February 23, 2015

The Bible from Scratch


When Saint Mary’s Press kindly sent me a review copy of the Catholic edition of The Bible from Scratch: A lightning tour from Genesis to Revelation by Simon Jenkins, I could see I was in for a fun read. Some readers might wonder “What’s this?” which is exactly what the opening text addresses, saying:

“The Bible’s characters themselves weren’t shy about using different methods of communication to get across what they had to say. Jeremiah smashed crockery. Ezekiel performed weird, one-man plays. David sang songs. Nathan told a trick story. Jesus talked in pictures.”

In that same spirit of getting people’s attention so they’ll actually listen, the book has youth in mind in this “beginner’s guide to the Good Book, something to help readers start their own explorations in the Bible.” After reading it myself, however, I think that any teen or adult, who doesn’t know their chapters from their verses, would do well to let this lively little book provide a guide.

To give readers an overview of the inspired word of God, one section takes you “Around the Bible in 30 days” and “introduces 30 significant Bible passages that will take you quickly from Genesis to Revelation.”

After that month-long challenge, the “Intro to the Old Testament” encourages Christians to read the whole Bible and not just parts. As the text says, “if we don’t read the Old Testament, then we miss out on a lot. Sticking to the New Testament and ignoring the Old is like walking into a movie when the film is two-thirds of the way through.”

Besides “a great deal of humor, tragedy and some startling encounters with God,” the Old Testament shows us “people arguing with God, wrestling with God, haggling with God, trying to get the best deal from God; people who struggle and will not let go of God – and a God who in turn will not let go of them.”

In addition to touching on interesting stories, poetry, and prophesies in the Bible, the book provides timelines of the Kings of Israel and Judah, quick sketches of Bible characters, brief summaries of each book, and a recap of what went on in the times between the testaments.

Then, the “Intro to the New Testament” defines its four sections as focused on:

 Jesus (Matthew to John)
 The Church (Acts)
 Letters (Romans to Jude)
 The End (Revelation)


With profuse use of cartoon drawings, silly sidebars, and overall good humor, the book presents sense instead of non-sense and gets serious as needed too. In discussing “epistles by apostles,” for example, the text explains that “Most of them were written to fix the big problems facing the young churches. The letters are full of details about real people and situations – and yet they also speak to us today.” Written by "people on the move," the letters (aka epistles) continue to help us:

 combat wrong ideas (Galatians, Colossians)
 tackle crises in the churches (1 & 2 Corinthians)
 explain important teaching (Romans, Hebrews)
 encourage Christians under pressure (1 Peter)
 make a personal appeal (Philemon, 3 John)

As “The End” comes, the author emphasizes the “classy ending” in the “cast of (literally) thousands, choirs of saints and angels, a pitched battle between the forces of light and darkness, a smoldering lake of fire for the wicked and paradise regained for the righteous.” More important than all that, “the Bible begins and ends with God and with the promise that the human story, despite its chapters of suffering and despair, will have the ultimate happy ending.”

©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet, writer, and reviewer, is a lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church in all its parts.


The Bible from Scratch: A lightning tour from Genesis to Revelation, Catholic Edition, paperback




February 12, 2015

Resources from Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical Christian publishers


What a blessing to receive review copies of a variety of Bible resources! Three Christian publishers sent new releases for me to review without knowing I would have one from a Protestant book publisher, one from a Catholic book publisher, and one from an Evangelical press at the same time – an ecumenical delight!

First, Saint Mary’s Press kindly sent a review copy of Living in Christ: The Bible, The Living Word of God by Robert Rabe, Editor Steven McGlaun, and a publishing team, who obtained church approval as shown by the nihil obstat and imprimatur.

This sturdy paperback with slick photos and an eye-appealing layout offers an excellent resource for Christians from most denominational backgrounds. However, avid Bible readers might be confused by the Section 1 title “Revelation” since this does not refer to the book of Revelation but rather the revelation God gave biblical authors. More importantly, that opening title addresses God’s revelation of Himself through creation, love, Holy Scripture, salvation history, and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Section 2 briefly overviews how the Bible came to us in many literary forms, from poetry and prophecy to parables, making this all-time best-seller a masterpiece of literature. The Bible has far more than literary genius, though, as “The Old Testament is our compass, pointing us in one direction and one direction only – on the pathway to Jesus Christ.

Following a series of articles on Hebrew scriptures, the section on the New Testament says, “The four Gospels are the very heart of the Scriptures. The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John herald the Good News that God came to earth to fulfill the promises made to our ancestors, to form a Covenant with all people, and to overcome the slavery of sin and the darkness of death. They are our primary source for all that was revealed in the life and teachings of our Savior and Messiah.” However, “The Gospels are not identical. Each (Gospel) presents Jesus’ life and teachings from a different perspective. Yet in harmony and without error, they announce the truth that Jesus is the one and only way to the Father.” Amen!

This highly recommended book goes on to offer a look at other books in the New Testament and also to provide insights into “The Liturgy of the Hours,” “The Lord’s Prayer,” “The Scriptures and the Rules of the Saints,” offering further help for the Christian life such as the Lectio Divina (praying with scripture.)

In addition to that review copy from a Catholic publisher, I received a copy of The A To Z Guide To Bible Signs & Symbols: Understanding Their Meaning and Significance from Baker Books, a well-established Evangelical press. Written by Neil Wilson and Nancy Ryken Taylor, this high-quality slick paperback includes color photographs, key verses, and sidebars relevant to the topic.

Each entry covers two pages, which provides consistency in the layout but doesn’t allow space for the coverage required for in-depth research. Nevertheless, the easy-to-read text and eye-appealing pages give readers a helpful overview of topics ranging from Altar to Zion.

