Bible Babel

Bible Babel by Kristin Swenson

Harper, 2010

271 pages

Religion

Source: The library

Summary: An examination of the Bible, looking at the characters, places, and things as well as what it says and how it's been interpreted.

Thoughts: While I have been trying to read the Bible, there is still a lot I don't know so I appreciated this look at it. It is quite readable and while scholarly, it includes humor. I was particularly interested in the chapters situating the Bible in a historical context as history is my interest and I think it's especially important to remember that these events took place in a far different world from ours.

For me, the best chapter was discussing how the Bible can be used to support and condemn homosexuality, abortion, other controversial political issues. It was very respectful of both point of views and clarified many points to my mind.

The later chapters look at male and female characters, plants, and places. There was interesting information but at times it seemed to drag. A personal preference of mine is footnotes while this utilizes endnotes, meaning I had to keep a finger in that section while reading the actual text which was awkward.

Overall: 4.5/5. Very enjoyable; highly recommended!

Cover: It's hard to see in this picture but the little boxes are various pictures relating to Judaism and Christianity such as the Jesus Fish and the Star of David.