The Story of the Bible

The Story of the Bible by Larry Stone
Thomas Nelson, 2010
96 pages
Non-fiction
4/5 stars

Source: Received a free copy for review via booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.

I chose to review this book because it had pretty pictures, simple as that. The inside and back cover showcases a colorful timeline covering the history of the Bible, from Abraham to today.  Inside the pictures include photographs as well as beautiful Renaissance artwork and other art.  There are also pull-out pages which show pages from some of the elaborately decorated Bibles of olden times, such as the Codex Vaticanus.

The history shared is about how Bibles were made and distributed.  I learned about the oldest copies we think we have and about different agendas when translating and sharing.  It actually ends with information about the JESUS film, a filmed adaptation of the book of Luke which apparently about 225 million people have seen worldwide.  Some of the information was repeated several times, which annoyed me but most of it was well-written and new.

Overall: A beautiful book with information on the production of Bibles throughout history.

Daddy's Delight

Daddy's Delight by Karia Bunting
Moody Publishers, 2010
223 pages
Inspirational; Non-fiction
3.5/5 stars

Source: Received a free ebook via Netgalley

Summary: Guidance on how to embrace God's design for you as a woman.  Includes insight into singlehood, married life, friendships, and ministry.

Thoughts: I requested this back in May so I can't remember what specifically about it attracted me.  I think the title is interesting because I only call my earthly father "daddy." But why wouldn't I?  He loves me far beyond what any human can.  I think I was held back by the fact that Father seems more respectful and I want to be respectful to the Lord.  I'm rethinking that position now but it still makes me feel a little rude to think of Him as my daddy.

On to the actual content: my favorite part of these kinds of books is always the personal content and I wish this had contained more.  She does provide several examples and they're well-balanced with scripture and analysis.  I just prefer more stories from real-life.

My favorite part was Bunting's rejection of women being blamed for sin.  Yes, Eve sinned in the garden by listening to the snake but Mary carried and gave birth to Jesus, our Savior thus wiping out that sin.  I also liked how she didn't just say women should be in the house but recognized the valuable contributions we can make to the economy and our family's finances.

Overall: Nothing new or groundbreaking but useful guidance and very readable.

Cover: It's always hard for me to evaluate netgalley covers because covers can look different online than in person but this one is okay.

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.

Girls Gone Wise

Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary A Kassian

Moody Publishers, 2010

350 pages

Christian; Inspirational

Source: I signed up for NetGalley and this was the first book I received! So I read it on my computer through Adobe Digital Editions.

Summary: Examining today's culture, Kassian challenges the prevailing notion of womanhood offering up a Biblical viewpoint and challenging the reader to bring herself more in line with God's Word.

Thoughts: I didn't know anything about this book when I was browsing Netgalley but I thought it could be interesting so I requested it and started reading it. It took me longer than I thought because a. I was reading it on my computer because I don't have an e-reader and b. I also did the interactive worksheets, which got me deeper into the text but also slowed me down (more on that later).

The guidepost for this book is Proverbs 7 which outlines the kind of women we should not aspire to be like. There are twenty points of contrast such as speech, clothing, and attitude where the "wild woman" is described in comparison to a "wise woman" using a mix of Biblical verses and modern examples.

The worksheets were very helpful (they can be downloaded at the website) and I received a lot from them. They challenged me in the areas where I lack and affirmed me in the areas where I've had success.

I thought Kassian was a bit harsh on the feminist movement and was also somewhat homophobic although that is not a large part. For me, those were outweighed by the interaction of the worksheets and the engaging writing style.

Overall: 4 out 5. I am thinking of recommending this to some of my friends who like to read.

Cover: I like the colors-unfortunately the version I read was all black and white so no pretty colors :-(

Other: If you would like more information, check out the website, which has a lot of cool resources.

Heaven

Heaven by Lisa Miller

Harper, 2010

248 pages

Religion

Source: From my local library

Summary: An examination of Western civilization's interaction with the concept of "heaven" particularly through the lens of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked seeing how notions of heaven evolved throughout the centuries to address the concerns of people (for example, the domestic idea of heaven as a place where we are reunited with family really only comes from the past two centuries). And I liked seeing how people throughout time have grappled with these questions. They're big and I think they're important but they can also seem overwhelming and difficult.

Personally I waver on what heaven is like. I believe in it but whether it's a giant library (my favorite) or an eternity worshipping God or something else, I'm not entirely sure.

My favorite story is from the Muslim tradition where in heaven a man's good works are stacked up high as a mountain but they are outweighed by one single gift from God to the man. I think that's very beautiful and so true; God's grace to us overwhelms anything we can do. I find that very humbling and spiritually satisfying.

Another thing I like is that Miller mentions how increasingly people believe that other people can make it to heaven even if they believe something different. I find that positive that even with all the conflict here, people still want other people saved for eternity.

Overall: 4 out of 5. Good job exploring this topic and sparking my imagination about it. It also gave me some titles to add to my list!

Jesus Interrupted

Jesus, Interrupted by Bart D Ehrman

Summary: Ehrman is a New Testament scholar who has published multiple books discussing things that are well-known among scholars of the Bible but are less known to lay people. This book discusses the irreconcilable differences, how the books of the NT were chosen, and what that means.

I didn't know much of what he presents as I've mostly had a devotional approach to the Bible rather than historical-critical, to use his terms. But actually this has provided new encouragement for studying the Bible next year as I take a more in depth look.

A point he mentioned that I was completely unaware of, is that the Bible is much less of a focus outside of America. The conservative evangelical community focuses on it, saying it is the inerrant word of God and everyone should read and study it but outside people are more focused on worshiping God through community and less through a book. Personally I like to meld the two as I always like to supplement things with books and I love reading.

Lastly I found the book very repetitive. He mentioned many of the same ideas multiple times. I may not be a Bible scholar but I'm not dumb and I don't need everything repeatedly spelled out for me. It also seemed as if he was promoting his other books with frequent references and footnotes to them. This may have been because he discussed the point he was making in this book more thoroughly there but it turned me off as if he expected me to shell out for another book (admittedly I checked this one out through the library as I probably would with any of his other books.) For example, he mentions that he became an agnostic (from a conservative evangelical) not because of these contradictions but because of the problem of suffering, which he just happened to write a book about.

Overall: 3.5/5 While the book is an easy read and may share new information, it may be more of a skimming book for you and not one I would recommend to buy.

The Woman Who Named God

The Woman Who Named God by Charlotte Gordon

Summary: A close reading of the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and the sons who would go on to found two great peoples.

I knew the basic story of Abraham (chosen man of God, fathers a child with Hagar and then finally fathers Isaac with his wife Sarah despite their advanced ages; Hagar and Ishmael are sent out into the desert; God calls Abraham to sacrifice Isaac but then spares him; Isaac continues the line with Jacob and God's chosen people) but this book adds so much more.

First it examines the story from the perspectives of scholars from all three major monotheistic faiths as they all trace their lineage back to Abraham. This shows the different interpretations and implications on each religion and highlights in particular the struggle between Jews and Muslims. I also appreciated the overall message which is striving for peace among the three faiths through the examination of commonalities and how God seemed to set out particular places for each and there is no need for argument.

Unfortunately sometimes I felt it dragged a bit as EVERY part of the story is examined thoroughly. I've felt that way during extended Bible Study times so this is nothing new for me but some parts were really exciting while others were less so. I think it would depend on your interests.

Overall: 3.5/5 Sometimes dry, but still interesting for me and has a good message