogant detractor of other holy...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 083083351X
• ISBN13: 9780830833511
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press
• Length: 142 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

very good conversational apologetic writing

The author does a very good job at presenting scholarly and insightful material in a way that can be used in daily conversations with folks who have objections about Christianity.

Book Review

Well balanced, thoughtful and well argued. It is a very straightforward apologetic in defense of the Bible being God's word.

An Intellectual Analysis

This book answers the basic questions from a very intellectual and logical perspective. Ewing presents her case, defends it, and then leaves you thinking on a deeper level. Every college student should read this before engaging in any debate over his/her faith. This book even touched on some issues we talked about at my liberal arts class, exactly addressing them where I needed. This was a godsend.

Accessible and Thorough

This book is a wonderful and easy to read resource that counters many of the slogans used to deny the truth claims of Christianity or the Bible. Often your garden-variety skeptic will say things like, "the Bible has been changed so many times we can't trust what we have," or, "more people have died because of religion than any other reason," and use such good-sounding slogans to ward off any serious argument. Orr-Ewing's book does a masterful job of dealing with such claims head-on, and in this way it makes a great read for both Christians and skeptics. There is more to the book than just anti-sloganeering. Orr-Ewing also deals well in the realms of comparative religions--being especially well versed with Islam and the Qur'an--biblical criticism, and philosophy. For example, the author does a wonderful job of addressing the criticism that Scripture is homophobic. While noting the values inherent in such a charge, she speaks well to the biblical witness on human sexuality. She notes that the biblical view is far from culturally conditioned. The surrounding cultures in the times represented by both the Old and New Testaments were very open with their homosexual, and other sexual, practices. Both Testaments represent a very counter-cultural view for their times, and it just happens to be the case that the biblical view on human sexuality is again deeply counter-cultural. There was nothing culturally conditioned about its view when it was written, and there is no good reason for its view to be altered now that it is again. This is one of those wonderful books written by a serious theologian that addresses several pertinent issues in a manner accessible to most every reader. I highly recommend this book to any skeptic honestly seeking answers to their questions and to Christians looking for a solid apologetic resource.

Quick Yet Substantial Answers

The past few centuries of criticizing the Bible has resulted in a culture that generally mistrusts the authenticity and authority of the Bible. Even many Christians are willing to accept that the Bible contains errors. This mistrust is often a stumbling block in evangelism since the Gospel depends on the Bible being God's inspired Word. In Is the Bible Intolerant? apologist Amy Orr-Ewing tackles the ten most common objections to the Bible. Mrs. Orr-Ewing begins with the most postmodern objection- "Isn't it all a matter of interpretation?" She analyzes contemporary language (mostly through Foucault) and describes reader responsibility through proper interpretation. The next challenge addressed is similar- whether history is something we create or something we learn. These two issues set the foundation for directly addressing the Bible. Mrs. Orr-Ewing looks at whether the biblical manuscripts are reliable, whether their content is reliable, why we hold only to the traditional 66 books of the Bible, and how the Bible compares to the scriptures of Islam and Hinduism. She also looks at the Bible's view of women, war, and sex. The final chapter asks the question: "How can I know?" After sharing her testimony, she explains that we can know Jesus because God has revealed Him to us. There are a couple of points that detract from this otherwise great book. One is that readers unfamiliar with the philosophic discussion of postmodernism will likely not easily grasp some of the points in the first chapter on matters of language. Apart from the section, though, the book is incredibly beginner friendly. The other point is that in her discussion on the Bible's view of women, Amy Orr-Ewing offers some less than accurate portrayals of the biblical data and contemporary views of it. For example, she states "God is predominantly spoken of with male imagery."(97) This is a real understatement since the Bible describes God with more than just male imagery; it describes Him with male language almost universally. These points are small exceptions to a book that does an excellent job introducing readers to a variety of issues while providing helpful answers to difficult questions. Weighing in at only 127 pages, Is the Bible Intolerant? should be the first choice for those seeking quick answers about challenges against the Bible.