Bring together
a group of people who want to study the Bible, and you might find unified
interests, but highly diverse ways of reading what’s there.
From a Jewish
perspective, for instance, the Bible reveals providential guidance while
instructing God’s people on how to live a life of faith.
From a Christian perspective, the Bible shows the ongoing relationship between deity and humankind. Again and again, we mess up, and each time, God redeems.
From a Christian perspective, the Bible shows the ongoing relationship between deity and humankind. Again and again, we mess up, and each time, God redeems.
How the old
and new come together (or not!) takes a whole book to discuss, which is what former Oxford professor and Anglican priest John Barton does in A History of the Bible: The Book and Its
Faiths.
Published as
part of the Allen Lane Imprint by Penguin Books, who kindly sent me a copy to
review, the “Notes,”
“Further Readings,” “Bibliography,”
“Bible References,” and “Index” in the back matter confirm the extensive
research involved, but then, that’s not surprising as Rev. Barton previously co-edited The Oxford Bible Commentary, edited The Cambidge Companion to Biblical
Interpretation , and wrote scholarly works on various aspects of the Bible.
Reviewing such a comprehensive history can be daunting
and, at times, disconcerting as I’m a believer in the Bible as Holy Spirit inspired and not just inspirational. Nevertheless,
I hope to encourage you to discover the diverse conditions and religious
mindsets surrounding the Bible before you come to your own well-informed conclusions.
After leafing through a “List of Illustrations,” “Maps,”
“Acknowledgements,” and “Introduction: The Bible Today,” you’ll find the book
has been divided into four parts. In addition to the back matter previously mentioned,
the “Content” page shows the topics addressed:
Part One
The Old
Testament
1. Ancient Israel: History and Language
2. Hebrew Narrative
3. Law and Wisdom
4. Prophecy
5. Poems and Psalms
Part Two
The New
Testament
6. Christian Beginnings
7. Letters
8. Gospels
Part Three
The Bible and
Its Texts
9. From Books
to Scripture
10. Christians and Their Books
11. Official and Unofficial Texts
12. Biblical Manuscripts
Part Four
The Meanings of
the Bible
13. The Theme of the Bible
14. Rabbis and Church Fathers
15. The Middle Ages
16. The Reformation and Its Readings
17. Since the Enlightenment
18. Translating the Bible
Conclusion: The
Bible and Faith
Rev. Barton’s conclusions may or may not coincide with
mine, but this comprehensive history can certainly expand understanding of the
biblical text and the way we perceive what’s there.
Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2019, reviewer and lifelong
student of God’s Word
A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths, quality hardback
...