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Better Ways to Read the Bible

Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing (Four New Lenses for Making Sense of Scripture)

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Better Ways to Read the Bible

By: Zach W. Lambert, Sarah Bessey -foreword by
Narrated by: Zach W. Lambert
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About this listen

Zach Lambert has seen the Bible used countless times as something far from the "Good Book"—both in his own life and in the experiences of others. He has seen the Bible weaponized to subjugate women, justify racism, bash LGBTQ+ people, cover up abuse, and exclude people who speak out against these injustices.

In Better Ways to Read the Bible, Lambert calls listeners to a more Christlike interpretation of Scripture. Lambert has created this accessible guide to help listeners dismantle four common lenses for reading Scripture that lead to harm—Literalism, Apocalypse, Moralism, and Hierarchy. Instead, he offers four new lenses—Jesus, Context, Flourishing, and Fruitfulness—that promote wholeness, inclusion, and flourishing for all people. This book transforms the Bible from a weapon that condemns, oppresses, and excludes into a tool that helps and heals.

Better Ways to Read the Bible, which includes a foreword by Beth Allison Barr, welcomes all Christians to reengage Scripture in life-giving ways.

©2025 Zach W. Lambert (P)2025 Christian Audio Bible Study Bibles & Bible Study Christian Living Christianity
All stars
Most relevant
I have never read a book about the Bible that made me feel so seen, welcomed by God and hopeful for my faith
Thank you for writing this, I needed to hear how much I have been ignoring God's love and been focusing on the words of men.

Absolutely Vital To Hear

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Having ready many books in this field, this is a standout read. Thoroughly researched, the author presents a thoughtful, balanced and respectful perspective to areas of extreme importance within the broader Christian community. My personal understanding has been deeply enriched and convictions strengthened, in ways that I hope, bear much improved quality “fruit” in future. I’m so grateful for the existence of this book,

Outstanding!

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I listened to this book as audio twice over and I might listen to it again soon. I plan to buy the hard copy to share with people. As a life-long Christian I will use this book to explain to people how I aim to read and interpret the Bible. I give my opinion here also as a person who studied principles of hermeneutics first as a Bible College student and then as a Psychology student who studied Narrative Analysis & Discourse Analysis. Reading literature in its cultural and historic context and reading sections of any literature within the context of what comes before is absolutely vital. I work in Mental Health and have seen the damage done by lousy interpretations of the Bible that get passed off as sound just because of these have been widely accepted for hundreds of years. Zach Lambert in this book reminds people of the various lousy and damaging interpretations of the Bible that were widely accepted in the past but are now rejected by everyone and how similar practises are going on today. He also explains the better ways to read the Bible and gives real life examples of what a positive difference these ways of reading the Bible have made in people's lives. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Important Book for Anyone Interested in Reading the Bible

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This is one of the best books I've read. I really appreciated the heart felt, personal stories alongside the messaging. Having the author narrate the book really let his passion show through too.

Beautiful

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