The Bible I Never Knew: A Closer Look At Christianity’s Main Themes, written by Dr. Peter Bylsma, aims to help combat the growing trend of biblical illiteracy —especially for readers crunched for time and challenged by the complexity of Scripture.
While many people recognize the Bible as a holy or historic book, research shows that most modern audiences have never even cracked its pages, much less come to understand the depth of its teachings. The 2024 State of the Bible report from American Bible Society reflects that only 18 percent of Americans are engaged with the Bible, with another 25 percent interested and curious but finding it inaccessible.
Bylsma has spent decades analyzing and summarizing challenging subjects in lay terms for busy people, making him uniquely qualified to release this book.
It shows that the Bible’s main themes relate to current world events and personal struggles. The book’s 19 chapters and 10 appendices present basic facts about the Bible and look deep into its stories and teachings, giving readers new insights into the Bible’s messages. Cultural facts help clarify the context of the events and messages.
Helpful appendices include a chronology of main biblical events, a short summary of each of the 66 books, a 10-page “Bible in a Nutshell,” and explanations of key figures and theological terms.
