CliffsNotes The Bible [Paperback]

Charles H. Patterson (Author), Gary Carey (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0822002361 | ISBN-13: 978-0822002369 | Publication Date: June 15, 1999 | Edition: 1

Finally! Summaries and Commentaries for Both the Old and New Testaments, including the Apocrypha, are available in one easy-to-access volume. The importance of the Old Testament as reflected in the influence it has had through the centuries can scarcely be overestimated. Its religious significance is indicated primarily by the fact that it is recognized as a part of the inspired sacred literature of three of the major religions of the world: the Hebrew scriptures of Judaism, the Bible of Christianity, and a sacred religious text of Islam, along with the Koran. But the importance of the Old Testament has not been confined to the adherents of these religions: It has permeated the cultures of many countries of the world and has been one of the main sources of the moral and political ideals that have played so vital a role in the history of Western civilization. The ideas of democracy, individual worth, freedom in its various forms, the right of humans, divine purpose in the world, human destiny—all partly find their origin in the Old Testament. No single book has influenced the course of Western civilization more than the New Testament, the collection of sacred writings in which different persons set forth their convictions concerning the meaning and significance of the earthly career of Jesus of Nazareth. In the New Testament biographies of Jesus, usually referred to as the Gospels, we find the most extensive records of what Jesus did and of what Jesus taught. Additionally, letters written by the apostle Paul constitute nearly one third of the New Testament. Written long before any of the Gospels that we have now were in existence, Paul's letters interpret the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and have had a profound impact on Christian history. The remaining portions of the New Testament, although concerned with specific problems and situations of the early Christian church, also reflect the accepted beliefs about Jesus.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With their familiar yellow and black striped covers, the guides have helped millions of students through the darkest hours...They have became an American icon." --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

More New and Revised Titles.
The Best Just Got Better!

Plus Glossary from Webster's New World^TM Dictionary

Anthem
Atlas Shrugged
Beowulf
Brave New World
The Canterbury Tales
The Catcher in the Rye
The Contender
The Crucible
The Fountainhead
Frankenstein
The Grapes of Wrath
Great Expectations
The Great Gatsby
Hamlet
Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer
Huckleberry Finn
The Iliad
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Inherit the Wind
Jane Eyre
Julius Caesar
The Killer Angels
King Lear
The Lord of the Flies
Macbeth
1984
The Odyssey
Oedipus Trilogy
The Once and Future King
Othello
The Outsiders
Pride and Prejudice
The Red Badge of Courage
Romeo and Juliet
The Scarlet Letter
A Separate Peace
A Tale of Two Cities
To Kill a Mockingbird
Wuthering Heights

See inside for the complete line-up of available CliffsNotes!

More Than Notes!

Cliffs Complete^TM –Combines the original text of a work with quality commentary and a helpful glossary.
Cliffs QuickReview^TM –Reviews semester long subjects such as Algebra, Chemistry, and writing taught on middle school, high school, and college.
CliffsAP^TM –Prepares students to take Advanced Placement examinations and receive college credit.
CliffsTestPrep^TM –Prepares test takers–both students and teachers–for individual standardized tests. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cliffs Notes; 1 edition (June 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822002361
• ISBN-13: 978-0822002369
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,860,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Straight forward, concise summaries, February 20, 2009

By 

Eric (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bible (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

What I liked most about the CliffsNotes version of the Bible over The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible, Third Edition and The Bible for Dummies is that it takes a no-frills approach. The other two are humorous and certainly entertaining, but also a bit distracting for me.

The one drawback I've noticed is that, in true CliffsNotes fashion, these are simply summaries without verse cross-referencing and not quite the step-by-step stories that are given in "Dummies" and "Idiot's". I'd say this book would be better suited for those who already know the Bible fairly well to be used for high-level commentary and "big picture" analysis.

While this one is absolutely worth picking up, I'd also recommend getting either of the two others for a more user-friendly tool.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super handy., August 5, 2007

By 

T. Adair "kurremkarm" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bible (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

I'm a pastoral studies student and this book has been a jewel for all my related classes. If I have to read something in the Bible I read the section in the cliff notes book 1st then i grab the bible and read it.

It helps a lot to put what I'm reading in the Bible into perspective. The author has some excellent commentaries.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction, January 11, 2010

By 

C. Richard (Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bible (Cliffs Notes) (Paperback)

I have to admit it that I had read very little of the Bible earlier in my life. But Cliff Notes you might ask?

Yes, Cliff Notes. If you want a good, concise introduction to the very long, complex and even intimidating book that is the Bible, this is a good one. After reading the Cliff Notes, I felt confident enough to make a reading plan and actually completed reading important (to me) books of the Old Testament and all the New Testament; it tool a while, but I managed. The background I got in the Cliff Notes helped a lot.