Customer Reviews

How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour

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I was exposed to this book as I was visiting Regent College and talking with Gordon Fee in his office there. It was about a week prior to the release of the volume and he was excited about it. Dr. Fee pointed out that this was actually mainly his own project and Dr. Stuart acted primarily as a consultant for the Old Testament material. He explained his vision in very canonical terminology. He wanted to create a reader's guide to the Bible as a whole and explained that this is more of a one-person project in order to give the book unity. Verses are descibed in relation to surrounding passages. These passages are included in the individual book of the Bible. The books are a part of larger section of Scripture (e.g., Genesis is part of the "Narrative of Israel in the Biblical Story"). These sections combine together to make the whole of the Bible itself. There is an overview to the whole Biblical story and one for each section. The chapters about the individual works of the Bible have the following setup (using Genesis as an example):

ORIENTING DATA FOR GENESIS
-Content (brief synopsis)
-Historical Coverage (estimation of time the events take place)
-Emphases (short list)

OVERVIEW OF GENESIS (few paragraphs to summarize material)

SPECIFIC ADVICE FOR READING GENESIS (a page or two of advice)

A WALK THROUGH GENESIS (divides the book into sections and gives short commentary on each section)

The chapters end with a brief concluding paragraph which reiterates the books role in the whole of the Bible. This book is extremely accessible for the layperson wanting a guide to reading the Scriptures. All too often verses and passages are used apart from their biblical story and this guide is a wonderful reminder of those dangers as well as a helpful tool in changing our perspective. Of course it is helpful if you have read How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by these authors, but it is not necessary. If you need a place to start for your Bible reading, to give you context, this is a wonderful place to get that perspective.

This book provides specific guidance for reading each book of the Bible by providing an introduction and summary of each book. This title also tries to tie together the big picture and how each book fits into that overall story. This is helpful because many of us at times get lost in the details. I recommend using this book with How the Read the Bible for All its Worth by the same authors in order to get the most benefit.

A good introdction by some scholars who have a deep and sophisticated understanding of their material, and the ability to make that understanding clear to their readers. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth goes more into the principles by which Christians read the Scriptures and understand their meaning, and is a good read if you want to live by the Book or understand those who do.

[None of these books, by the way, have anything to do with the "bible code," as the reviewer below suggests.]

When I was a boy there was only one Bible handbook that was considered the best: Halley's Bible Handbook. Well, what that book was to my childhood generation, this book by Stuart and Fee is to this generation. Their scholarship is almost "up to the minute" (revised every few years) and is as solid as can be. Especially helpful is the section on each book of the Bible called: "Keys to Understanding" They point out the 2 or 3 things that the reader needs to have in mind as they read the particular book in the Bible. Amazingly simple and helpful. And their section called "A Walk Through" is like a personal guided tour of each book of the Bible. WOW! It is simply THE BEST of all of the Bible handbooks by at least a lightyear. God bless. Mike

Dr. Fee's presentation of the biblical material is clear, concise, and up to date. He takes the fruits of biblical scholarship and makes them available to the average lay reader, while not losing sight of what the original authors of the material intended. A strong point of the book is the fact that it situates each of the biblical books and the material they contain within the historical horizon of Israels encounter with God and the World.

For the careful reader Dr Fee's material will help define the central importance of the issue of the 'mission to the Gentiles'--which first presents itself in Genesis narrative, particularly when God initiates the covenant with Abraham. God's choice of Israel is the beach head from which the salvation of the world is launched. This fulfillment of God's purpose is dramatized by Israel's encounter with the nations about her and her response to that encounter right up to, and including the New Testament and continues to the present.

This is high drama, indeed, and this book helps the average person to see the drama and, better, their place in it.

Jim Woods

I believe that How to Read the Bible Book by Book is a must read for students of the Bible because it guides you through the Bible in simple and kind manner. It will make you want to read the Bible in a fresh and new way. I have been studying the Bible formally for over forty years now and I beleive that any book that will help enhance ones study of the Bible is a must read.
I would highly recommend this book for your reading.
Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart have done an excellent job in opening the Bible to the person who needs to know and get a good overview of the Scriptures.

I think this book is one of the best resource books I have every had. I use it everyday as I do my daily Bible reading. It helps you understand what to look for as you read the Bible. I recommended this book to others and have purchased 7 more to distribute to friends.

This is a terrific book. It guides you confidently through one of the most complex books in the world -- The Bible -- without being overwhelming or condescending. Fee and Stuart know their way around both the Christian scriptures and the human experience. Rare stuff indeed. By tackling the Bible in sections with brief introductions for each and then giving us an at-a-glance overview of each book, the authors make the Bible seem readable and relevant. I love this book because it helps me get into The Book.

As a teacher and writer in biblical and theological areas, I recommend this book highly. This book is concise, full of important background on biblical genres, and guides students of scripture to examine appropriate groupings of biblical texts for what they say. Fee and Stuart are two of the world's foremost scholars in biblical studies. They have combined their talents, expertise, and faith perspectives to provide a useful text. Whether a novice to understanding the Bible or a seasoned reader, I recommend this book regularly.

I recently purchased several copies of this book as a college graduation gift for students in my congregation who were given Bibles as high school grads. It's a clear read that really helps with understanding the Bible. Commission members looked through a sample text when making their decision to give this book and several wanted copies for themselves and to put one in the church library.