Bible Under Trial

In an age when the foundations of faith were being shaken by scientific breakthroughs, higher criticism, and sweeping intellectual doubt, a distinguished Scottish theologian mounted a rigorous defense of Scripture. James Orr, one of the most respected evangelical scholars of his generation, set out to answer the hardest questions being asked about the Bible: its historical reliability, its scientific claims, its authorship and composition, and its place in modern thought. These papers were written not for academics alone, but for the perplexed layperson caught in the crossfire between traditional belief and modern skepticism. Orr approaches his critics with intellectual honesty rather than dismissiveness, engaging the best arguments against biblical authority while building a cumulative case for its trustworthiness. He addresses challenges from geology, archaeology, literary criticism, and philosophy, demonstrating that faith and reason need not be enemies. The book pulses with a Victorian-era confidence in truth's ability to withstand scrutiny, written for readers who wanted to believe but needed their doubts honestly engaged. For anyone wrestling with the relationship between ancient faith and modern mind, this remains a landmark of evangelical scholarship.