The Way Protestants Read the Bible Feels Like Cheating

Summary

The discussion focuses on building a sustainable habit of reading Scripture and connecting Christian faith to questions people often avoid.

Reading the Bible consistently

Gavin Ortlund recommends making Bible reading approachable rather than treating every session as a demanding study:

• Try listening to Scripture: Audio versions can help people who absorb information better by hearing than by reading.
• Choose books that speak to current concerns: Ecclesiastes, for example, addresses questions that remain relevant to modern life.
• Read until something leads to prayer: Rather than setting a demanding quota, read enough to find a thought or passage worth responding to.
• Write a one-sentence prayer: Keep it on a small piece of paper inside the Bible, then revisit it the next day. This creates continuity and gives you something to carry through the day.
• Start small: A single verse or poem can be meaningful; a large reading assignment may feel overwhelming. As with starting an exercise habit, a modest routine can grow over time.
• Look for a passage that stays with you: Ortlund describes reading John 15 and reflecting on Jesus’ promise that his joy may be in his followers. The idea that Christ is joyful—and is not consumed by anxiety about the future—can be comforting even when a reader does not feel joyful themselves.

The broader lesson is that Scripture does not need to be approached as an extensive intellectual exercise every day. A small passage can prompt substantial prayer and reflection.

Distraction, mortality, and Christian apologetics

The conversation then turns to Blaise Pascal’s observation that people struggle to sit quietly alone. Ortlund interprets this as a warning that people use entertainment and distraction to avoid fundamental questions, especially the meaning of life and death. Modern technology makes it easier than ever to fill every idle moment and avoid those questions.

Ortlund argues that Christian apologetics should take this distraction into account. He suggests using beauty and human longing to help people notice their desire for something transcendent, and then relating apologetic arguments—such as arguments from contingency or fine-tuning—to that longing. Arguments matter, he says, but it is also important to help people feel what is at stake.

Remembering mortality may make people more receptive to religious questions. Ortlund cites a study suggesting that reminders of death can increase religious attentiveness. He says the opening chapters of his book are intended to show why religion deserves people’s attention, whether or not they already believe in God.

The excerpt closes with Pascal’s distinction among people who have sought and found truth, those who seek but have not found it, and those who neither seek nor find. Pascal’s criticism of the last group is that they ignore the serious questions of who they are and what happens when they die.

Speakers and sources featured

Speakers

• Matt Fradd — asks questions and participates in the discussion; also delivers the closing promotional line.
• Gavin Ortlund — answers the questions and discusses Bible reading, distraction, and apologetics.

Sources and works mentioned

• The Bible — including Ecclesiastes, Matthew’s Beatitudes (“Blessed are the peacemakers”), and John 15 (the vine and branches, and Christ’s joy).
• Blaise Pascal — especially his Pensées (Thoughts) and his reflections on distraction, truth-seeking, and mortality.
• Peter Kreeft — cited for his edition and commentary on Pascal’s Pensées.
• An unspecified study — mentioned as finding that reminders of death can increase religious interest.