New Books Network Daniel McClellan, "The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues" (St. Martin's Essentials, 2025)
Mar 18, 2026
Dan McClellan, a public scholar of the Bible known for his 'data over dogma' approach and social media outreach, breaks down how people actually read Scripture. He explores translation and canon choices, creation accounts, passages on slavery, abortion, and same-sex acts. Short, clear takes on how assumptions shape what we claim the Bible says.
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Bible As A Lego Chest Not A Jigsaw Puzzle
- The Bible is better likened to a toy chest of Lego bricks than a jigsaw with one picture; readers construct meanings from pieces to fit goals.
- This explains how coherent-sounding biblical arguments (e.g., abortion as murder) can be cobbled together though not originally intended.
Use Historical Criticism As A Foundation
- Use historical-critical tools to recover what authors and original audiences likely meant before importing later doctrines.
- McClellan recommends combining textual criticism, cognitive science, and reception history as a foundation for other approaches.
There Is No Single Bible
- 'The Bible' is not a single fixed object; canon choices, source manuscripts, and translations shape what readers call the Bible.
- McClellan notes he focuses mainly on a Protestant canon but highlights how Septuagint vs Masoretic decisions change readings.
