A doubter’s guide to the Bible : inside history’s bestseller for believers and skeptics
by John Dickson Zondervan, 2014 217 pages £7.99 Also available as an ebook
ISBN 978 0310 518 433
There can be little doubt that the Bible, in whichever language, is the world’s bestselling book of all time.
Since it was the first printed book, thanks to Gutenberg, about six billion copies have been sold.
There was a year, however, according to the author of the present book, when the Bible was not a bestseller.
In 2007, JK Rowling’s Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) sold 44 million copies worldwide; more than the Bible in that year.
While the Harry Potter books have been translated into 55 languages, the Bible, or parts of the Bible, are available in 2500 languages.
In this work the author takes the reader, believer or sceptic, all the way through the Bible story from the beginning to the end, Genesis to Revelation, in an attempt to present the Big Picture or overall theme of creation, sin, redemption and consummation.
The Bible, taken tout court to a newcomer, is by no means an easy read; even for ‘old hands’ reading or studying God’s word is not always straightforward.
John Dickson’s work may be helpful but whether doubters will see the light is an open question.