The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It

"The Bible Tells Me So" is the third book that I have read now from Peter Enns. I can summarize my reaction to be book by saying, "Whoa, that was awesome!" Let me unpack that for you so that I do not come across as a total deadhead (at least for now, feel free to think that way at the end of these remarks).Nearly two years ago, I initially came across "Inspiration and Incarnation" by accident. Having recently graduated from a neo-Reformed seminary, I remembered that Enns' work had been described there as "dangerous" by the students, and as "problematic" by the faculty -- like contraband. Yet with anything akin to contraband, I could not help but wonder what all of the so-called controversy was about with the book. Why avoid engagement with a person or a topic if it is as solid as people suggest?Like many recently graduated seminarians, I still had many questions that were left unanswered. Where was I to go? Should I treat seminary like a closed book or like a stepping stone that takes me to new places in theology? Those two options seem to be common for graduates, especially of evangelical schools.Opting for adventure, I took the risk and began reading it, although, I admit, I read it in private. Sadly, my reason for doing this was because I did not want other friends from seminary and in my denomination to find out that I was actually engaging with Enns' material. If they found out that I was considering his arguments, let alone reading it, I feared what that might mean for my life and my hopes for pursuing vocational church ministry in the future. I could be blacklisted, because, I was in possession of contraband.What I encountered then took my breath away, and in many ways, I am still reveling in what Enns' arguments introduced me to in the world of biblical scholarship. In "Inspiration and Incarnation," not only did Enns show how the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible was influenced by other ANE writings, but he also began to probe into the diverse ways that the theology takes shape throughout Israel's history. In addition, he provided a helpful overview of some of the ways that writers in the New Testament handle Old Testament texts. In short, Enns was one of the voices who forced me to consider that my seminary education was insulated from the rest of the world and academia, and quite frankly, that was very upsetting for me. I thought that my professors were the toughest dogs on the block, but I began to realize that their barking just stayed on their street--they didn't reverberate out into the rest of the city (okay, I will stop with the lame analogies).This contributed to a major conflict in my life, but one that I look back upon now with gratitude: if I was to take the Bible seriously, as I had been taught, how should I respond to a text like this one? Should I consider the strength of these arguments and look further into similar discussions? What if it challenged the system of doctrine that I had been taught? What would that mean to someone like me and my future?Or, was I to immediately reject them and revert to the system of biblical interpretation that I had been taught in seminary and to that which was normative in my conservative Reformed denomination? In other words, I had two options: take a risk or play it safe.So, I opted for the latter and two years later, after a complete paradigm shift, I do not regret my decision at all. Throughout the past two years, I have read other books and various articles that make the similar arguments as Enns' did with "Inspiration and Incarnation." Due to the almost overwhelming amount of material out there in biblical scholarship that critiques inerrancy, I was looking forward to the day when I could find a book that would condense the arguments into a broad overview that I could give to others who asked the same questions as I did years ago as a college student and as a seminarian. How else could you expect to describe biblical criticism to someone desiring to know more about it, especially to someone who has only heard nasty things about critical scholarship--like, all critical scholars rip Bibles apart for fun or use them for coasters? And who would be qualified to write such a book? It seems that the options were limited.That is, until now. Thankfully, in "The Bible Tells Me So," Enns not only continues this conversation with these same themes that were introduced several years ago in "Inspiration and Incarnation," but he does it in a way that makes these topics accessible for all people, whether or not they have studied religion at the collegiate or graduate level. Unlike many books that handle these topics, Enns' writing style feels as if you are having a conversation with him over a bite to eat or over a cup of coffee. He is both funny and fascinating, which are two traits that don't seem to go together with biblical scholars. I'll go ahead and say it: he makes theology "fun"! (Didn't see that one coming, did you?)Not only this, but he takes very complex arguments that are shared by many biblical scholars and unpacks them so that readers can see the social backgrounds of the biblical text, like the ANE backgrounds of the Old Testament, the plurality of perspectives about God and ethics in those books, and the ways in which the New Testament writers interact with the Old Testament. If you are coming from an insulated background in the church or seminary, then you can be assured that Enns' is not the only person out there speaking in this way. He is polite and he is also transparent about what led him to have the perspectives that he does today. By doing so, there is a human touch to this book that other books dealing with these themes omit.In addition, Enns puts a Christological focus on the interpretation of Old and New Testament texts which should give comfort to readers who might be wondering about the conclusions that Enns is drawing from his critical examination of the Old Testament while reading along in the book. He even spends some time showing the ways that the writers of the Gospels portray Jesus' interpretation of the Old Testament, too. This helps the reader see for herself that it's not as nice and neat as one might suspect. Jesus didn't treat the Bible as a rulebook, so why should we?Coming from someone who works in a church, I think that this book would be of wonderful help for people as young as high school (as long as they are avid readers) and up, especially those who are frustrated with evangelical and/or fundamentalist readings of the biblical text.Only if, however, you are ready to be contradicted and challenged by God, then this might just be the book for you. As Enns tells us, "we are free to walk away from [the invitation to trust God], of course, but we are not free to make a Bible in our own image. What the Bible looks like is God's call, not ours." And what Enns does with "The Bible Tells Me So" is show us that we don't get to decide what the Bible is all about.Thank you, Dr. Enns, for taking the risk that you did years ago by taking the Bible seriously. You've changed the lives of many people, including me.

