It's not academic analysis but real life that confronts us in "How Do We Know The Bible Is True? Volume 1″, edited by Ken Ham and Brodie Hodge. Yes, it passes the academic test, but it wants us to be able to face an antagonistic world. It addresses the questions the world is asking Christians today. Not only do we have little effect on a world for which we have no answers, but these are the type of questions that pull our children away from Christianity.

The chapters are 28 relevant questions answered by various authors. The first one had me hooked as it answered the question "How Do We Know The Bible Is True?" How would you answer that question? We might answer "by faith", but that means nothing to the non-Christian. Here and at other places in the book the laws of logic are brought to bear. What could be better in a world that says we believe the Bible against reason. Find out here that though faith will never be taken out of the equation, our belief is not against reason!

In chapters on the reliability of the Old and New Testament we get answers (really good answers) to questions Christian young folks hear on college campuses or at the workplace. I heard these things attacked when I went to the University of Tennessee several years ago and I had to dig hard. I want my children to read this before they get in such a situation. I saw others then have their faith crumble as they had no answers to such things. But there are answers, and this book lays them out beautifully.

Some questions are not as critical as others—like the 3 days of Christ in the Tomb and so which day was Christ crucified on, or issues like polygamy. Others are great! People throw up Bible contradictions, or who wrote Genesis, or how to view evidence. In several places you will learn that carbon dating doesn't prove a thing because of the assumptions made, that the assumption of uniformity is not legitimate on the part of evolutionists, or best of all, the strongest arguments that evolutionists make is only possible if God exists. You've got to read about that great fact.

I highly recommend this book. If Christian young people mastered the contents of this book, far fewer of them would drift away. May the Lord use this book to that end.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive 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 .

How Do We Know the Bible is True? Volume 1 is, at heart, an apologetics book. It seeks to equip Christians to defend the faith. Eighteen authors contribute twenty-eight chapters covering a broad variety of apologetics-related issues.

Issues core to the faith, like the reliability of the Old and New Testaments, and the doctrine of the Trinity are also covered. But these chapters are interspersed with more focused, niche chapters. To say that the book is deeply diverse and varied is perhaps an understatement; a chapter on hermeneutics sits next to a chapter on the Da Vinci Code, and a chapter on the moral incoherence of evolution sits next to a chapter on polygamy. Many books must be read consecutively to be understood; it is entirely possible that this book is better understood if not read consecutively!

However, that is not to say that a consecutive reading of the book is a strain. While there may be a certain logic to grouping big-picture topics and focused, niche topics into their own sections, alternating between focused and broad topics actually offers a rather pleasant change of pace.

Naturally, given the life-work of the editors, a number of the chapters focus on defending the Bible's account of Creation. But with chapters on polygamy, the doctrine of the Trinity, the Da Vinci Code, Laminin, the perpetual virginity of Mary, and whether other religious writings can be from God, the book contains enough new material to commend its purchase to those who already own several of Ham's previous Creation Science books.

In the chapter on "How Did We Get the Bible in English," chapter author Herb Samworth accepts a number of the principles and assumptions of modern textual criticism; however, his treatment is more balanced than many, as he acknowledges an ongoing controversy over the critical text's reliability.

How Do We Know the Bible is True? Volume 1 is a fascinating read, and highly recommended.

Ever since the publication of Already Gone (and more recently Already Compromised), Answers in Genesis has been increasingly pumping out general apologetics materials. Why? Why not just stick to creation apologetics? Because the results of the survey upon which Already Gone is based revealed that our children have basic questions about the reliability of the Bible and that many of them cannot even explain basic doctrine, though they have tons of "Bible stories" pretty much burned into their brains. Worse still, the average guy in the pew cannot answer their questions and their clergy are being increasingly indoctrinated in compromise positions of the Bible [see Already Compromised by Ken Ham & Greg Hall for more on that]. As in Spurgeon's day, Christianity is once more on the "down-grade" — and we must do everything we can to stop it!

This volume touches upon 28 relevant apologetics issues providing Biblical answers to questions such as:

-Was Genesis derived from ancient myths? Did Moses write Genesis? Is the age of the earth a salvation issue?

-Are the Old and New Testament Scriptures reliable? How did we get the Bible in English?

-What about the "factual" claims of The DaVinci Code? Did the Resurrection really happen? What about miracles?

-How do we make sense of the Trinity and does the really Bible teach this doctrine concerning God? Does the Bible teach the perpetual Virginity of Mary? Does it condone polygamy?

-Is the Bible inerrant? Do the Scriptures contain contradictions? What about other religious writings?

