I’m happy to announce the appearance of my new book, How Can Anyone Read the Bible? It’s intended for all sorts of people who want to read the Bible and are perhaps daunted by its size and complexity. It should be helpful, too, to people who have read or heard a fair amount of the Bible already, but want to acquire a better grasp of how the bits they know fit together in such a varied and complex collection of writings. Whether your interest arises from religious faith or intellectual curiosity or some combination of the two, you’ll find some assistance here.
The book is part of a new series from Church Publishing—”Little Books of Guidance”—that offer brief and basic introductions to all sorts of theological and ethical questions. I’m delighted to be part of this new project. The book is dedicated to to all those who have been part of the lively series of monthly scripture studies I have been leading for the past few years at Good Shepherd, Berkeley. They have helped me envisage the larger audience for which I’ve written this book.
The Bible stands as a great classic of religious faith, spiritual teaching, and world literature. But the fact that it was created over a period of about a thousand years and includes many different types of writing and perspectives can make it difficult for readers to orient themselves. This little book aims particularly to help in that process. It has sections on getting started and on the kinds of writings you can expect to find. I also suggests a variety of paths you can follow while getting acquainted with the Bible.
I hope it will prove useful both to individuals and to study groups. And it is on sale at a very good price just now at Cokesbury.