Passages by Brian Hardin

Son of a minister, Brian was determined not to go into the ministry. He got involved in the recording industry but the company he was with went bankrupt. He became aware of the emerging podcast technology and God called him to podcast the Bible, and the Daily Audio Bible was born.

Brian thought the podcast would be a temporary project but saw it grow into a community. He realized he was entering the ministry and that he was passionate about it.

Brian is very passionate about reading the Bible. He found it “reveals who you really are and illumines a path that you are created to walk.” (29) When he had completed his first full reading through the Bible, he realized he had been transformed.

He presents this challenge: “If you will commit yourself to spending every day in the Bible for one month, you will notice something shifting inside. If you'll do it for three months, you'll feel as if major places in your heart are coming back to life. It you'll stick to it for a year,you will have been transformed from the inside out.” (27)

Brian is convinced that if you read the Bible every day, everything will change (although it may not be the way you'd think).

Brian investigates why we don't read the Bible and counters with the benefits and blessings when we do. He shares how the Bible was meant to be read (story, context, etc.) and experienced (imagining ourselves in God's story). He gives many examples of how reading the Bible has changed others. He reviews many ways of interacting with the Word such as lectio divina and listening to the spoken word. He has included several Bible reading plans at the end of the book.

Brian makes some big claims for his project. “It's become one of the greatest ecumenical movements of our time.” (80) “At the Daily Audio Bible, no matter where you may physically be on this planet, you don't ever have to be alone again.” (90) As an older person, I would not agree that an individual connecting to others via digital media actually changes being alone.

Brian Hardin is a speaker, photographer, record producer and an ordained minister. In 2006, he created the Daily Audio Bible, an online podcast that now delivers 1.5 million downloads a month. He has produced over 150 albums and works with artists and the arts extensively. He is married to Christian musician Jill Parr.

Visit www.dailyaudiblebible.com.

Zondervan, 217 pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.