Wipf and Stock Introduction To Bibliology: What Every Christian Should Know about the Origins, Composition, Inspiration, Interpretation, Canonicity, and Transmission of the Bible

All serious Christians understand the importance of Bible study, but relatively few have a solid foundation in bibliology or an informed and thoughtful philosophy of the Bible. In Introduction to Bibliology, Jefrey Breshears explores issues of vital interest and concern to Christians and non-Christians alike regarding the content and authority of the Bible, including: - What is the Bible? If asked to define the Bible without using the familiar cliche, "The Bible is the written Word of God," how would you respond? - Does the Bible present a coherent, consistent, comprehensive, and compelling worldview and philosophy of life? - Is there a qualitative difference between the kind of inspiration that we encounter in Scripture and that which motivates gifted writers, speakers, preachers, composers, and artists to produce their works? - Why is it reasonable to believe that the Bible was supernaturally inspired? - What are the origins of the Bible, and how were the early manuscripts composed? - What were the criteria by which certain books were included or excluded from the Bible? - What are the basic principles that should guide our interpretation of Scripture? - How can we be confident that the Bible has been accurately preserved and transmitted through the centuries? In this substantive yet digestible study, Jefrey Breshears addresses these and many other issues and concerns that every Christian--and non-Christian--should know about the Bible. "Jefrey Breshears has given us a wonderful resource that is relevant for addressing many questions about the Bible being raised today. As a historian, Breshears goes where the hard data points--and no further. This book is well-written and is recommended for students from the level of high school through graduate school and beyond." --Michael Licona, Houston Baptist University "In an age of increasing misunderstanding, misinformation, and 'fake news' about the Bible's origin, nature, history, and more, Breshears has done a service to the Christian community by amassing a tremendous amount of material into an accessible and readable resource. His skills as a historian and experience as an apologist are especially relevant as they are brought to bear upon his treatment of the major dimensions of bibliology from inspiration to interpretation." --Richard G. Howe, Southern Evangelical Seminary "Many people today earnestly want to grow in their reading, studying, and understanding of the Bible. There is no better place to start one's study of Scripture than with Breshears' helpful book Introduction to Bibliology." --Kenneth Samples, Senior Research Scholar, Reasons to Believe "This forthright overview of bibliology is one-of-a-kind: a truly rare find in surveying such a vital field with fresh scholarship, while the writing in plain English is vibrant and delightfully accessible!" --Tom Woodward, Trinity College of Florida Jefrey D. Breshears is a former history professor and the founder of The Areopagus, a Christian education organization in Atlanta, Georgia that sponsors seminars and forums in Christian history, apologetics, contemporary cultural issues, and literature and the arts. In addition to Introduction to Bibliology, he is also the author of The Problem of Christian Anti-Intellectualism, The Absolute Truth About Relativism, Natural Law: The Moral Foundation for Social and Political Civility, and The Ministry of the Watchman.