The Bible Says So by Dan McClellen Book Review

About the Book:

The Bible is the world’s most influential book, but do we really know what it says? Every day across social media and in homes, businesses, and public spaces, people try to cut debate short by claiming that "the Bible says so!" However, they commonly disagree about what it actually does and doesn't say, particularly when it comes to socially significant issues. For instance, does the Bible say we should be on the lookout for an antichrist associated with the number 666? Does it say women shouldn’t wear revealing clothing? Does it say it’s okay to hit your kids?

In The Bible Say So, Dan McClellan leverages his popular "data over dogma" approach, and his years of experience in the academy and on social media, to lay out in clear and accessible ways what the data indicate the Bible does and doesn't say about issues ranging from homosexuality, abortion, and slavery to monotheism, inspiration, and even God's wife. Smart, accessible, and informative, The Bible Says So is an invaluable resource for our fractious times.

My Review:

This is an academic work that will probably not be of interest to most readers of the Bible. I appreciate his attention to detail in the meaning of many Hebrew and Greek words and their usage at the time of their being written.

It has been decades since I have read material on what was called then the “higher criticism” of the Bible. McClellen concludes, for example, the pastoral epistles were not written by Paul but were produced much later. While I don't like most of what he has written, I do appreciate his pointing out some of the strangest things people believe the Bible says and clarifying their error. It certainly gives one pause to think of beliefs, what is actually found in the text as opposed to what we've been told it says.

McClellen does identify himself early on as a member of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. I do think that may have influenced some of his conclusions, such as his discussion on God having a body, his understanding of Jesus' relationship to God (or being God) and the concept of hell. Nonetheless, this is a book where readers of the Bible can find out what modern scholarship is saying about it. It will also encourage readers to consider Bible passages in the greater context of the time and culture of that day.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

About the Author:

Dan McClellan is an award-winning public scholar of the Bible. He has over one million followers on social media, and tens of thousands more tune in to his online classes and his Data Over Dogma Podcast. Dan received his PhD from the University of Exeter. He worked previously as a scripture translation supervisor for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is currently an honorary fellow at Birmingham University's Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion. Photo credit: Bre Welch (Pepperfox Photo)

St Martin's Essentials, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)