Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a Weapon of Harm Into a Tool of Healing

How can we read the Bible in ways that lead to healing and wholeness?

＂A wide-ranging and cogent guide to seeing scripture in a new light. Disenchanted Christians will be energized.＂--Publishers Weekly

As a pastor for more than ten years, 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.

If you’ve been hurt by harmful interpretations or feel disconnected from Scripture, this book offers a path forward to reclaim the Bible’s life-giving message. This accessible resource will help you

● break free from harmful interpretations that distort Scripture’s true message,
● develop Christ-centered reading practices,
● renew your relationship with Scripture,
● apply new frameworks to challenging Bible passages that have historically been misused to cause harm, and
● connect with Christians who embrace Scripture’s call to abundant life for everyone.

In this compassionate guide, Lambert dismantles four common lenses for reading the Bible that lead to harm, then offers four new lenses that promote healing and wholeness. This book welcomes all Christians--regardless of background, doubts, or wounds--to reengage Scripture in life-giving ways.

Zach W. Lambert is the lead pastor and founder of Restore Austin, a church in Austin, Texas. Under his leadership, Restore has grown from a launch team of five people in 2015 to more than 1,000 members today. He has a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is pursuing his doctorate at Duke Divinity School. Zach is the cofounder of the Post Evangelical Collective and serves on the boards of Restore Houston, Hub Garage (a nonprofit for single moms), the Austin Church Planting Network, and the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. He lives in Austin with his wife and their two sons.