Keeping Faith in an Age of Reason

I did a chapter breakdown covering this great book on my podcast here - https://cavetothecross.com/category/keeping-faith-in-an-age-of-reason-jason-lisle/

Lisle does a great job again of making an easy-to-digest quick reference guide on 420 supposed contradictions. Lisle does some puddle jumping and doesn't cover the topic fully but that's not a negative but the purpose of the book. There were only a few answers to which I disagreed with Lisle's take on it. All in all, this is a good reference book that doesn't need to be fully read through but also can be. Final Grade - A

This is a great book and is very informative.

I highly recommend any book written by Jason Lisle. I learned so much from this book, and it will be a great resource to have on hand for unbelievers' questions/concerns. I also think it will be an excellent resource to use alongside the Introduction to Logic curriculum set. Thanks MB!

Wow! This book is so helpful, not only with discussions amongst our family, but also with many questions, as Christians, we often face. I plan to purchase this for a non-Christian friend of mine who is struggling with uncertainties of her own. I know that the layout of this book (question - answer - scripture) will be a great resource for her.

I learned a ton in just the first chapter of this book. Highly recommended!

Over 400 questions with answers and scripture to support answers. This is an excellent read and the next level of a deeper learning of God's Word. I bought this along with The New Answers Book 1-4 and plan on making it a family bible study/discussion. Amazing!!!

Keeping Faith in an Age of Reason is exactly what I was looking for in the next step of our learning adventure. I appreciate Mr. Lisle’s introduction to common fallacies. It’s as if this book picks right up from where we are leaving off this learning year. I like that each claim stands on its own – allowing us the freedom to move within the text at our own discretion. I love that each claim lists only Bible references; encouraging our children to not take anyone’s claims as truth, but to seek out Scripture for themselves. Keeping Faith in the Age of Reason is incredible! While, in truth, we have other resources of this nature which lay out alleged Bible contradictions, my husband and I both agree this book exceeds them all.

Building on our foundation of fallacy detecting, this fantastic resource will help my children better understand Scripture, strengthen their faith, and arm them with the answers they need. I am excited to be adding Keeping Faith in an Age of Reason to our learning routine next year, and know we will be blessed by this thorough study of God’s Word.

We’ve probably all heard people give their excuses for why they don’t believe or trust the Bible.

It’s old. It’s irrelevant. Science disproves it. It was written (or translated) by men…

Among all the excuses there is always this one: there are too many contradictions.

Since this is not an issue I struggle with, I have to admit that this excuse throws me a bit. I’m not a “scholar” by any means, but I read my Bible. I study God’s word. I’ve just never been one to see these contradictions – they don’t stand out to me. Still, I need to be prepared to handle these conversations with wisdom and grace.

That is why I’m so thankful to have been given this opportunity to preview Jason Lisles new book Keeping Faith in an Age of Reason.

Upon reading this book, I was immediately thankful to the author for taking the time in his introduction to explain and define “contradiction”. He also made sure to explain several common fallacies. This helped me to better understand where a critic might be coming from.

Then Jason Lisle dives right into his list of over 400 claims of contradictions.

Over 400?!? Seriously? Yes. Apparently so.

In his book Keeping Faith in an Age of Reason Jason Lisle covers six different areas of contradictions: Quantitative Differences, Names, Places, and Genealogies, Timing of Events, Cause and Effect, Differences in Details, and finally, Yes and No.

Normally the type of material covered in this book would be overwhelming to me. However, Jason Lisle does an excellent job taking each contradiction and explaining what type of fallacy it is, breaking it down and giving facts in a brief and concise manner that makes it easy for the reader to understand and be drawn in. I learned so much from this book, and found it hard to put down.

I hope that you take time to read this book. There is much to take in and learn from it. I hope it causes you to be a Berean. To dive into your Bible and seek the Truth for yourself.


**I was given the opportunity to preview a pdf version of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are

This is an excellent resource for addressing areas of confusion or criticism within the Bible.

Lisle begins by introducing common fallacies, then works through 420 alleged contradictions to show where Bible critics have faltered in their logic, and how the Scriptures in question actually fit together.

The biblical "contradictions" are arranged in thematic sections: Quantitative Differences, Names, Places, and Genealogies, Timing of Events, Cause and Effect, Differences in Details, and Yes or No Questions. It is also easy to search for specific chapters of the Bible, using the Scripture Index in the back.

