Rediscover the incomparable literary richness and strength of a book that all of us live with an many of us live by. An international team of renowned scholars, assembled by two leading literary critics, offers a book-by-book guide through the Old and New Testaments as well as general essays on the Bible as a whole, providing an enticing reintroduction to a work that has shaped our language and thought for thousands of years.

A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible is consideration of the Bible from a literary perspective, reflecting contemporary interest in the academic world of the Bible as literature. This collection of essays addresses both specific books of the Bible and general topics dealing with the Bible. The four main sections of the book are; The Bible as Literature, The Literature of the Old Testament, The Literature of the New Testament, and The Literary Influence of the Bible. The editors for A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible are Leland Ryken and Tremper Longman III. Contributors include: Fredrick Buechner, Novelist John Sailhamer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Wilson G. Baroody, Arizona State University William F. Gentrup, Arizona State University Kenneth R.R. Gros, Louis Indiana University Willard Van Antwerpen, Indiana University Nancy Tischler, The Pennsylvania State University Michael Hagan, North American Baptist Seminary Richard L. Pratt, Jr., Reformed Theological Seminary Douglas Green, Yale University Wilma McClarty, Southern College Jerry A. Gladson, First Christian Church, Garden Grove, California Raymond C. Van Leeouwen, Calvin Theological Seminary Richard Patterson, Liberty University James H. Sims, The University of Southern Mississippi Branson L. Woodard, Jr. Liberty University Amberys R. Whittle, Georgia Southern University John H. Augustine, Yale University Michael Travers, Grand Rapids Baptist College Marianne Meye Thompson, Fuller Theological Seminary John W. Sider, Westmont College Carey C. Newman, Palm Beach Atlantic College William G. Doty, The University of Alabama/Tuscaloosa Chaim Potak, Novelist Gene Warren Doty, University of Missouri-Rolla Sidney Greidanus, Calvin Theological Seminary XXXXXXX

"Book and Verse is guide to the variety and extent of biblical literature in England, exclusive of drama and the Wycliffite Bible, that appeared between the twelfth and the fifteenth centuries. Entries provide detailed information on how much of what parts of the Bible appear in Middle English and where this biblical material can be found."--BOOK JACKET.

Why the Good Book Is a Great Read If you want to rightly understand the Bible, you must begin by recognizing what it is: a composite of literary styles. It is meant to be read, not just interpreted. The Bible’s truths are embedded like jewels in the rich strata of story and poetry, metaphor and proverb, parable and letter, satire and symbolism. Paying attention to the literary form of a passage will help you understand the meaning and truth of that passage. How to Read the Bible as Literature takes you through the various literary forms used by the biblical authors. This book will help you read the Bible with renewed appreciation and excitement and gain a more profound grasp of its truths. Designed for maximum clarity and usefulness, How to Read the Bible as Literature includes * sidebar captions to enhance organization * wide margins ideal for note taking * suggestions for further reading * appendix: "The Allegorical Nature of the Parables" * indexes of persons and subjects

The most comprehensive and accessible introduction to scriptural art yet written Literary Study of the Bible: An Introduction approaches each book of the Bible (including several of the apocrypha) with non-sectarian literary questions, exploring the meanings that the Bible reveals when we read it like a poem, narrative, or play. As a unique hybrid of introductory guide, essential handbook, historical survey, and absorbing commentary, this book fills a gap in literary Bible study with its fresh perspectives on the biblical writers’ many arts. Readers will engage in wide range of textual approaches and interpretive traditions through this broadly informed, accessibly written text. Dr. Christopher Hodgkins has taught Literary Study of the Bible for 25 years, over which time he has field-tested the many lenses—of genre, image, language, characterization, plot, and craft—used throughout this book. Tracing the sources, composition, and influences of the Biblical text, this book places the Bible in a tradition of ancient near eastern, Hebrew, and Hellenistic literary art, giving new depth to the way we understand the familiar stories of scripture. Unlike other literary introductions to the Bible, this book uniquely combines these elements: Approaches the Bible as a richly collaborative and coherent work of literary art, exploring how earlier books influence the creation and interpretation of later ones Provides illuminating commentary supplemented by explanatory textboxes, maps, illustrations, and study questions to enhance interest and expand learning Introduces poetic and narrative devices like doubling, juxtaposition, and irony within the context of scriptural art and editorial design Gives extensive attention to each biblical book, resulting in the most comprehensive introduction to literary Bible study to date Presents these materials through an accessible and lively text permeated with references to both high and popular culture Literary Study of the Bible will be a welcome addition to personal, school, college, and congregational libraries, as well as an excellent text for students of the Bible in both secular and faith-based settings.

Three authors help shed light on understanding the Bible, not just as the inspired work of God, but also looking at the different genres that make up the Bible's books--poetry, historical narrative, wisdom literature, story, parables, and more.