A Review of Inspired by Rachel Held Evans

There was a time that I thought about reviewing the latest book from Rachel Held Evans, which is titled, Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again. The title sounded promising considering some of the comments, tweets, and blogs Evans has had regarding Christianity. She is a liberal, feminist theologian, who questions sound doctrine especially in the area of only men being pastors.

The synopsis of the book really caught my attention:

One Woman’s Journey Back to Loving the Bible

If the Bible isn’t a science book or an instruction manual, then what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she began a quest to better understand what the Bible is and how it is meant to be read. What she discovered changed her—and it will change you too.

Drawing on the best in recent scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and possible interpretations, retelling them through memoir, original poetry, short stories, soliloquies, and even a short screenplay. Undaunted by the Bible’s most difficult passages, Evans wrestles through the process of doubting, imagining, and debating Scripture’s mysteries. The Bible, she discovers, is not a static work but is a living, breathing, captivating, and confounding book that is able to equip us to join God’s loving and redemptive work in the world.

This sounded like Evans has really wrestled with the truth of Scripture and maybe has even repented of her liberalism, but that was only on the surface. Allen Nelson IV, over at Things Above Us did an extensive review of Evans' book, which he divided into 7 parts:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7