How to Read the Bible

"Thoughtfully considered and ably written, this book is highly recommended for all libraries." --Library Journal "Steven L. McKenzie offers a fresh take on the ancient texts of the Bible and allows us to see the familiar biblical landscape in wholly new and illuminating ways. How to Read the Bible is authoritative and provocative, often witty and always insightful and illuminating, an essential tool for modern readers of the Jewish and Christian scriptures." --Jonathan Kirsch, author of God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism and The Harlot by the Side of the Road: Forbidden Tales of the Bible "In order to determine what the Bible means, we must first determine the intentions of its authors, intentions expressed in the literary genres they used. In his examination of several genres used in the Bible, McKenzie demonstrates through detailed analysis how the identification of genre is as necessary for the understanding of biblical literature as it is of any literature. An important and insightful book." --Michael D. Coogan, editor of The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Third Edition, and The Oxford History of the Biblical World "Thoughtfully considered and ably written, this book is highly recommended for all libraries."--Library Journal "Steven L. McKenzie offers a fresh take on the ancient texts of the Bible and allows us to see the familiar biblical landscape in wholly new and illuminating ways. How to Read the Bible is authoritative and provocative, often witty and always insightful and illuminating, an essential tool for modern readers of the Jewish and Christian scriptures." --Jonathan Kirsch, author of God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism and The Harlot by the Side of the Road: Forbidden Tales of the Bible "In order to determine what the Bible means, we must first determine the intentions of its authors, intentions expressed in the literary genres they used. In his examination of several genres used in the Bible, McKenzie demonstrates through detailed analysis how the identification of genre is as necessary for the understanding of biblical literature as it is of any literature. An important and insightful book."--Michael D. Coogan, editor of The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Third Edition, and The Oxford History of the Biblical World "How to Read the Bible is a role model of its kind. Steven L. McKenzie, a rising star in our field, has 'squared the circle' and delivered a book that blends serious up-to-date scholarship with a simple, straightforward style aimed at an intelligent but non-scholarly audience. At the same time, I would add a hint to scholars: We could read the book to advantage and pick up pointers on the latest wrinkles in our field of study, along with ways and means to improve our own presentation. Approaching the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) in terms of its types or categories of literature, the author explains and illustrates from the text of the Bible. While the book is an introductory survey, he samples the literature successfully and treats in detail selected stories and representative passages from the historical, prophetic, and wisdom books of the Old Testament." --David Noel Freedman, author of The Nine Commandments: Uncovering the Hidden Pattern of Crime and "Thoughtfully considered and ably written, this book is highly recommended for all libraries."--Library Journal "Steven L. McKenzie offers a fresh take on the ancient texts of the Bible and allows us to see the familiar biblical landscape in wholly new and illuminating ways. How to Read the Bible is authoritative and provocative, often witty and always insightful and illuminating, an essential tool for modern readers of the Jewish and Christian scriptures." --Jonathan Kirsch, author of God Against the Gods: The History of the War Between Monotheism and Polytheism and The Harlot by the Side of the Road: Forbidden Tales of the Bible "In order to determine what the Bible means, we must first determine the intentions of its authors, intentions expressed in the literary genres they used. In his examination of several genres used in the Bible, McKenzie demonstrates through detailed analysis how the identification of genre is as necessary for the understanding of biblical literature as it is of any literature. An important and insightful book."--Michael D. Coogan, editor of The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Third Edition, and The Oxford History of the Biblical World "How to Read the Bible is a role model of its kind. Steven L. McKenzie, a rising star in our field, has 'squared the circle' and delivered a book that blends serious up-to-date scholarship with a simple, straightforward style aimed at an intelligent but non-scholarly audience. At the same time, I would add a hint to scholars: We could read the book to advantage and pick up pointers on the latest wrinkles in our field of study, along with ways and means to improve our own presentation. Approaching the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) in terms of its types or categories of literature, the author explains and illustrates from the text of the Bible. While the book is an introductory survey, he samples the literature successfully and treats in detail selected stories and representative passages from the historical, prophetic, and wisdom books of the Old Testament." --David Noel Freedman, author of The Nine Commandments: Uncovering the Hidden Pattern of Crime and