A History of the Bible

A History of the Bible PDF Author: John Barton
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0143111205
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 642

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Book Description
A literary history of our most influential book of all time, by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest In our culture, the Bible is monolithic: It is a collection of books that has been unchanged and unchallenged since the earliest days of the Christian church. The idea of the Bible as "Holy Scripture," a non-negotiable authority straight from God, has prevailed in Western society for some time. And while it provides a firm foundation for centuries of Christian teaching, it denies the depth, variety, and richness of this fascinating text. In A History of the Bible, John Barton argues that the Bible is not a prescription to a complete, fixed religious system, but rather a product of a long and intriguing process, which has inspired Judaism and Christianity, but still does not describe the whole of either religion. Barton shows how the Bible is indeed an important source of religious insight for Jews and Christians alike, yet argues that it must be read in its historical context--from its beginnings in myth and folklore to its many interpretations throughout the centuries. It is a book full of narratives, laws, proverbs, prophecies, poems, and letters, each with their own character and origin stories. Barton explains how and by whom these disparate pieces were written, how they were canonized (and which ones weren't), and how they were assembled, disseminated, and interpreted around the world--and, importantly, to what effect. Ultimately, A History of the Bible argues that a thorough understanding of the history and context of its writing encourages religious communities to move away from the Bible's literal wording--which is impossible to determine--and focus instead on the broader meanings of scripture.

A History of the Bible

A History of the Bible PDF Author: John Barton
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0143111205
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 642

Get Book Here

Book Description
A literary history of our most influential book of all time, by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest In our culture, the Bible is monolithic: It is a collection of books that has been unchanged and unchallenged since the earliest days of the Christian church. The idea of the Bible as "Holy Scripture," a non-negotiable authority straight from God, has prevailed in Western society for some time. And while it provides a firm foundation for centuries of Christian teaching, it denies the depth, variety, and richness of this fascinating text. In A History of the Bible, John Barton argues that the Bible is not a prescription to a complete, fixed religious system, but rather a product of a long and intriguing process, which has inspired Judaism and Christianity, but still does not describe the whole of either religion. Barton shows how the Bible is indeed an important source of religious insight for Jews and Christians alike, yet argues that it must be read in its historical context--from its beginnings in myth and folklore to its many interpretations throughout the centuries. It is a book full of narratives, laws, proverbs, prophecies, poems, and letters, each with their own character and origin stories. Barton explains how and by whom these disparate pieces were written, how they were canonized (and which ones weren't), and how they were assembled, disseminated, and interpreted around the world--and, importantly, to what effect. Ultimately, A History of the Bible argues that a thorough understanding of the history and context of its writing encourages religious communities to move away from the Bible's literal wording--which is impossible to determine--and focus instead on the broader meanings of scripture.

Bible in World History

Bible in World History PDF Author: Christopher D. Hudson
Publisher: Barbour Books
ISBN: 9781634095709
Category : Bible
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
What was happening outside Bible lands during the time of the patriarchs, Jewish kingdoms, the prophets, Jesus' ministry, and the early church? Find out with The Bible in World History. This pocket-sized, fully illustrated reference breaks biblical and early church history into eight major time periods--from "Creation to the Tower of Babel" through "Anno Domini," the years from Jesus' birth to about AD 330--and shows what was happening in other parts of the world during those times. With references to Chinese, Indian, African, and Mayan cultures, among others, The Bible in World History will help you see how history and scripture intersect.

The Bible as History

The Bible as History PDF Author: Werner Keller
Publisher: Barnes & Noble Publishing
ISBN: 9781566198011
Category : Bible
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
The Bible As History by Werner Keller, will take you on a breathtaking journey to the heart of Holy Scripture as it pieces together one of the most stunning spiritual puzzles in the history of mankind.

The Bible is Black History

The Bible is Black History PDF Author: Theron D Williams
Publisher: Bible Is Black History Institute, LLC
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
We live in an age when younger African-American Christians are asking tough questions that previous generations would dare not ask. This generation doesn't hesitate to question the validity of the Scriptures, the efficacy of the church, and even the historicity of Jesus. Young people are becoming increasingly curious about what role, if any, did people of African descent play in biblical history? Or, if the Bible is devoid of Black presence, and is merely a book by Europeans, about Europeans and for Europeans to the exclusion of other races and ethnicities? Dr. Theron D. Williams makes a significant contribution to this conversation by answering the difficult questions this generation fearlessly poses. Dr. Williams uses facts from the Bible, well-respected historians, scientists, and DNA evidence to prove that Black people comprised the biblical Israelite community. He also shares historical images from the ancient catacombs that vividly depict the true likeness of the biblical Israelites. This book does not change the biblical text, but it will change how you understand it.This Second Edition provides updated information and further elucidation of key concepts. Also, at the encouragement of readership, this edition expands some of the ideas and addresses concerns my readership felt pertinent to this topic.

