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How to Read the Bible
- A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 36 hrs and 25 mins
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Publisher's summary
The story of Adam and Eve, it turns out, was not originally about the "Fall of Man",l but about the move from a primitive, hunter-gatherer society to a settled, agricultural one.
As for the stories of Cain and Abel, Abraham and Sarah, and Jacob and Esau, these narratives were not, at their origin, about individual people at all but, rather, explanations of some feature of Israelite society as it existed centuries after these figures were said to have lived. And whatever the original Ten Commandments might have been, scholars are quite sure they were different from the ones we have today.
Such findings pose a serious problem for adherents of traditional, Bible-based faiths. Hiding from the discoveries of modern scholars seems dishonest, but accepting them means undermining much of the Bible's reliability and authority as the word of God. What to do?
In his search for a solution, Kugel leads the listener back to a group of ancient biblical interpreters who flourished at the end of the biblical period. Far from naïve, these interpreters consciously set out to depart from the original meaning of the Bible''s various stories, laws, and prophecies - and they, Kugel argues, hold the key to solving the dilemma of reading the Bible today.
How to Read the Bible is, quite simply, the best, most original book about the Bible in decades. Clear, often funny, but deeply serious in its purpose, this is a book for Christians and Jews, believers and secularists alike.
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Based on a careful analysis of the earliest Christian documents and recent archaeological discoveries, The Jesus Dynasty offers a bold new interpretation of the life of Jesus and the origins of Christianity. The story is surprising, controversial, and exciting as only a long-lost history can be when it is at last recovered.
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Provocative book
- By Dan on 08-27-06
By: James D. Tabor
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Christ
- A Crisis in the Life of God
- By: Jack Miles
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Jack Miles's book is a provocative and revisionary look at the life of Jesus, in which many of the most well-worn truths about Christ are recontextualized and revisited. It does not look for the historical Jesus, but takes the Gospels as the sole source about his life.
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Missed a lot of stuff
- By Wintertao on 01-08-21
By: Jack Miles
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Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy
- A Journey into a New Christianity Through the Doorway of Matthew's Gospel
- By: John Shelby Spong
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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A man who has consciously and deliberately walked the path of Christ, John Shelby Spong has lived his entire life inside the Christian Church. In this profound and considered work, he offers a radical new way to look at the gospels today as he shows just how deeply Jewish the Christian Gospels are and how much they reflect the Jewish scriptures, history, and patterns of worship.
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understanding the jewish thoughts in the Gospels
- By John on 08-30-18
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Understanding the Bible
- By: John R. W. Stott
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Understanding the Bible will provide you with a foundational comprehension of the entirety of Scripture with a focus on broadening your vision of Jesus Christ.
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Excellent exposition of the Christian faith
- By GW on 02-25-12
By: John R. W. Stott
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Understanding the Koran
- A Quick Christian Guide to the Muslim Holy Book
- By: Mateen Elass
- Narrated by: Don Reed
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
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A quick non-technical introduction to the Koran designed to help Christians understand a hidden book revered by 1.3 billion Muslims, covering the background on its writing, a summary of its contents, a perspective on how it’s used and viewed by Muslims, a comparison of differences and similarities to the Bible, and some suggestions on how it should and should not be used in conversations with Muslims.
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Favors Christianity
- By Dianne on 12-18-15
By: Mateen Elass
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James, the Brother of Jesus
- The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of Early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls
- By: Robert Eisenman
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 43 hrs
- Unabridged
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James was a vegetarian, wore only linen clothing, bathed daily at dawn in cold water, and was a life-long Nazirite. In this profound and provocative work of scholarly detection, eminent biblical scholar Robert Eisenman introduces a startling theory about the identity of James - the brother of Jesus - who was almost entirely marginalized in the New Testament.
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Regretable. Hard to follow. Repetitive.
- By Jimi on 08-18-17
By: Robert Eisenman
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Primitive Mythology
- The Masks of God Series, Volume I
- By: Joseph Campbell, David Kudler - editor
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 19 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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The author of such acclaimed books as The Hero With a Thousand Faces and The Power of Myth discusses the primitive roots of mythology, examining them in light of the most recent discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, and psychology.
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Epic speculation into the origins of our mythic consciousness
- By BGZ on 01-10-19
By: Joseph Campbell, and others
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Simply Jesus
- A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters
- By: N. T. Wright
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
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“Jesus - the Jesus we might discover if we really looked,” explains Wright, “is larger, more disturbing, more urgent than we had ever imagined. We have successfully managed to hide behind other questions and to avoid the huge, world-shaking challenge of Jesus’s central claim and achievement. It is we, the churches, who have been the real reductionists. We have reduced the kingdom of God to private piety; the victory of the cross to comfort for the conscience; Easter itself to a happy, escapist ending after a sad, dark tale. Piety, conscience, and ultimate happiness are important...."
