Bibles Bible Studies Books

This book is a great book for both girls that have a foundation in God and girls that don't even know who he is. The book gives you an age appropriate taste of the Bible in a inviting way to turn young ones to learn that God is for them and not against them.

My seven year old daughter was so excited about this book that she had to buy one for each of her BFF's. She was so proud when she presented the books to each of her best friends, pointing out that there are fun activities in the book that you can do.

It's part of christmas so the girls have not seen it yet. I have 6 and 3 yr old girls and this is laid out nicely. I can't wait to read it with them!

Santa Claus bought this to my 7 year old little girl last Christmas. She loves it when we do devotions now. She can read it herself and always picks out just the "one" that it feels like God lead her to. My whole family join in and we have thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love the fact that it includes songs in it. My 10 year old son said that he felt God in a mighty way one night when we sang one of the songs out of this book. It's a must have!

I am the mother of three little girls; 5, 3, and 1; and almost every night before bed we read this book. It is set up in 4 page sections that first take a passage and break it down into simple language that relates to little girls. Then there is a section of the reading that relates it to the little girls life, sometimes there is a song or a play you can act out with your little princess. My little girls look forward to reading it every evening. And I can see their growth in understanding God.

I really thought this might have more interactive stories or at least a question and answer part. The stories are short but sometimes I don't feel like they are even written for a child. They use actual Bible verses which is great but the stories afterward to coorelate with the Bible are sometimes lacking. Would not recommend for 4 year old as books says, maybe 6-7 year old?

This New Testament survey is a very helpful addition amidst the many other choices available to readers. I went to a Christian University and wish that this book would have been used in my NT survey class. In fact, I think it may be more useful to college students than some of the the many other choices available to readers, such as Gundry or Elwell/Yarbrough. Fifteen NT scholars from twelve evangelical colleges and universities contributed to the volume, thus allowing professors who are proven teachers and scholars to present the material in a readable and challenging manner. The work is written especially for undergraduate students (by undergraduate professors) and seeks to emphasize and focus on the concerns of the nine NT authors. What is rather unique about this survey is that there is a clear motive by the authors/editors to connect the cares of the NT authors to the our lives today. There are multiple sidebars throughout the book that apply the biblical text to contemporary issues and concerns. You can certainly tell that the goal was not just to explain the text for the sake of knowledge but to deepen the readers' relationship with Jesus. Also included are many color maps, pictures and other helpful visual aids. Each chapter begins by asking and briefly answering "who, why, when, and where" questions and ends with a "key words for review." Overall, this book will be an excellent resource for undergraduate NT courses and could even be used in similar settings in the church. Highly recommended.

This New Testament survey is a welcome breath of fresh air. While there are multiple good surveys of the New Testament (e.g., Elwell and Yarbrough's volume), they tend to campout on (important) scholarly issues and thus either (a) spend little time addressing the text of the New Testament itself, or (b) write a lengthy and complicated volume that functions more as an survey to New Testament studies than to the New Testament itself. This, however, is not the case with What the New Testament Authors Really Cared About. The uniqueness and the value in this volume is that it seeks to introduce the New Testament in light of the scholarly discussions rather than through them. Instead, the complicated issues of "Who? Why? When? & Where?" are condensed to a one page summary intended to illuminate the given book and not to distract from it. Also, by asking, "What does _____ (insert the name of a New Testament author) really care about?" this work is able to develop the theology of the New Testament authors and books on an individual basis. Furthermore, the individual articles are written by undergraduate Bible professors who have been "field proven"--so to speak--as careful scholars and good communicators. The result of these three unique features is a volume that clearly articulates the emphasis of each individual author and book that is written to be accessible not just for scholars, but the undergraduate student. In other words, the result is a true example of a "New Testament Survey."

Currently taking a course Discovering the Old Testament and this is following along great with the course. Adds a lot of information to the course.

This was an excellent book. The writers did a great job of explaining things!

This book delivers sound conservative scholarship that integrates application. The authors integrate the biblical information with helpful sidebars in the categories of Interpretive/hermeneutical, Theological, Historical, Cultural, and Archaelogical.

For example, on page 226, there is an excellent and concise explanation of the reason for mixed marriages. It explains the problem of syncretism that eroded Israel's practice of monotheism. It then offers practical advice for marriage today.

This work is a landmark work in Old Testament Survey that would be helpful to all students of the Hebrew Scriptures. It would benefit students and instructors alike.

