Inspired by Rachel Held Evans is a journey through the various genres of the Bible where Rachel shares insights into the different types of literature and the Jewish context. While there are times when western Christians do take poetic sections and metaphors in the Bible too literally, I found Rachel went too far by not taking even the historical stories in the Bible as true. She takes the view that the oral transmission of the Old Testament isn’t reliable, which surprises me since many ancient history professors do find this an accurate method. It saddens me that Rachel takes such a view when she has done much research and shares many worthwhile comments. She also struggles to believe that Jesus’ miracles actually happened. She seems to doubt the power of God.
Rachel writes for people like herself who grew up in a conservative evangelical church where questions weren’t welcomed or addressed. She didn’t accept that being a Christian meant disengaging your brain (and neither do I). This sent her on a journey of examining the Scriptures and wrestling with her faith. I don’t doubt Rachel’s commitment to Christ but I’m concerned about her views as it creates a shaky spiritual foundation if you have so little faith in the accuracy of the Bible.
Overall, it’s a challenging book to read when you don’t agree with her premise, nevertheless, it’s well written and well researched, though with a strong bias.