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A must read for today's church
- By Joey A. on 03-17-12
By: N. T. Wright
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The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: Volume 2
- By: Joshua Bowen
- Narrated by: Seth Andrews
- Length: 14 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Following up on the first volume, The Atheist Handbook to the Old Testament: Volume 2 takes up the challenge of providing a clear and useful guide to those wanting a better understanding of the Old Testament, including its cultural and historical background, as well as discussions on contentious topics like violence and genocide, and whether the Exodus was a real historical event. Volume two also covers the narrative of the Old Testament, from the conquest to the divided monarchy, and a brief history of Egypt to help situate the biblical text within agreed historical events.
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Excellent critical approach to the Bible
- By Jacob Kilgore on 01-07-24
By: Joshua Bowen
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How Jesus Became God
- The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee
- By: Bart D. Ehrman
- Narrated by: Walter Dixon
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In a book that took eight years to research and write, leading Bible scholar Bart D. Ehrman explores how an apocalyptic prophet from the backwaters of rural Galilee crucified for crimes against the state came to be thought of as equal with the one God Almighty Creator of all things. Ehrman sketches Jesus's transformation from a human prophet to the Son of God exalted to divine status at his resurrection. Only when some of Jesus's followers had visions of him after his death - alive again - did anyone come to think that he, the prophet from Galilee, had become God.
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Wishing for a bit more meat on the bones
- By Darwin8u on 04-09-14
By: Bart D. Ehrman
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Desire of the Everlasting Hills
- The World Before and After Jesus
- By: Thomas Cahill
- Narrated by: Brian F. O'Byrne
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In his subtle and engaging investigation into the life and times of Jesus, Thomas Cahill shows us Jesus from his birth to his execution through the eyes of those who knew him and in the context of his time—a time when the Jews were struggling to maintain their beliefs under overlords who imposed their worldview on their subjects. Here is Jesus the loving friend, itinerate preacher, and quiet revolutionary, whose words and actions inspired his followers to journey throughout the Roman world and speak the truth he instilled.
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Desire Delivers
- By David on 04-18-03
By: Thomas Cahill
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What listeners say about How to Read the Bible
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Joshua J. Wood
- 05-15-16
This was a fantastic book
I'm not religious, and yet this is a work of breathtakingly good writing and fascinating scholarship, which simultaneously seeks to elucidate the Old Testament from the perspectives of both the ancient Jewish interpreters and the modern school of higher criticism, i.e. The attempt by, it seems mostly, late 19th and 20th century German scholars to understand the bible as a historical document written by humans with human concerns. The result is stunning, and worth listening to irrespective of one's own religious leanings.
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2 people found this helpful
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- cool
- 07-09-22
very interesting thoughts on Bible
loved it had to really concentrate on parts asmi listened but to me it is a good start to really study the bible
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- Shan
- 04-22-19
Starts at Chapter 10 if downloaded to single part.
This book starts at chapter 10 but there is a resolution. It has to be downloaded in multiple parts to have it in order.
1.Go to "My Library" and left-swipe the title to "Delete from this device."
2. Go to "Home" then "Settings" then "Dowload by Parts" and choose "Multi-part."
3. Go back to "My Library" and click download.
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3 people found this helpful
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- DrLT
- 09-18-17
What a Great Book!
This book walks through the Bible (Hebrew Bible/OT), laying out the text and the stories with traditional understandings, and then he discusses how modern biblical scholarship sheds light on or reinterprets them. Kugel always keeps an eye on the implications for believers, both Christian and Jewish, and his last two chapters are a meditation on the bigger meaning of scripture and religion in the world. So much to think about here! And the author is clearly a person of great scholarly depth but also great Faith.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Ash
- 03-30-23
A wonderfully thorough view of the Bible
I am a Liberal Jew. This book was a wonderful education I didn’t get as a child. It opened up the idea that I already had begun, that the study of Talmud is still important and has value.
Overall though, Kugel does a fantastic job showing both interpretation of the past and modern scholarship of much of the Hebrew Bible and while he is an Orthodox Jew, he came across very balanced and gave such an informative view on history, scholarship and interpretation.
If you can, get the unabridged. Not sure what was not in it, but I very much enjoyed all 60 some chapters.
