The Bible Reset
Simple Breakthroughs to Make Scripture Come Alive
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- $17.99
Publisher Description
**By the Co-Creator ofImmerse: The Reading Bible—ECPA 2022 Bible of the Year!**
Confused. Frustrated. Apathetic. If you feel this way about the Bible, you're not alone. The reality is that we've been set up to fail when we read the Bible, inheriting barriers and habits that make reading Scripture harder than it needs to be. Alex Goodwin, co-founder of the Institute for Bible Reading, will show you a better way forward.
Discover how the physical format of our Bibles can make or break our Bible reading and how changing our reading habits can help us see that Scripture is alive. Learn how the ancient collection of writings compiled in the Bible tells a story that is still unfolding—a story God is inviting you to live into today. You'll get
• actionable steps toward a flourishing relationship with the Bible,
• a grand sense of the overall story the Bible is telling,
• a clear sense of how you can participate in God's work of restoration and renewal, and
• renewed curiosity about the Bible in ways you didn't think were possible.
Alex was once intimidated (and bored) by Bible reading too! He presents his discoveries in ways that are easy to access, full of illustrations, and peppered with humor to keep you engaged. Whether reading on your own or with a church or small group, you'll be surprised at how your fascination will develop and your life will be transformed as you read and enjoy Scripture in fresh, new ways.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"The Bible can still speak to us today, and not in the minimalistic, cherry-picked ways we've been settling for," promises this approachable debut guide from Goodwin, cofounder of the Institute for Bible Reading. Assuring those who struggle with reading the Bible that they aren't alone (his own attempts often left him "confused, frustrated, and bored"), Goodwin posits that such formatting roadblocks as multiple columns and numbered verses lend the impression "of an overcrowded textbook." The more "readable Bible" created by Goodwin and colleagues at the Institute for Bible Reading excised such "modern additives" as chapter and verse numbers and reshuffled the order of books in the New Testament so that they more "naturally correspond"; this "intuitive" reading approach allows readers to experience the Bible's "lifeblood" in "all its strangeness and wonder," according to Goodwin. Christians seeking to revive their own practice can begin by using his or any reader's Bible, reading books from start to finish (rather than isolated passages), and refraining from carving out passages to advance personal agendas, while Bible study groups should keep conversations organic and stick to readers' "impressions of the text" rather than hewing to "right or wrong answers." Goodwin's insights are practical, digestible, and will go a long way in helping frustrated believers reframe the Bible as a rich and complex "grand narrative" rather than a collection of bumper-sticker quotes. The faithful will be inspired.
