Product Overview
Millions of people around the world look to the Bible as a source of encouragement and faith formation, a reminder that God is love and is in control, and a guide to living one's life the way God desires. But this treasured book has also been misused and manipulated by many, placed on a pedestal of untouchability, and protected from questioning and honest engagement.
In Permission Granted, Jennifer Grace Bird encourages people of faith to explore the texts on their own, freed from long-held myths and misconceptions; experience the Bible anew; and appreciate this holy book for what it is—not what we think it should be.
With the sensitivity of one who has discovered this freedom herself, Bird invites readers to engage what the Bible really says about twelve key issues, including sin, sex, and the role of women.
Reviews
"Curious about the Bible? Jennifer Bird's Permission Granted: Take the Bible into Your Own Hands gives you the tools to explore the Bible on your own. It provides clear questions and specific examples to help you reach your own conclusions about what the Bible means for you."
—Nyasha Junior, Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible, Temple University
"In a distinctly personal style Jennifer Bird invites us to honor our own questions about the Bible. Rather than submit to scripture because `we're supposed to' or rejecting the Bible as irrelevant, Bird supplies readers with fresh information and new perspectives for making their own judgments on issues ranging from biblical sexualities and violence to what it means to believe in Jesus."
—Greg Carey, Professor of New Testament, Lancaster Theological Seminary
"Jennifer Bird is a God-wrestler who is willing to talk back to the Bible when it doesn't make sense. Though some might be offended by her claims, I consider Bird's book to be an excellent model for authentic discipleship and adult faith, written in very accessible, easy-flowing language."
—Morgan Guyton, Director, NOLA Wesley Campus Ministry and Blogger at Patheos.com
"Permission Granted is an excellent reentry point for honest, adult engagement with the Bible, whether you have been touched by it or burned by it (or both). This book is passionate without sacrificing compassion, academically informed but accessible. Jennifer Bird's voice is a unique and important one: warm and witty, sage and occasionally snarky, but ultimately deeply reflective and profoundly serious about the troubles many people have with the Bible and how it is used by people today."
— Joseph A. Marchal, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Ball State University
"Jennifer Bird has written an accessible, encouraging, and enlightening guide to understanding the Bible better. For those who love the Bible but have serious questions about it, Permission Granted offers information, fellowship, and ultimately the freedom learn and explore without fear. This is a winsome yet challenging read that made me love the Bible all the more."
—Rachel Held Evans, author of A Year of Biblical Womanhood and Searching for Sunday