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A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible

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Each book of the Bible is examined for its literary value by different contributers who are scholars (Biblical and literary) in their respective field. Although the two main genres contained in the Bible- poetry and narrative- are emphasized, other genres are also examined. Layman or expert, student or teacher will all benefit from reading this literary exposition of the Bible. I recommend Ryken's and Longman's book to anyone wishing to expand his knowledge of various literary genres and also willing to have his present view of the Bible challenged. A Christian may be startled by the literary freedom displayed through the writings of each Biblical author and the non-Christian can appreciate the beauty of the Bible as a literary work.

This book is a collection of essays on how to read the Bible well from a literary perspective. Essays are very mixed in quality: some are extremely insightful, others trite (e.g., the essay on Ruth offers generalities from a quasi-feminist point of view while offering very little reflection on the actual text); most are true to the text, though a few ignore clear elements in the text to support a bias (e.g., the essay on Esther makes Vashdi and Haman's wife out to be heroines only by ignoring key literary elements). Some essays are dry and shed little real insight on how the literary elements of the text contribute to meaning. Yet with that said, the good essays (of which there are a fair number), make the book as a whole a worthwhile read. How does one read Biblical poetry well? What literary qualities guide us to understanding Ecclestiastes and Song of Songs? How does literary intent help us understand some of the differences in accounts in Kings and Chronicles? etc. I found the essays on Genesis, I & II Samuel, Ezra/Neh., Ecclestiastes, Song of Songs, Parables, and Revelation most useful: those at least, along with fragments elsewhere in the book, make it worthwhile for improved Biblical understanding.

This book contains various essays about different aspects of literary structure of the Bible. Is this complete guide to the Bible? Not at all! The title of this book is too big for this item. It seems this book is like a collection of lectures from the Bible conference. Quality of essays are uneven. Some essays are excellent, but some are so so.