Mood:
a-okTopic: ::Publicity and Reviews::
For more about Larry Shallenberger, see http://www.larryshallenberger.com/
Believe it or not, Christian Doctrine is making resurgence in popularity, not in Sunday School Classes regrettably, but in popular culture. First, Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE creates a popular interest in once arcane topics such as the canon and the Gnostic gospels. Most recently, Ehrman's MISQUOTING JESUS: THE STORY BEHIND WHO CHANGED THE BIBLE AND WHY raced up the New York Times bestseller list after an endorsement from the Daily Show's Jon Stewart. Ehrman claims that all that remains of scriptures are error ridden copies of the original manuscripts; therefore, the Bible cannot be trusted. In short, Ehrman gave new legs to the obscure discipline of textual criticism by stirring up doubt.
MISQUOTING TRUTH, by Dr. Timothy Paul Jones, is a calm and kind response to Ehrman's arguments. Jones methodically walks readers through each of Ehrman's charges against the reliability of the Biblical texts: We don't have the originals; the copyists make many mistakes; significant changes were made; we can't trust oral history; we don't know who wrote these books; and the books of the Bible were chosen due to church politics. Jones doesn't minimize these concerns. He acknowledges Ehrman's evidence (when it's present) and summarizes what's truly at stake. Then Jones uses his pastoral gift to help the average reader navigate these issues and discover satisfactory rebuttals to the Ehrman's arguments.
The strength of this book is Dr. Jones himself. In his introduction, Dr. Jones cites The Dallas Morning News declaration that Ehrman is part of "a need breed of biblical scholar" due to his ability to communicate complex concepts in terms that the average person can understand. Jones is equally credentialed. While holding a doctorate at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Jones brings clarity and humor to a topic once confine to the halls of academia. Jones is like a gifted television football commentator who wades through the countless X's and O's behind the game and some presents the viewer with exactly the information needed to enjoy the game. Dr. Jones wades through the Biblical languages and millennia of scholarship and extracts a readable and understandable discussion of critical Biblical issues that matter to the readers' faith.
MISQUOTING TRUTH offers a respectful tone not found in many "response books." The field of Christian apologetics is filled with too many self appointed watchdog offering up shrill ad hominen attacks against their opponents. Not so with Dr. Jones. He handles Dr. Ehrman and his arguments with civility and accuracy. MISQUOTING TRUTH is an example of how apologetics should be conducted.
MISQUOTING TRUTH is a quick read (144 pages) that takes only a few hours to suggest. As such, this book is designed to be a quick survey of textual criticism. Readers won't have all of their questions answered. However, they will close the book with a firm grasp on the major questions that challenge a belief in the reliability of scriptures. After reading MISQUOTING TRUTH I've found myself recommending it to members of my own congregation. This is a highly useful resource that should find its way into countless adult Sunday School classes, freshman Biblical Studies courses. Most importantly, this book should be read by anyone who has every questioned whether the Bible should be trusted.
