Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics Seekers and Religious Liberals

A thoughtful warm and witty introduction Understanding the Bible is designed to help empower skeptics seekers nonbelievers and those of a liberal and progressive outlook to reclaim the Bible from literalists. In making accessible some of the best contemporary historical literary political and feminist readings of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures it encourages all who would find in the biblical heritage an ally and not an enemy in the quest for a more just and humane world. Brief and to the point it can easily be used to stimulate group discussions and personal reading of the biblical texts themselves and is an excellent introduction to the Judeo-Christian tradition for those of other faiths.. Understanding the Bible includes four preliminary chapters on the why who which and how of biblical understanding followed by eight brief thematic chapters covering the core of the Hebrew Bible and six covering the Christian scriptures plus chronologies maps and helpful suggestions for further reading.