For example, the entry for “Bride” has a subheading on the Church as the Bride of Christ, which says, “The lovely picture of a faithful bride and wife is picked up by both Paul and John in the New Testament to symbolize the relationship God wants to have through Christ with all those who make up the church. Believers have been bought with the bride-price of Christ’s blood and are now wooed by his love.

The key verse for that entry comes from Isaiah 61:10. Then a sidebar reminds us that “Christ Jesus has no quarrel with His spouse. She often wanders from Him, and grieves Him – but He does not allow her faults to affect His love.”

For another example, the entry for “Fire” says that “Fire figures into the Bible in numerous ways – in daily life, religious ceremony, and as an instrument of warfare.” Also, “Fire is pictured as a purifying agent in people’s lives” as in refining gold and silver or in illustrating God’s judgment. Although I saw no mention of the tongues of fire that occurred at Pentecost (nor is there an entry for “Pentecost), the text under the subheading “Holy Fire” reminds us that “For biblical authors, the theophany of fire portrayed God’s power, holiness, and protection over his people.

The third review copy I received came from Concordia Publishing in a nice reddish-brown pseudo-suede cover with cream-colored pages, a red marker ribbon, and an easy-to-read font. As the Preface tells us, the “Concordia Psalter intends to engage all Christians in singing the psalmody of the Church.” To enable readers to do that, “The tones are carefully selected to match the character of the psalm text…. Generally, only one tone is to be used with a psalm, but many of the tones are paired with complementary tones that can be used for singing longer psalms by switching tones somewhere during the course of the psalm.

More importantly, these “Old Testament Psalms not only permit us to see Christ in them, but they also require it. Resurrection, eternity, a universal kingdom, forgiveness, even grace and blessing – each ultimately has its home and fulfillment in Jesus Christ,” Who embodies God’s Word.

With scriptures from the English Standard Version (ESV), the page for the 23rd Psalm begins with a musical notation followed by the Psalm and a prayer: “Lord Jesus, who alone is that one Good Shepherd, thanks be unto You for all Your spiritual and bodily benefits. Let the Word of Your salvation dwell among us richly, and suffer not that trusty staff, the Word of Your promise, to be taken from us.”

For another example, my favorite Psalm 103 includes two tones, the ESV text, and this prayer:

Father of light, we praise You because You forgive iniquity and do not reward us according to our sins. What You promised to the fathers You have fulfilled in Your Son. As the east and the west can never come together, so remove our sins far from us, that they can be accounted to us no more, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.”


©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet, writer, and reviewer, is a lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church in all its parts.


Concordia Psalter, suede-like cover




The A To Z Guide To Bible Signs & Symbols, paperback




Living in Christ: The Bible, The Living Word of God, paperback




February 2, 2015

African American Catholic Youth Bible


With February designated each year as Black History Month, what better history can we find to honor than that of God’s peoples and places in Africa as revealed throughout the Bible?

Last year, I reviewed the African Heritage Study Bible published by Judson Press, which evangelical Christians and lovers of the KJV (King James Version) will especially welcome. This time I gladly received a review copy of The African American Catholic Youth Bible recently released by Saint Mary’s Press and the National Black Catholic Congress, who collaborated on this excellent project for several years.

Besides presenting readers with the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) known for its accuracy, the book includes numerous features designed to appeal to young readers and draw them to God’s word. For instance, you’ll find book introductions, “Know Your Faith” articles, info on people who remained faithful to God, background articles on biblical times, and “Take It to God” suggestions for letting the Bible assist your prayers.

This edition also includes a subject index, glossary, maps, and helpful lists of “Events, People, and Teachings” such as the parables of Jesus, miracles, and Bible prayers. A topical index on “Life and Faith Issues” provides a quick reference guide to what the Bible has to say about topics of special importance to young people such as fear, forgiveness, sexuality, and temptation.

Catholic youth will especially welcome the 3-year cyclical for Bible reading and other features that inform readers about the Catholic faith and history. In the back of the book, for example, several pages have been devoted to “A Black History of African American Catholics,” beginning with a brief word on the establishment of Saint Augustine “a town in present-day Florida” where “Spanish settlers included black men and women, both free and slave.” I saw no mention, though, of the birth place of the saint for whom the city was named, who reportedly came from present-day Algeria in northern Africa.

Despite the excellent resources in this highly recommended edition, I wish the study aids had placed more emphasis on the African locales mentioned in the Bible and also on the probable heritage of biblical people who, themselves, placed no emphasis on racial distinctions. A sidebar did mention that the Queen of Sheba was most likely black, but I had difficulty finding other such references. However, the nicely drawn artwork consistently shows dark-skinned people throughout instead of the typical illustrations of Bible people as blue-green-eyed blondes, which I object to, even though I am one.

More important, though, are not our racial differences but our heritage and shared beliefs as brothers and sisters in Christ.

For example, a “Be About It!” sidebar entitled “Leaders with Character” suggest we “Look in Proverbs 6:17-19 at the list of things the Lord hates. It reads like a description of a corrupt politician or business person!” But the mini-article goes on to suggest, “Now take the list and put it in the positive: humble eyes, a truthful tongue, hands that protect the innocent, a heart that plans good, feet that hurry to help, a truthful witness, and someone who brings harmony to families. That’s the kind of leader everyone wants!” Amen. Not only does such a leader have “the unique ability to inspire others,” those of us who aim for those characteristics will find ourselves looking less and less dissimilar and more and more like Christ.

©2015, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet, writer, and reviewer, is a lifelong lover of Christ, the Bible, and the church in all its parts.

The African American Catholic Youth Bible, paperback