Discovering the Old Testament: Story and Faith is a colourful college textbook introducing the Old Testament. The layout is similar to Encountering the Old Testament (by Bill T. Arnold et al). Each chapter begins with learning objectives, questions to consider, and key words to understand. Coded side bars cover topics such as "The Apocrypha" and "Modern Translations of the Bible." Each side bar is coded as Interpretive, Theological, Historical, Cultural, or Archaeological. Chapters end with summary statements, questions for reflection, and resources for further study. Numerous photographs are included with a large number drawn from modern Judaism. There is a brief appendix on Jewish history from 331 to 63 B.C.

This 382 page book is very readable and probably appropriate in depth for a college textbook, although in this space cannot go as deep as, say, LaSor, Hubbard and Bush (Old Testament Survey). It is written from a conservative perspective but critical scholarship is presented in abbreviated form. For example, the standard dates for Second and Third Isaiah are presented in a paragraph. There is a general failure to engage such critical issues and the authors present "scholarly opinion" alongside "conservative evangelical" scholarship without always committing to a particular view. So on the authorship of Isaiah they write "There is no unanimous opinion on this issue among conservative evangelical scholars. Some prefer the multiple authorship view. Others view the entire book as the work of Isaiah of the eighth century B.C." (p 293).

Much of the content of the book summarizes the biblical content. New Testament interpretation is mentioned in theological sidebars where relevant and the reader is encouraged to apply theological insights to personal faith.

The majority of the book was written by Alex Varughese who also edited the work as a whole. Varughese and the other three authors are department heads of Christian liberal arts colleges (I do not know who Robert L. Lewis is [named in the ...description]. He is not listed on my copy).

This book will prove a colourful and readable introduction to the Old Testament, especially in terms of biblical content and life application. The numerous illustrations allow the reader to visualise Israel and modern Judaism.

This review is based on a galley proof.

This book is excellent. It gives the reader an overview of the Bible and timelines for Biblical events and what was happening in the secular culture in the same period. This is a great book for people at any stage of their spiritual walk.

Really helped me to understand about the Bible. Very easy reading. Perfect for teenagers as well as adults.

As the title implies, the "101" would mean "beginner level". Indeed, in this book, Bickel and Jantz wrote a really good introduction to the Bible. They start with the authorship and brief history of the Bible, why Bible is so interesting, and then moving to explain the Bible part by part -- in a Christian perspective.

This book is aimed especially for new converts or for those who are not well acquainted with the Bible but desire to learn more. Even seasoned Christians, in a way, can learn on how they should teach the Bible to beginners from this book.

The explanation in the book isn't terribly deep for scholarly / apologetic purposes, but not too shallow either. I personally feel that they wrote much more than just the basics. They did some cross reference and give a bit of historical background when appropriate, like the year of Israel / Jehuda kings reign. Even, they outline some different interpretation on certain books / passages, like how current Bible scholars differ on the book of Revelation and why.

There are ample diagrams, pictures, maps, tables, and other visual aids to enhance the learning experience. The language is so simple that reader with little or no exposure to Christianity can follow it. The book even includes yearly Bible reads and popular passages for devotional purposes. Also, they mention how Christian stands on several sensitive topics like abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, and so forth by citing appropriate verses in the Bible. Although some interpretation on some issue varies greatly from church to church, I believe that the authors tried to represent the view of the Christian "majority". I believe that the authors are not deeply apologetics in this book, many "advanced reader" would feel that the authors are glossing over too much on certain issues.

All in all, this book is intended for beginner Bible studies, but there is far more than just "basics". I agree that this book is not enough for apologetics, but if you're just curious about the Bible and never take much studies but desire to learn more, this book is for you. Note that if you are not Christian, but desire to learn more about the Bible, this book isn't for you because the authors' inherent bias on the interpretation of Biblical verses may throw you off. However, if you think you can handle that, then this book is a good investment.

Any teacher who likes to supplement a bible lesson, Sunday school lesson, etc., needs to have this book. It is a great addition to any library of Christian study tools.

This book is excellent for the beginner. It's basic, easy to understand style is a definite plus! If you're looking for a good book to teach you the basics, and take you on a fun trip to understand and knowing the bible, this is it!

This was the first bible I ever purchased and I am very pleased with it.

This study bible is really an eye opener for a deeper understanding of so much. The commentary notes are so helpful, you could teach a sermon just from them. Who ever buys this will be so blessed. This bible also has studies in the back that you can also use. Auto biography's on so many patriarchs, disciples etc. I would highly recommend this bible to new believers on up.

Great for the beginner and scholar alike. Maps throughout so the reader can view the region where the passage is taking place. The print is a good size although it could stand to be a tad larger.

I originally bought this Bible in the hardcover version and have upgraded to this nicer one now.