In short, this is one of the most helpful... and enjoyable... books I've ever read about the Bible.Dr. Enns' knowledge and scholarship is formidable, but his tone and spirit is completely accessible and engaging to those of us without Biblical studies/theological academic backgrounds. It's also the tone and spirit of one who seems to be an active and humble seeker of truth who is not backing away from difficult questions and dilemmas raised by reading the Bible. I grew up in an evangelical culture where the Bible was seen more as an instruction manual and the absolute authoritative "word of God". As I grew older, I had to rationalize a great deal to reconcile what some of my direct faith experience had been... experiencing significant Grace and provision from a loving Creator... and the "teachings" in the Bible that completely contradicted that experience and instead reflected violence, cruelty, exclusion, tribal barbarism, rape and genocide. I quietly had come to the conclusion that many parts of the Bible simply could not be divine "instructions" on how to live... but this was not a discussion my culture was very open to. However, this book has that discussion and deals with the historical, sociological, cultural, and motivational contexts represented.It is clear Dr. Enns loves the Bible... which may be one reason he chooses to challenge our assumptions about it. He seems to love it enough to spend his vocational life trying to understand it better and help others to do the same. For example: "The Bible is an ancient book and we shouldn't be surprised to see it act like one. So seeing God portrayed as a violent, tribal warrior is not how God is but how he was understood to be by the ancient Israelites communing with God in their time and place." And "The Bible presents a variety of points of view about God and what it means to walk in his ways. This stands to reason, since the biblical writers lived at different times, in different places, and wrote for different reasons. In reading the Bible we are watching the spiritual journeys of people long ago." And finally, "The Bible was written by a small band of people in one small part of one planet in one galaxy over a minuscule one-thousand-year period. This Bible carries the thoughts and mediations of ancient pilgrims and, I believe, according to God's purpose, has guided, comforted, and informed Christians for as long as there have been Christians."Dr. Enns makes a case for how to read the Bible that is strong academically and doesn't assault the mind or spirit. This book helped me read the Bible in a way that edifies my faith, not distract from it. Plus, as evidenced by this book, in addition to being smart and spiritually sensitive, Dr. Enns is also hilarious.Highly, highly recommend it.

Peter Enns does it again, with another refreshing and enlightening take on the Bible. Every Christian should read this. The point is that the Bible is not a rule book, and wasn't treated like that by the Jews. It was reinterpreted through the ages. Also, it points to Jesus. He's the ultimate focus of it all.I could have done with less of the corny jokes, but hey, we all have our faults :)All in all, a great read!

