The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture's Most Controversial Issues

by Dan McClellan

Overview

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Bible scholar and popular TikToker Dan McClellan confronts misconceptions about the Bible.

The Bible is the world’s most influential book, but do we really know what it says? Every day across social media and in homes, businesses, and public spaces, people try to cut debate short by claiming that "the Bible says so!" However, they commonly disagree about what it actually does and doesn't say, particularly when it comes to socially significant issues. For instance, does the Bible say we should be on the lookout for an antichrist associated with the number 666? Does it say women shouldn’t wear revealing clothing? Does it say it’s okay to hit your kids?

In The Bible Say So, Dan McClellan leverages his popular "data over dogma" approach, and his years of experience in the academy and on social media, to lay out in clear and accessible ways what the data indicate the Bible does and doesn't say about issues ranging from homosexuality, abortion, and slavery to monotheism, inspiration, and even God's wife. Smart, accessible, and informative, The Bible Says So is an invaluable resource for our fractious times.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250347466
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/29/2025
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Dan McClellan is an award-winning public scholar of the Bible. He has over one million followers on social media, and tens of thousands more tune in to his online classes and his Data Over Dogma Podcast. Dan received his PhD from the University of Exeter. He worked previously as a scripture translation supervisor for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is currently an honorary fellow at Birmingham University's Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion.

Editorial Reviews

02/10/2025

Data Over Dogma podcaster McClellan debuts with a smart and historically grounded look at what scripture says about some of Christianity’s most provocative questions. Drawing on the text and canonical sources, he unpacks the origins of what he argues are misconstrued symbols (the number 666 does not signify “the mark of the beast” but is more likely code for Roman emperor Nero, an infamous “persecutor of early Christians” around the time the number first appeared in scripture); debunks literalist readings (while the book of Proverbs supports corporal punishment for children, the practice should be considered a relic of the ancient world); and unravels the nuances of hot-button issues, arguing, for example, that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality because “the concept of sexual orientation” didn’t exist in ancient times—though it does prohibit same-sex intercourse. In the process, he perceptively examines how biblical tenets have been skewed or exploited by some believers to cloak their innate prejudices, which then become “identity markers” used to justify “authoritarianism and social dominance.” Combining fine-grained textual analysis with enlightening historical context, this is a valuable resource. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"With faith-based skepticism and a hint of irreverence... The work will best serve readers hoping to resolve specific issues with how the Bible is used."

—Library Journal

"Smart and historically grounded... Combining fine-grained textual analysis with enlightening historical context, this is a valuable resource."

—Publishers Weekly

"McClellan’s work is worth your time. In fact, it’s a great gift. I plan to give it to my parents and in-laws."

—The Exponent II

"[McClellan's] humor and approachability are a big part of the appeal."

—Jana Reiss, Religious News Service

"McClellan’s perspective is an antidote to so much that is unnecessarily harsh about our current culture—and his work serves as a map for how we can approach many of life’s bigger questions and debates."

—Pulling the Thread with Elise Loehnen

"McClellan is a compelling author. And he does go for the hard bits. So, there’s lots to find to engage. This book is pretty much his greatest hits. So, if you’ve been watching him for any time, you’ll be familiar at least with his bigger themes. But this offers another angle in. It’s a book well worth buying and well worth reading."

—Rev. James Ford, Unanswered Question

"This book empowers readers to engage with the Bible without fear of questioning. For anyone seeking to understand the Bible beyond literal and inerrant interpretations, Dan's work is an essential guide to finding a more compassionate and authentic connection with scripture…a much-needed resource for the deconstructing Christian."

—Karla Kamstra, TikTok's @Karla Kamstra and author of Deconstructing: Leaving Church, Finding Faith

"At last, a no-nonsense, go-to guide to what the Bible can or cannot be held to endorse. Combining characteristic honesty with whip-smart knowledge and scholarly integrity, Dan McClellan tells it like it really is. Whether you’re shocked or delighted by this book, I guarantee there’s no better guide to what the Bible really says—and what it doesn’t."

—Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Professor of Hebrew Bible & Ancient Religion, University of Exeter

"Dan reawakened my faith in the Bible... Knowing the context of the stories to the people who participated in them, and what they thought at the time, makes it so much more relevant to today for me and made the book relevant in my life again... Thanks, Dan. Buy this book."

—Joel McHale, American actor and comedian

"Dan McClellan is a myth buster and teacher extraordinaire of all things Bible. In his social media and podcasts he works to set the record straight and is unafraid to stand against the distorted interpretations that masquerade as mainstream today. His book is sure to become a classic in the category of contemporary biblical interpretation."

—Liz Bucar, Professor of Religion, Northeastern University, author of Stealing My Religion

“Dan McClellan has turned me into a Bible-lover… The hallmark of any objective, critically thinking, “I ain’t got no dog in the fight, except the truth” scholar, is a desire to inform, educate, and elicit even more questions about such a powerful subject; all without malice toward his challengers.... Dan is an accomplished scholar, writer, podcaster, daily TikTok-edifier and most importantly, a total cartoon geek.”

—Rob Paulsen, American voice actor

"McClellan brilliantly flicks to pieces so-called “biblical truths,” waves away rigid religious dogmas, and blows our minds with what this magisterial ancient poetic text really says about living, love, sin, and life."

—Jerry Saltz, senior art critic, New York Magazine, winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism

From the Publisher

03/01/2025

Independent religion scholar McClellan draws from his popular TikTok account and expands upon it in this work, answering common questions many may have when discussing what the Bible actually says about a range of current issues. He starts each chapter with a summary of a viral video addressing the question at hand, and, with faith-based skepticism and a hint of irreverence, tackles what that video gets wrong or right about the text of the Bible. He explains how he reaches his conclusions, highlighting a variety of translations and Hebrew and Greek word studies to dissect and show his perspectives, referencing many other biblical scholars and their work, and pivoting away from how the Bible has been weaponized against marginalized groups. VERDICT At times it can be difficult to determine the audience McClellan hopes to reach, as the book's chapters vary in length and depth, leaving some readers to find it too verbose. The work will best serves readers hoping to resolve specific issues with how the Bible is used in arguments and defenses of particular beliefs.—Amanda Ray

Library Journal