Contributors to this volume include Ken Ham, Bodie Hodge, Jason Lisle, Brian Edwards, Tommy Mitchell, Steve Ham, Jobe Martin, Steve Fazekas, Terry Mortenson, Paul Taylor, Tim Chaffey, Herb Samworth, Roger Patterson, Bob McCabe, Georgia Purdom, Jim Gardner and John MacArthur (who delivers a truly inspirational Afterword). I also enjoyed Dr. Purdom's discussion of laminin and her warning against seeking after signs; her thoughts meshed well with Ken Ham's discussion on how we ought to use evidence and how we ought to avoid continuing to use once-cherished evidences that have proven to be false. I could not in good conscience end this review without recommending Tim Chaffey's assessment of the "factual" claims of The da Vinci Code, and Chaffey and McCabe's excellent analysis of Framework Hypothesis. Lisle also provides some bite-sized excerpts of his arguments on from The Ultimate Proof of Creation.

We need to arm ourselves with good apologetic resources like this one because, as Jim Gardner notes, "This [culture] war is really about the authority of Scripture. Either God meant exactly what He said and said exactly what He meant regarding the creation account, or He didn't" [p. 210 - brackets mine]

How do we know the Bible is true?

Are there contradictions in the Bible?

Is there purpose and meaning in life?

Is the age of the Earth a salvation issue?

My 14 year old son and I have been reading How Do We Know the Bible is True? together since the beginning of the school year. We decided to do this book instead of our regular curriculum.

How Do We Know the Bible is True? is a book of questions and answers by many different authors. Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge are the general editors, and they have done a fantastic job of putting the book together in a logical/sequential fashion. This book speaks to the logical side of my brain, that part of my brain that still longs to do lengthy mathematical proofs. A question is presented, answered/proven, and from then on it is assumed to be true as a basis for answering further questions. This makes complete sense and avoids unnecessary repetition.

Most of the time I read a chapter first, write some study questions, then my son reads it and answers the questions. This works well because I can integrate it right into his SOS curriculum (by creating a custom subject). It also works well because I can see how much he grasps or doesn't grasp. There have been a few times when I haven't had a chance to get it done before he is assigned the book. It is a great reward to hear him say, "Oh Mom, you definitely have to read this chapter. You are going to love it!" (As if I wouldn't be reading it.) Or, "This is my favorite chapter yet!" (Yes, he said that more than once).

Don't get me wrong, it's not an easy read. My 14 year old loves to argue. In an effort to nudge him in the direction of learning debate, I found this book to be an excellent resource for presenting the polite way to argue. If you can get your brain in the right mood, the book is easy to read. Each chapter swells with information and is presented at a fast pace. The authors do not necessarily write out counter-arguments, however it is understood they are writing to answer common objections. Once I pointed out this writing style to my son, he got the hang of it very quickly.

This book would make an excellent resource for your home library. It is full of information and more information and information on where to get MORE information! And it's only Volume 1...there's even more to come! Oh, and I am very pleased to add that the Gospel is presented clearly, making this also a good book to share with your skeptical friends who have questions that may seem difficult to answer.

How Do We Know the Bible is True? is a book that is written in essay format to provide answers to some of Christianity's pressing questions such as:

Is the Trinity thee different Gods? by Jobe Martin

Laminin and the Cross by Georgia Purdom

What about the factual claims in the Da Vinci Code? by Tim Chaffey

Is the perpetual virginity of Mary a Biblical View? by Bodie Hodge

Is the age of the earth a salvation issue? by Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge

and more

The first couple chapters, to me, were somewhat technical and it took a few re-readings of sentences for me to grasp everything that was being discussed in relation to the questions but after that the rest of the book was smooth sailing. It isn't a book though that you will find yourself snuggling up under a warm blanket at night and relaxing with — full of facts and Biblical answers to questions that Christians and non believers have — it is one that needs your full attention.

I found the information such as the historical accuracies regarding the Old and New Testaments to be very enlightening, such as I had no idea that at one time archaeologist and historians claimed that King David never existed until evidence was found that proved the Bible to be true once again. I really did find myself enjoying this book even though the information in it can be heavy at times, it's a definite must read for Christians who are seeking answers or for those who are Christians who don't believe in the Bible or non believers who want answers but aren't finding them in today's modern church.

Whether you've been a Christian for years or are just starting out on your walk with Christ these well researched and documented essays will have you getting out your Bible and getting some answers to questions that have longed plagued Christianity. It isn't a denominational book — it's written for all denominations and I really liked the sensitivity that was given in dealing with Mary's perpetual virginity or not.

**I was given a copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for my honest review, no other compensation was given.