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- Anonymous User
- 04-01-11
bible reading with head and heart
is the bible an important book ?
is it even the word of God ?
is it even significant literature ?
is it full of mistakes ?
does it apply to our modern daily lives ?
does it tell a coherent useful story ?
kugel tries to answer these questions
his style is both erudite and approachable
his university students are a fortunate group
one faction reads "from" the bible
they want to learn and believe and live better lives
for them it is an ancient and true compass
one faction reads "about" the bible
their knowledge is exhaustive and precise
but they deny any possibility of supernatural meaning
it is amazing to me how little these 2 groups overlap
kugel tries to have a foot in both factions
his background makes him more than qualified to try
the bible does matter and it is more than literature
evangelicals should not fear scholarly examination
scholars should not fear transcendent belief
there is stubbornness on both sides
kugel's thoughtful style wears both sides down
he shows how to read the bible with head and heart
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9 people found this helpful
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A great book...after fixing download!
Before buying the Kindle version to study, I checked out the hardcover from the library. The Kindle version is a good and faithful version.
However, the chapters in the Audible version did NOT match the book. I sought solutions but only saw complaints on the internet (that is, no solutions).
Part of me wants to detail my (mis)adventures at Customer Service. However, Judy (the Audible rep) eventually found a solution IF YOU ARE USING IOS. (Apple):
1. Go to "My Library" and left-swipe the title to "Delete from this device."
2. Go to "Home" then "Settings" then "Dowload by Parts" and choose "Multi-part." (Click okay when you get the warning about syncing.)
3. Go back to "My Library" and click download. (You will need to click all parts...but don't panic...because you won't have as many parts as chapters.)
FINALLY: Enjoy your Audible book with the chapters in the right order!
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5 people found this helpful
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- Noah
- 10-17-10
A faith-building scholarly work
The narrator is very dull but don't let that stop you! The author makes up for the unemotional reading by having written in a well organized and interesting manner all sorts of Biblical insights which will challenge everything you ever knew about the Bible. The scope of this book is enormous!
You will learn Biblical archeology, ancient language interpretation, historical motivations for writing and many theories about the creation, organization and re editing of Holy Scripture.
As a Christian my faith in Christ was strengthened even while the Bibles contradictions and misinterpretations were brought to light. I always read the Bible thinking that this or that didn't make sense or add up. Now I have a greater understanding of Holy Scripture as well as a renewed faith in the sovereignty of God and His ability to use an imperfect collection of writings and transform them into His inspired word.
Seriously, this book was fantastic!
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15 people found this helpful
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- Jacobus
- 12-06-15
The results of modern Biblical Scholarship
Professor emeritus James L. Kugel has brought together A LOT of information about how the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament/ Jewish Tanach) was interpreted through the ages. He argues that modern Biblical scholarship has eroded the traditional ways in which the Bible has been read for centuries.
Book by book he introduces his listeners to how new insights from scholarship has changed the way the Bible is interpreted. He ends of seeking a way to reconscile the synagoge and the church's way of reading the Bible with that of scholars and ends off with a rather depressing conculsion that the two ways of reading is irreconcilable. He argues that the mistake that reformers like Luther made was to "canonize" only the text of the Bible and not the INTERPRETATION that came along with it. THis lead to a lot of problems in reading the Bible. For one, what if it is discovered that the old ways of reading this sacred text(s) was not what it actually meant. Should one try to return to the original author's meaning? What is the original meaning if a text have been adjusted and reworked through the centuries?
Though these questions and the arguments that go with it is important, I found that the tremendous overview Kugel gave of the Hebrew Bible and the state of current scholarship is the strength of the book.
He gives an overview of creation narratives from the Ancient Near East, the Gilgamesh epic and its relation to Genesis, the problem of the 10 plagues not being 10 plagues everywhere, David the dubious king, the way scholar's understand the Lord as changing from a tribal deity to a universal deity which has also influenced the way he was depicted. He touches on Ugaritic, an ancient language close to Hebrew in which we find texts about the gods of Canaan. He discusses the historical probability/ improbability of a Moses. He discusses the text of Jeremia and Isaiah and how it differs from the Septuagint text (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). He speaks about the Song of Songs. Should it be read as ordinary love poetry or the love between God and his people?
In the end the listener is empowered to understand the various issues that the rise of modern biblical scholarship has brought about. He argues that one cannot turn back after knowing what you know.
I think this is an important book worth listening to. Mel Foster did a fair reading of the text,
This book comes recommended to those that are interested in getting an informed overview of scholarly insight into the text of the bible. It is not everybody's cup of tea, especially if you venerate the text of the Bible within a very concervative environment.
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7 people found this helpful
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- D. Ofallon
- 09-05-13
Great
Eye opening book; full of insights compiled through the centuries. A must read for believers and non-believers, Christians or Jews
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