I find the notes, maps and cross-references to be very helpful study aids. Some of the life application notes are geared toward the new believer or not-yet-believer but overall I think they are valuable to all.

The NLT is a very readable and, I think, accurate translation. For more indepth study, I use the ESV ESV, Thinline TruTone Bible (Chestnut Diamond, Red Letter)with this Bible and am very happy with this system.

I am so impressed with this Bible. It has so many helpful things including a HUGE concordance as well as lots of helpful notes on each page that help with understanding the Scriptures. The Bible is very nice looking and I am so excited about this purchase!

I very much like Bishop Tom Wright's commentary on the Gospel of John. His treatment of the text is consistently insightful and especially accessible to lay people. I would have given it 5 stars if the commentary was a bit richer academically. My lay people love it.

One of the best from Tom Wright's "Everyone" New Testament series.

Tom Wright has written a very simple and easy to read book on the first 10 chapters of the Gospel of John. The Everyone tile is for real, because anyone who can read can get great scholarly interpretion without any technical language. Wright provides his own translation, which when this series is done, needs to become "The Wright New Testament." After the translation comes a little story or an anecdote that leads you into the interpretation of the section that is being discusssed. This, quite frankly is what a called theologian should be doing. It does very little good to know the Bible in a deep scholarly fashion if you are unable to communicate that to the masses. Tom Wright has that ability and displays it greatly in this series of books.
His interpretation of John (and he claims he is not a Johanine scholar) could not have been any better than this. Wright has a great ability to avoid being anachronistic, yet brings great application from the text for the Christian to live and be transformed by. My favorite part of this commentary was how Wright sees the opponents of Jesus and holds together the chapters without sharp breaks in thought. His handling of John 9 and 10 and linking these chapters together is a demonstration of that. This was a very helpful interpretation of John and I highly recommend for all to enjoy.

Questions or comments contact me at darrengjohnson38@yahoo.com

Everyone in America who calls themselves Christian needs to read this book. I was brought up Catholic; my dad was Catholic and my mother Jewish. At seventeen, I joined a Christian, non-denominational church.

I was young and have not yet developed the skills necessary to discern truth from error. In the early 70's some of wanted security. The government was full of corruption, the Catholics did not explain my questions, I did not drugs, so off I went.

The two words of the title of this book jarred my attention: From Fundamentalism. I thought, 'wait a minute, I was a member of a fundamentalist Church from 1973-86; maybe, just maybe this book can help explain some of the false teachings that the Fundamentalist church taught me.

I cannot put this book down. I keep re-reading pages of it; I stop and think how come I did not see this sooner like this author.

In addition, before you and anyone else you know gives one dollar to a television evangelists, read this book. Most television evangelists are after only one thing money.

They stole their approach from Johnny Carson. In addition, the reason that television evangelist exist at all is because there is a market for them. I call most of them "snake oil salesman."

One of my goals is to to put these television evangelist out of business. This book will become my main tool. Most of them are a hoax. Worse, some of them are Cults.

Unless a person practices the idea of Socrates, "The unexamined life is not worth living," no religion will save them. Religion as it is shown on television is mass hypnosis and worse the opium of the people.

This book may expose some of your misunderstandings of the Bible and apparent contradictions. Many have taken the Bible literally, when in fact, the bible is neither scientifically correct or historically accurate. It is a document of many folks who call themselves Jews and Christians. Although the Bible is not literally true, we can learn some things from this book, only some.

I love this man so much for all the hard work he has done to set me from ignorance. I have only one question, "Why did I now only find this book seventeen years after its first publication?"

I want to shout it from the housetops, but not yet. Finally, this book explains, to some degree, the hooks some use to get people to join religious cults.

Biblical literalists insisting that theirs is the only way to correctly understand/interpret the Bible turn many a would-be believer into one who runs in the opposite direction-quickly. Not to mention the fact that that those who believe in the complete inerrancy of the bible, usually act in less than gracious ways, i.e. "You don't believe like me, well then you're goin to hell, buddy." And what troubles me most is that they almost seem to like saying it.

But in this book, John Shelby Spong takes the Bible and reveals a living, breathing work. He speaks of the first century Christians as those who struggled with limited understanding of the laws of nature, and a theology in transition from law to grace. Spong eloquently and with great conviction reveals a God who wants to be involved with His creation, rather than a stern, demanding autocrat issuing edicts, requiring blood atonements, and self-hate.

