THIS DANGEROUS BOOK by Steve & Jackie Green: A Review & Giveaway

 by Sally Matheny

This Dangerous Book

“Research shows over 80 percent of Americans own a hard copy of the Bible. More than half of agnostics and skeptics own a Bible.

But have you ever asked, ‘What is this book, really?’” 
                 -This Dangerous Book

The release of THIS DANGEROUS BOOK coincides with the opening of the Museum of the Bible located in Washington D.C. Steve and Jackie Green, the founding family of the museum, co-authored this book with Bill High. 

It’s a book about three journeys—that of the Bible, the Green’s, and the Museum of the Bible.

The Greens interweave vignettes of their own faith journey while sharing fascinating information about the Bible and the effect it has had on people throughout history. They are transparent about their Christian faith in the book, yet they have chosen not to proselytize within the museum.

        “We would not promote our faith but could present the facts.”

No doubt, some people will say there’s not enough of Jesus represented at the museum, while others will say there’s too much.

“Yet throughout the process, we’ve continued to pursue a factual presentation of the Bible…I know that we won’t satisfy everyone. There will still be critics who will challenge our methods and motives…Like it or not, the Bible simply cannot be ignored.”

The mission of the museum is to “invite all people to engage with the history, impact, and narrative of the Bible. It is the largest museum in the world “devoted solely to the presentation and the preservation of the Bible.”

THIS DANGEROUS BOOK opens with almost twenty endorsements from folks such as Lee Strobel, Dr. David Jeremiah, and Korie Robertson. After a foreword by Rick Warren, the book contains five parts:

Part 1: The Story Begins

Part 2: The Book

Part 3: Collecting Secrets

Part 4: Appeal to Heaven

Part 5: To the Ends of the Earth

Each part contains three to four chapters. Each chapter opens with three or four quotations—some from the Bible, some from people since the Bible’s publication. Most are from Christians but a few are not, such as the one from the fictional Huckleberry Finn.

The chapters jump through a wide variety of topics. The book tells the overall message of the Bible. It mentions the role of many of the people in the Bible. 

Jackie shares how scriptures have helped during their struggles, her ordeal with arthritis, and how the Bible encouraged them during their adoption process.

Steve shares about taking ownership of his faith, about acquiring artifacts, and the importance of digging into the historical aspects of the Bible. 

Notes marking exceptional points
 I want to ponder again.

A great deal of the book focuses on the significance of the Bible’s influence throughout history in various cultures.

There are sixteen pages of color photos of the museum, artifacts, and of the Greens. Sixteen pages of color maps are located at the back of the book along with an index and extensive, annotated bibliography. It would've been nice to have included a graphic of when each book of the Bible was believed to have been written.

While I thought the topics jumped around a bit within each chapter, I enjoyed the overall content of this book. I especially enjoyed reading the quotes about the Bible from various people throughout history. I placed sticky notes on pages marking exceptional points I want to ponder over later. As you can see from the photo, there are many.

One of my favorite sections is in the first pages of, “Exploring Truth.”

“Now, when we suggest that we should all do our best to explore God and the Bible ourselves, that doesn’t mean we will come up with different answers.

In our world, the idea that everyone can arrive at their own conclusion based on personal feelings about any given topic threatens the very way we think about truth…

There is, we believe, one truth. Not a truth for you and a truth for me…

We believe there are multiple applications for Scripture, but only one interpretation.”

I have to be honest with you. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it when I first heard the Museum of the Bible would be taking a middle-of-the-road stance. But after reading THE DANGEROUS BOOK, I understand their reasoning. The museum’s purpose is not the same as that of the Billy Graham Library. They simply want to preserve and present the historical facts of the Bible and the impact it has made throughout the world.

People will come from all over to see what their connection is to this enduring Book. Let them see. Let them ponder. God's Word will not return void.

 

"The Word of the Lord endures forever."

Good news! I received two copies of this book for my honest review. That means I have one to give away to one of you. 

I’ll randomly choose a winner from my email subscriber list on Black Friday, November 24. I’ll announce it here, so pop back in between your Christmas shopping trips to see who won. In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving!

“It’s our belief you should not blame the Bible for man’s misuse of it.”

 - from This Dangerous Book by Steve and Jackie Green.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher in return for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

WINNER: Stephani of Willow Glen Farm- Congratulations!