How The Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns
(Format used for this read: Print–hardback)
The first book I read by Pete Enns was “The Bible Tells Me So.”
(You can read that review here: https://brainglitterwithdani.com/the-bible-tells-me-so/ )
Man, did it shake me up in the very BEST way…
it had my brain hurting from all the deconstructing and reconstructing and critical thinking I was doing about what I *thought* I I knew about my Christian faith.
SAME THING HAPPENED with this book.
(and also ALWAYS HAPPENS when I listen to his podcast “The Bible For Normal People”…yall check it out…it’s WONDERFUL)
I found this very fitting that I finished this book on Easter morning, yall.
Here is the summary:
“Controversial evangelical Bible scholar, popular blogger and podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, and author of The Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty explains that the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers but instead forces us to acquire wisdom.
For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not static, Peter Enns argues. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God’s wisdom within us.
“The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible’s true subject matter,” writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn’t the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading.
Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today.
How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that “being right” is the most important measure of faith, Enns’s freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God—which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.”
When I read books for growth—especially when it comes to faith–I am a furious note taker.
I am not one to underline or write in the margins in my actual books for a few reasons:
-I seem to retain information better when I write it down. In college, I would rewrite my notes from class ALL THE TIME as a study technique. (which worked quite well by the way….I graduated magna cum laude!…and yes I am STILL very proud of that… you would understand why this was no small feat if you knew how I lived my life back then LOL
-I also like to occasionally journal about what I write down…although sometimes the deepest thought I have is literally “WTF is the author TALKING ABOUT?!?”
-I like to loan/give my books to others quite frequently…and they may not feel as strongly as I do about something on page 5 and I don’t want to interfere in their processing….so I keep my notes to myself.
Anyway…..
I have PAGES of notes from what I read in this book (and funnily enough, I borrowed this from my friend Megan and she DOES write/underline in her books…so it was kinda fun to see what stood out to her as she read…we agreed on a WHOLE LOT)
Here is my main take away from this book:
God wants us to use WISDOM in many ways when we read the Bible.
It is not a clear cut and simple, black and white, “Here everything is about life, how to live it and all you need to know about faith all written down in an easy to follow manual” type of book.
For years, I thought that was EXACTLY what it was supposed to be.
UNTIL…..
I really started researching history, learning different perspectives and interpretations, and unraveling complicated and often contradicting theology and doctrine.
Pete says we need to understand that the Bible is many things….but what it is NOT is a static, cut and dry “rule book”.
Because the Bible speaks in conflicting and often contradictory voices…
We have to use discernment and multiple sources of wisdom and discussion to figure the mess out…
I mean, renowned theologians have been doing this FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, yall!
People waaaay smarter and more devout than you and I haven’t figured it all out…what makes us think WE know the answers for sure??
While reading this book, I was reminded of a phrase my friend Jamila says all the time:
“God gave you that beautiful brain…HE WANTS YOU TO USE IT!”
Exactly Pete’s bottom line point this whole book.
Pete says the Bible was “written by various writers at different times in different places under different circumstances and for different purposes….
the Bible holds out for us an invitation to join an ancient, well traveled, sacred quest to know God, the world we live in and our place in it.”
Here are just a FEW things we should think about every time we read Scripture:
-the culture of the time when things were written
-who the author was and who was the intended audience
-what was the intended purpose of what was written
-“Reading the SITUATION–not simply the Bible–is what wisdom is about”
(YAAAAASSSSSSS to that last quote Pete 👏👏👏👏!)
One of the things addressed in this book as well is ancient Jewish traditions, history and culture….
which honestly is KEY to our understanding of the foundations of Christian faith!
Something I found fascinating that he touches on is how it is common place in Jewish culture (in biblical times and in current times) to debate the meaning of Scripture regularly.
It is not expected to ever be read WITHOUT applying questions and discussion and doubt using WISDOM for discernment.
This has never been something that is done much in traditional Protestant congregations I myself have been a part of….
It’s more of “this is what it says….this is what God means….end of story” mentality.
And honestly….deep down….that never really felt “right” to me.
Pete says “Different times and different circumstances call for people of faith to perceive God and God’s ways differently….God doesn’t change BUT God is never fully captured by OUR perceptions.”
Listen….yall need to know that Pete is CRAZY SUPER smart.
His knowledge of theology is widespread and diverse.
HE KNOWS HIS STUFF YALL.
(You can look at the pages and pages of various resources he has in the back if you need receipts)
But he is also very down to earth…and FRIGGIN’ HILARIOUS…
He has a very dry, sarcastic wit which is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS a gold star from me.
I have a bagillion quotes and notes and thoughts and musings I want to share here but I know you don’t want a book review that takes you two hours to read 🙂
I seriously sat here flipping thru my pages of notes trying to find the perfect quote or thought to sum up my thoughts on this book….
THAT IS SO HARD….
Because literally there is SO MUCH TO PROCESS up in here yall……
So much for me to absorb and mull over….
And yall should MOST DEF read this book so you can do the same!
What I think I will leave yall with is what I wrote down from the very last couple of pages:
“All our language of God, including that of biblical writers, is inescapably enmeshed with how people of any time think and talk about anything–even as they speak of one who is not bound by time and place.
Whatever any of us think about the Bible as God’s inspired word, it should make us take a step back and reflect for a moment that Scripture itself portrays the boundless God in culturally bound ways of thinking.
“God is not shocked when we ‘don’t get it’ but understands who we are and what we are and is fine with it.
The Christian tradition has always been about the business of reimagining God.
Wisdom leads us to dialogues WITH the past.
It doesn’t lead us BACK to the past.”
Thanks for another mind blowing book , Mr Enns!