As a Christian, I am not proud that through the centuries every bit of emotional, technological, and social progress was in spite of Christianity instead because of it. What did the church say when it was discovered that earth wasn't flat? Heresy! How did the church handle slavery? Not very well. How did the church handle women being eclesiastically involved? Terribly. When science sought discovery, instead of being enlightened, most Christians were threatened. The result? Thinking men and women of all times turned away from a wonderful, life-giving faith in God because religionists insisted it was their way or the highway.

Thankfully, that type of thinking seems to be waning. Or is it? Unfortunately, some politicians of the right-wing variety insist on marrying fundamentalism with politics for their own purposes. But the fact remains that no matter who says it or how large their number, you can't "scare" someone into a true relationship. If your primary fear is one of burning in a tormenting hell for eternity, then you have basically been manipulated. Nothing genuine then comes from the heart because your motivation is based on fear rather than love.

Jesus Christ brought a new concept of God and religion to the human race. He did not follow the accepted religious laws of His time. He took on the scribes and pharisees-constantly questioning, probing, teaching through parables, and loving the unlovable. It got him the cross. And many Christians have been crucifying him anew with ungracious theology in His name.

John Shelby Spong will challnege you to think of God and Jesus Christ in a whole new way. Past all the creeds, dogmas, and superstitions, God still waits with outstretched arms for a relationship with His children. This book is an excellent way of coming to understand a God of grace who bestows His love unconditionally and whose mercy endures forever.

Thank you, Bishop Spong.

Spong has some valid points in this book. He accurately notes discrepancies between what literalists of the bible quote and what they ignore. This part of the book is an eye opener and provides food for thought. After establishing himself as an expert at picking the bible apart, however, Spong makes some claims that have little or no scholarly basis. For example, after establishing inconsistencies in the written text of the bible, he then completely discounts all of the miracles of in the bible claiming that they are not "scientific" enough. The tendency for some people reading this (and the danger therein) is that once readers accept Spong as an authority on scripture, they will accept anything he says, including statements he makes in a blanket fashion without supporting evidence. I, personally, agree that his concerns with taking everything from the bible literally are valid, yet I see no reason to think that every single miracle listed in the bible is therefore a lie.

It is interesting that many Churches place much emphasis on the strict and literal interpretation of the Bible. Isaac Asimov pointed out that the whole reason Jesus clashed with the Jewish authorities was because while they placed strict emphasis on keeping with the strict letter of the law, Jesus' mentality was that it was alright to deviate from the written law if it meant doing a greater good. EXAMPLE: In the Gospel According to John, a woman is going to be stoned for adultery. "Levitivus" 20:10 and "Deuteronomy" 22:22 clearly state death as the punishment for adultery. And Jesus of course told them anyone who was without sin could begin the execution: "...He that is without sin amongst you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). (None of them could.) Paul even warns us about taking the Bible too literally in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians: "...the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life" (2nd Corinthians 3:6). While Bishop Spong explains that the differences between the 4 Gospels often frustrate people, he explains that it shouldn't. The reason is that the 4 Gospels were written for different audiences. Mark basically wrote his Gospel based on the teachings of Peter. Matthew wrote his Gospel in a way that compared Jesus to Moses. He was writing for the Jewish populations, and he wanted to emphasize that Christianity was the fulfillment of Judaism. Matthew also liked to dramatize things. Luke wrote in a memorable and beautiful way. His goal was to make peace with the Jews who became followers of Christ and the Gentiles who became followers of Christ. John's Gospel is on the hostile side. This is because at the time John wrote, many of the followers of Christ were being expelled from the Jewish places of worship. And John wrote in a hostile manner to show the early Christians that God would not be angry at them for leaving their former places of worship. All in all, this is a great book that belongs in the library of any Christian.

When I looked at this on Amazon, I KNEW that the reviews would be polarized. There are people who don't know anything about biblical scholarship who will give it five stars automatically, because it's all eye opening. There are devout Christians who don't want the scholarship to be true who will give it one star no matter how accurate the contents are.

On top of that, there were people who complained that the scholarship was poor, or that it was introductory only, or even some who complained that it was not relevant in the modern world (the bible is 1900 years old, how "modern" do you have to be?).

The book is exactly as advertised. The introduction says it clearly that it is introductory biblical scholarship and there any biblical scholar would find it boring or elementary. I can't fault the book for that and would dismiss any reviews that do.

The book is an overview of modern biblical scholarship (focusing more on the new testament than old) discussing when and where the particular book was written and what conditions were for the author. He also discusses the author's target audience.

While I have read more detailed analysis, few of them are more readable. It is a gentle introduction.

Even though it is introductory, it has details in it that I haven't read elsewhere that I found quite interesting.

