In his new book, master Bible scholar and teacher Marc Brettler argues that today's contemporary readers can only understand the ancient Hebrew Scripture by knowing more about the culture that produced it. And so Brettler unpacks the literary conventions, ideological assumptions, and historical conditions that inform the biblical text and demonstrates how modern critical scholarship and archaeological discoveries shed light on this fascinating and complex literature.
Brettler surveys representative biblical texts from different genres to illustrate how modern scholars have taught us to "read" these texts. Using the "historical-critical method" long popular in academia, he guides us in reading the Bible as it was read in the biblical period, independent of later religious norms and interpretive traditions. Understanding the Bible this way lets us appreciate it as an interesting text that speaks in multiple voices on profound issues.
This book is the first "Jewishly sensitive" introduction to the historical-critical method. Unlike other introductory texts, the Bible that this book speaks about is the Jewish one -- with the three-part TaNaKH arrangement, the sequence of books found in modern printed Hebrew editions, and the chapter and verse enumerations used in most modern Jewish versions of the Bible.
In an afterword, the author discusses how the historical-critical method can help contemporary Jews relate to the Bible as a religious text in a more meaningful way.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
I bought this copy for my son.:
Nearly a year ago, I bought a copy of How to Read the Bible. I have read it several times since, and often refer to it in my Bible readings. Because my son once said that he tried to read the Bible, but he just didn't understand it, and couldn't see how much of it would be of use to him, I sent him Brettler's book. It's stated goal is to demystify an otherwise enigmatic book. I believe it accomplishes that goal well. Though written first to a Jewish audience, by giving a better understanding of what the... more info
Very clearly stated point of view and essential information:
Like another reviewer, I was introduced to this book from the National Public Radio program Fresh Air with Terry Gross. The interview with Mark Zvi Brettler was totally enlightening and fascinating. Now I am taking an excellent Christian course of classes on the Bible, much of it on the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the Old Testament). In my classes there is such a wealth of information well taught that sometimes I do not feel that I have either internalized the essence of the topic and useful... more info
Excellent Companion Reader:
This book is an excellent companion reader for the Old Testament. It is written clearly and shows a great deal of excellent scholarship.
The best of its kind:
I heard Brettler speak last Sunday, and he was brilliant. I went out and bought his book, and it was brilliant also. I read a lot about the Bible, and this is one of the best books I have ever read.
