Kenton Spark’s Sacred Word, Broken Word: Biblical Authority and the Dark Side of Scripture was a thought-provoking read—one that’s been sitting on my to-read list for a while. Sparks doesn’t shy away from difficult questions or uncomfortable tensions in Scripture, which I appreciated. He dives straight into the messiness: contradictions, troubling passages, and the fact that, yes, the Bible was written by people. Fallible, culture-bound, opinionated people.
What I found refreshing was Sparks’ refusal to dismiss Scripture despite its complexities. He writes, “Scripture is good, not only because it offers what is good, but also because it provides the remedy for where it is not so good.” Sparks challenges biblicism, but he doesn’t abandon biblical authority. His approach felt pastoral and scholarly at the same time—clear-eyed but not cynical.
That said, I struggled with his core thesis. Sparks insists that the Bible is “broken” because it’s a product of broken people. I understand what he’s saying, but “broken” feels too strong for me. Scripture is certainly human—but it’s also Spirit-breathed. I’m more comfortable calling it “complicated” or “complex” than “broken.” His use of the term pushed a little too far in spots, even if the underlying point—Scripture reflects diverse viewpoints and even contradictions—is one that is hard to deny.
I think Sparks offers a valuable framework for reading the Bible. He urges readers to approach Scripture with what he calls “a hermeneutic of respect rather than suspicion.” If you’re someone who loves the Bible but has wrestled with the hard parts, this book will stretch and challenge you.
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