A wide range of passages and concerns are addressed, ranging from details one might not consider (e.g. #49: For how much did David buy the threshing floor?, or #186: To whom were the cities of Exhtaol and Zoreah given?), to larger theological concerns (e.g. #185: Is circumcision required?, or #329: Is God the creator of evil?). Although many of the contradictions could be addressed more thoroughly (and to include theological variances within the Christian perspective), I really appreciate the succinctness and clarity of each point, and the focus on thinking through the logic of each criticism. The practice of critical thinking--both within and outside of one's own perspective--is essential to having a strong foundation of faith; and this text allows readers to practice this skill.

Teens and adults who want to have a stronger grasp of apologetics will find this a helpful guide in affirming and defending their faith.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Master Books.

This book is going to be an amazing resource for all those conversations that usually make me cringe for all the same reasons!

I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe. However, I am a bit of an introvert so when faced with confrontation, I like to be either: well prepared or have time to think about what's discussed before responding.

Confrontational people rarely like to afford this thinking time though. But after reading this book, I feel like I would be much more prepared to stand firm and be able to explain why their misconceptions are just that.

Understanding what a contradiction really is...

In the 10 page introduction, author Jason Lisle, does a great job of explaining what a contradiction actually is. His definitions are clear and to the point. I didn't feel lost or overwhelmed trying to follow this discussion.

He then goes on to explain the common fallacies, or mistakes in reasoning, that lead to these misconceptions. I was really impressed with how well he could take a pretty in-depth subject and explain the ideas clearly with examples in only 1-2 paragraphs.

Diving into 6 major types of Bible Contradictions

Quantitative Differences

The next chapter in the book refers back to the fallacies. (Trust me, by then end of this book you won't have to refer back to them anymore!) There are many examples given where the bible seems to contradict itself due to differences in numbers.

The author goes on the explain how the numbers don't contradict each other but actually make sense.

For example; a census of people taken at the start of a journey would vary in numbers from one taken at the end of the journey where over the course of time people have passed away and others have added to their families.

Names, Places & Geneologies

Have you ever stumbled across a scripture that lists one person and then another that seems to refer to the same person by a different name? One such place is the listings of the apostles in the gospels. Just to mention a few - there was Simon also known as Peter, James who was the son of Zebedee and his brother, John, and Simon the Canaanite also known as Zelotes.

There are many examples given to answer questions like: Where did Mary and Joseph live before Jesus was born? Who were the sons of Benjamin?

Timing of Events

I found this section incredibly interesting to read because understanding the biblical timeline has always confounded me a little bit (especially with a bible that isn't set up chronologically). It is also highly specific in each example. There are some great questions about whether things occurred before or after an event.

Were plants created before or after humans? Was Jesus crucified the day before or the day after the passover meal?

I find some of the questions provoke a lot of thought because I had never questioned them before. And others answered questions I had often wondered but never enough to find the answers.

Cause and Effect

This section of the book looks at events where more than one cause can be pinpointed. And again, the fallacies around misconceptions, as cause can be multifaceted. It can be hard to point at exactly which event caused another, but just because one was a key factor, doesn't mean that the others weren't also.

Was Abraham justified by faith or by works? Who cast Jonah into the sea? Who tempted David to number Israel.

The answers are short and concise. They are detailed and yet simple enough to follow along on topics that you may have done a lot of research on, or never even pondered before.

Differences in details

Of all the books in the bibles, the ones that are most often quoted for having differences in details, or disagreeing with each other, are the gospels. However, throughout the bible, when differences like these are seen, they are usually compatible differences as opposed to conflicting ones.

Where did Jesus first appear to the 11 disciples after the resurrection? Should every man bear his own burden?

A lot of the questions in this section were ones that I hadn't ever felt conflicted about but learning even more about the differences in hebrew words and how they relate to context is fascinating.

Yes or No?

The Yes or No section of the book covers the most important questions asked because these types of questions can't be compatible differences. If the bible answer yes to a questions in one spot but then says no to the same question in another spot, then there would definitely be a contradiction.

Come and find out the truth about these questions: Is it wrong to commit adultery? Did Jesus baptize anyone? Is casting out devils the sign of a true Christian?

Why this book is a perfect addition to the homeschool library

I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing this book. I was fascinated by the answers that were given. And surprised by many of the questions asked about bible contradictions. I found that my understanding of events, times and people improved.

This book is written at a level that would best be suited for highschool students and adults. But, will also be useful for exploring with your preteens with parental guidance.

You could definitely read all the way through this book bit by bit and explore the different questions presented. Or, you could use it as a reference book time and time again when you come across these questions. Either way it is a wonderfully done book that I am happy to recommend to you.

This review was originally published at http://www.makinghermama.com/bible-contradictions/ Sept. 23/17