Zuerst einmal das Positive. Peter Enns ist fachlich kompetent, hat einen guten Stil, aufgelockert durch lieben und niemals bösartigen Humor und greift ein Thema auf, an dem sich schon viele Christen die Zähne ausgebissen haben: Die "Problemzonen" der Bibel. Als da wären, um nur ein paar zu nennen, die sprechende Schlange, die Übertragung der Erbsünde quasi als Geschlechtskrankheit, die doch sehr skurrilen Gebote , die flache Erde, der grausige "Blitzkrieg" Joshuas, der in Dschengis-Khan-Manier den halben Nahen Osten ausrottet und zerstört, und und und. Fragt man Pfarrer, Pastor oder fortgeschrittene Christen, bekommt man meistens nur ein gequältes Lächeln zu Antwort. "Äh, stimmt doch alles nicht. Was nicht heißt dass es nicht stimmt, wohlgemerkt! Die Bibel ist schließlich Gottes Wort. Und überhaupt wollen wir jetzt lieber über das sonntägliche Kaffeekränzchen reden."Für mich war es eine ehrliche, große Erleichterung zu lesen, dass Peter Enns alle diese Problemstellen kennt und auch gleich die dummen Antworten zitiert, die man bekommt ("die Kanaaniter waren eben ur-böse Ungläubige, da musste Gott einmal ordentlich reinhauen ... nein, das ist kein Dschihad und auch nicht dasselbe wie der Holocaust und die Plünderung jüdischen Vermögens!" Ich hatte schon gedacht, ich bin die einzige Idiotin auf der Welt, die mit mit solchen Bibelstellen echte Probleme hat.Also - vom Problem weiter zu einer möglichen Lösung. Und die ist bei Peter Enns auf jeden Fall originell. Er weist sehr schlüssig nach, dass bestimmte "historische Berichte" einander grob widersprechen, nicht nur bei "dem alten Judenschmuß", wie ein Glaubensbruder as AT zu bezeichnen pflegte, sondern auch in den Evangelien, dass die Urzeitgeschichten der Bibel starke Ähnlichkeit und starke Differenzen zu den gleichzeitig kursierenden Mythen anderer Völker aufweisen, dass Adam z.B. im ganzen AT nur an einer einzigen, bedeutungslosen Stelle erwähnt wird (der war doch schuld an allem, oder?) und einiges mehr, das ich mit befriedigtem Kopfnicken zur Kenntnis genommen habe. Auch das Statement, dass so ziemlich das ganze AT während und nach der Rückkehr aus der babylonischen Gefangenschaft geschrieben und reichlich überarbeitet wurde, selbstverständlich basierend auf älteren Überlieferungen und Schriften. Peter Enns führt sehr überzeugende Beweise dafür an.Dann kommt der Knaller.Was da geschrieben wurde, nennt Peter Enns "kreatives Schreiben". Soll heißen: alternative Fakten, was ein anderes Wort für Lügen, Verdrehungen, Ergänzungen etc. in einem Ausmaß ist, dass man sich an die Geschichtsklitterer in "1984" erinnert fühlt (und natürlich an Ex-POTUS D.T.) Ein Beispiel: Die scheußlichen Massaker der Landnahme haben in Wirklichkeit nicht stattgefunden, sagen die Akademiker, (Gott seis gedankt) und Peter Enns fügt hinzu: Das haben die Autoren der Bibel nur erfunden, um dem verwundeten Selbstbewusstsein der Verschleppten ein Pflaster aufzukleben. ("Mann, damals waren wir wer! Da rannten alle vor uns davon!")Spätestens an dem Punkt hat es mir die Haare aufgestellt. Die Bibel als ein Sammelsurium von Kriegspropaganda und Selbst-Bauchpinselei? "So spricht der Herr" - eine Marionette in den Händen irgendeines Zebulon oder Habakuk, dem man (wie später Jesus) in den Mund legt, was gerade passt? Andererseits: Was in der Bibel steht, ist nicht gerade eine Ode hemmungsloser Bewunderung an die alten Hebräer. Welches andere Volk hat so penibel seine Fehler und Schwächen publiziert? Steckt also doch etwas anderes hinter dem mehr als lockeren Umgang auch mit der konkreten Geschichte (Israel hatte ja eine ganz konkrete Geschichte, die - teilweise - wissenschaftlich fassbar ist!)Ich habe mich durch dieses Buch und das noch spannendere "The Evolution of Adam" durchgewühlt, bis mir die Augen brannten. Dass die Bibel wortwörtlich Gottes Wort und Seine Meinung sei, habe ich zwar nur in sehr zartem Alter geglaubt - dafür steht zu viel Gemeines, Scheußliches und einfach Falsches darin - aber wenn Peter Enns recht hat, dann kommt das doch sehr nahe an "den größten Hoax aller Zeiten" heran. Was für das AT gilt, gilt schließlich auch für das NT.Jedenfalls ist mir schon lange kein Buch mehr untergekommen, das mich so erleichtert, fasziniert, befriedigt und verärgert hat wie dieses.

Very intersting and in depth. Also reachable. I love how it's not dogmatic pleasing but truth seeking. Also very funny titles!

This is the second book I’ve read by Pete Enns and I found it an eye opener. While I don’t agree with every proposition he puts forward, what he says on the whole makes a lot of sense. If you are a Christian who wants to witness to well read atheists and skeptics, this book is a must read. I found the author’s take on OT books such as Joshua truly enlightening and it has definitely given me a new perspective on the Bible in general.I intend to read it again in a month or so as there is a lot to digest even though the author does his best to write in a light-hearted and entertaining style. Well done Pete Enns - I’ll definitely be reading more of your books.

Do your your friends (not to mention your intellect and worldview) a big favour: read as much Pete Enns as is medically possible.Enns has helped me a lot with coming to terms with what the Bible is, and how to read it. I admit envy over how clearly and entertainingly he addresses the often dry, thorny issues of biblical interpretation, as well as bringing common sense and brilliant childlike process of questioning back to our old favourite questions. Enns is the first of many scholars (some of which he cites in the references and further reading) that I am now looking into as a progression away from the worst and most arrogant excesses of fundamentalism. In the process, God and the Bible have become a lot less annoyingly magical and a lot more honest, relevant powerful in my life. The Bible is capable of acting like normal history and normal literature: as soon as you understand this a wealth of theological treasures are yours. If God can inhabit a human body, why is it so difficult for fundamentalists to grasp the idea that God's word can inhabit our normal channels of communication (namely history, myth, & literature)?He is a funny writer, knowledgeable and insightful and is always asking the sorts of questions that you often feel you can't ask at church.10/10 highly recommended.