An American Bible

An American Bible PDF Author: Paul C. Gutjahr
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804743396
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
"An American Bible is an extremely compelling piece of cultural history that succeeds in making rich rather than schematic sense of the major dramas that lay behind the production of over 1,700 different American editions of the Bible in the century after the American Revolution. Gutjahr's book is especially powerful in demonstrating how nineteenth-century efforts to purge the Bible of textual and translational impurities in search of an 'authentic' text led ironically to the emergence of entirely new gospels like the Book of Mormon and the massive fictionalized literature dealing with the life of Christ." --Jay Fliegelman, Stanford University During the first three-quarters of the nineteenth century, American publishing experienced unprecedented, exponential growth. An emerging market economy, widespread religious revival, educational reforms, and innovations in print technology worked together to create a culture increasingly formed and framed by the power of print. At the center of this new culture was the Bible, the book that has been called "the best seller" in American publishing history. Yet it is important to realize that the Bible in America was not a simple, uniform entity. First printed in the United States during the American Revolution, the Bible underwent many revisions, translations, and changes in format as different editors and publishers appropriated it to meet a wide range of changing ideological and economic demands. This book examines how many different constituencies (both secular and religious) fought to keep the Bible the preeminent text in the United States as the country's print marketplace experienced explosive growth. The author shows how these heated battles had profound consequences for many American cultural practices and forms of printed material. By exploring how publishers, clergymen, politicians, educators, and lay persons met the threat that new printed material posed to the dominance of the Bible by changing both its form and its contents, the author reveals the causes and consequences of mutating God's supposedly immutable Word.

The Stones Cry Out

The Stones Cry Out PDF Author: Randall Price
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
ISBN: 1565076400
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 450

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Book Description
This survey of archaeological discoveries in Bible lands includes testimonies and interviews from leading archaeologists and exciting pictures featuring the latest finds made in the lands of the Bible

National Geographic Essential Visual History of the Bible

National Geographic Essential Visual History of the Bible PDF Author:
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 9781426202179
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 512

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Book Description
An illustrated history of the Bible provides detailed coverage of the Old and New Testaments, from the patriarchs to the epistles of Paul, and includes timelines and informational sidebars.

The History and Geography of the Bible Story: A Study Manual

The History and Geography of the Bible Story: A Study Manual PDF Author: Bob Waldron
Publisher: Truth Publications, Incorporated
ISBN: 9781584271185
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
The History and Geography of the Bible Story: A Study Manual by Bob and Sandra Waldron is one of the best resources of its kind for individual and class study. It is important for each student of the Bible to gain information about the history and geography of the Bible in order to better understand the context of the message of salvation. The Waldrons have demonstrated an ability to take difficult material and make it both understandable and usable. The book can do several things for the user: (1) it will provide a complete survey of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation; (2) it will give one a good summary of the history of the nations involved in sacred history; (3) it will acquaint one with the geography of the Bible lands. The good maps add tremendously to the quality and usefulness of the book. There are a total of 52 lessons. The first lessons discusses man as an intelligent being. The next 7 lessons give a brief look at all the Bible Lands. The rest of the lessons (9-52) correlate the Bible history and geography together. There are plenty of full color maps with corresponding blank maps for the student to fill in. Every few lessons, there is a section of review questions. Charts, lists, and easily read narrative make this a great study for your Bible class or personal study.

The Bible in World History

The Bible in World History PDF Author: Stephen Leston
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
ISBN: 9781602606456
Category : Bible
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
What was happening outside biblical territories during the time of the patriarchs, Jewish kingdoms, the prophets, Jesus' ministry, and the early church? Find out with "The Bible in World History."

The Harlot by the Side of the Road

The Harlot by the Side of the Road PDF Author: Jonathan Kirsch
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 030756763X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 411

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Book Description
Sex. Violence. Scandal. These are words we rarely associate with the sacred text of the Bible. Yet in this brilliant new book, Jonathan Kirsch shows that the Old Testament is filled with some of the most startling and explicit stories in all of Western literature. These tales of seduction and rape, voyeurism and exhibitionism, intermarriage and illegitimacy, assassination and murder have been suppressed by religious authorities throughout history precisely because they are so shocking. "You mean that's in the Bible?" is the common reaction of the contemporary reader to the stories that Kirsch retells and explores. In The Harlot by the Side of the Road, Kirsch recounts these suppressed and mistranslated tales in the grand storytelling tradition. Here is the tale of Dinah, the young Israelite daughter raped by a princely suitor. The price for her hand in marriage? The circumcision of every man in his kingdom. Here, too, is the story of Lot's daughters, who, when faced with the possibility that they are the last survivors on earth, must copulate with their drunken father to continue their race. And the story of Tamar, the harlot by the side of the road, who must disguise herself as a prostitute and seduce her father-in-law in order to bear the child who has been promised her. Kirsch places each story within the political and social context of its time, and delves into the latest biblical scholarship to explain why each story was originally censored. He also brings to light when and where each story was first written down, and how it found its way into the Bible. And he shows how these stories have something important to say to contemporary readers who might never pick up a Bible. Kirsch reveals that the Bible's real power lies in its unflinching lessons in human nature. And he illuminates the surprising modernity of the Bible's characters: these were, like us, people delicately balanced between their destructive and generous natures. Certain to excite controversy and ignite intellectual debate, The Harlot by the Side of the Road will undoubtedly be one of the year's most talked-about books.