No one would argue that it is a liberal view of Christianity, so if you aren't a liberal Christian, you may disagree with some of the statements. Most likely, those to do with the resurrection and the virgin birth would probably be offensive.

If you are looking for in-depth, authoritative analysis of the bible from a linguistics and historical point of view, look elsewhere. If you are looking for an easy introduction to the bible and know very little about it, it's one of the best books available.

Personally, I felt comforted that there are devout Christians out there as reasonable as Spong is.

The book was in good condition but the previous owner had made written notes through the book. I would have liked to have known this.The hand written notes were in ink and impossible to get rid of.

Kay Arthur has rendered a real service for hurting people with this jewel of a book. We use it in our church for women, especially, who have suffered abuse in their past that they are struggling to move past. It's not psychology, but a God-centered, Christ-exalting source of help that points people to the only real hope for healing their hurts, which is the finished work of Jesus Christ and his ongoing gracious help provided for them through his life, death and resurrection.

I would recommend this product to anyone that is hurting or has been hurt. This is a great book for all whether you have been hurt or know someone that has been hurt.
Patty

Excellent! This study brought healing to my life in significant areas. A must do. Study examines Biblical passages using inductive study tools of marking key words, making lists, and applying the scripture to ones life. Old Testament and new testament passages.

I can not begin to tell you what this book and Kay Arthur have done for me.

Through the tools that Kay and this book furnished me I was driven into God's word to find healing for my pain and emotional hurts that years of counceling and medications had not been able to help me with.

By understanding that Jehovah Raph, God who heals truly does love me, I was set free from years of depression. This was my "ahaa" moment...

I am now teaching this as a class, and see so much healing coming to other lives. Don't get me wrong, there is still a need and time for counceling and sometimes medication.

But run first to the great physician and your redeemer. Learn from the Bible how to be healed.

I ordered the book to research for a paper in my Master's Program. I loved it and have loaned it out several times already. It is illustrated beautifully and written well. I am so glad I purchased it.

After reading the reviews here, I purchased this as a gift foy my lovely 19-year-old granddaughter. When I received it, I decided to read it first to see what it says, and I found it was not as wonderful as I expected from the previous reviews. I have not yet given it to Emily, but I look forward to hearing what she thinks of it.

I read "The Story of Ruth" about a year after I read "Scarred by Struggle," which is also by Dr.Chittister. Both books offer inspriation for dealing with difficulties based on a biblical story. The difference between the type of advice they offer, is that "The Story of Ruth," contends more with the daily struggles that confront us in our lives, whereas "Scarred by Struggle" offers advice more suitable to a particular setback, such as an end of a relationship, or loss of job.

Dr. Chittister makes an interesting comment about the story of Ruth, in that though there is no blatant theophany in this book, one can not doubt that God is somehow present. For most of us, this will be our experience in life. God is present to us and speaks to us more often through the actions of others, than a Monty Python-type voice hailing from the sky. Likewise, we are called to do our best to try to create God's kingdom on this earth, by using our abilities and resources to help others and ourselves. Essentailly the story of Ruth is the story of women, who do all they can to help themselves, despite the fact that they are at a disadvantage by lacking male family members, and one of them (Ruth) is a foreigner and the other (Naomi) essentially is a stranger in her homeland, as she had lived outside it for so long. Despite the odds, they maintain their faith in the future, and eventually their welfare not only vastly improves, but they become the ancestors of David.

This is a great gift for girls who are reaching adolescence age. Or perhaps for any woman who is feelign a bit run down by life. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the message is optimistic. It is book that encourages hope in life, no matter how daunting one's station in life may appear to be, and reinforces the adage attributed to Augustine of Hippo that to be successful one must work as if every thing depended on one's self, but pray as if every thing depended on God.

Disappointing! Gosh, this book was just not up to some of the previous books written by Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB. It would be better if she wrote less but higher quality books. We know she is capable of doing greater things.

The reflections on Ruth focused too much on activist social justice issues, and not what other women might actually think or feel. It was like the author is in a vacuum, and not able to even place herself in to the role of Ruth or her mother-in-law. After reading a few pages, I started to flip forward looking for the good part; faster and faster until I reached the end.

Even the art work didn't save this book. The art was simple and one dimensional - childish. Great art can save a moderate book. When the art is stunning, rich in detail and content, the reader is able to "read" the art. And, drink it in with the eyes. A well written icon can tell a fabulous story! Alas, this was not to be that kind of book.

Jam packed with wisdom and insight for all people. A must read for all women and one that you will read many times. Sure wish I had this guide when I was a young woman. Plan to use as a discussion book for a spirituality group. A fabulous book to give as a gift.