Customer Reviews

How to Read the Bible as Literature

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Ryken does well with his introduction to the Bible as literature. This work is clear and tight, the way such a book ought to be. Perhaps its greatest virtue is that it works within the traditional western categories of literature, explaining them all along (for those of us who don't remember everything from our school days!). As such, the ideas and terms will ring familiar, at least faintly, with most of us educated in the States, and it will offer a sound introduction to the Bible as literature.

With this said, though, perhaps the greatest weakness of this book is that same characteristic. Traditional categories are a good place to start, but the reader must, at some point, go beyond these into the more Hebrew-specific realm of reading. The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament truly is, despite some opinion, a masterful work, but to understand it as such one must become familiar with just how it works. Wonderfully, there are writers, such as Robert Alter and Adele Berlin, who have written well on precisely this topic.

In the end, this book is a great place to start. It offers a well-grounded foundation for reading the Bible literarily, and as long as the reader knows its strengths and limitations, it will serve him well.

Ryken's book, written by an Evangelical professor of literature, is an excellent introduction to reading the Bible. It is a short and simple handbook, separated into categories of biblical literature, which will help the reader understand how the different genres (types) of literature in the Bible "work." This is not a book on "interpreting" the Bible, but on "reading" the Bible. Many Christians miss that reading should always precede interpretation.

Reading involves more than words and grammar, we have to learn how genres work. Some genres we have to learn to appreciate (such as how to "read" the poetry of Emerson). Others are written so close to our methods of normal communication they come easily (such as newspapers or popular novels). The Bible contains genre which seems familiar (historical narrative), but some of the narrative leaves the reader with the feeling that she didn't quite "get it." Other genres in the Bible are terribly foreign; Hebrew poetry is dramatically different than English, prophecy is often completely alien to Western readers. By helping us understand how these types of literature communicate their message, Ryken helps us read the Bible in a way which makes it understandable.

I have not yet found an Evangelical book which accomplishes this task better than Ryken's. I heartily commend it.

As the author notes, the Bible is not a theological outline with proof texts attached. He states that we have been so preoccupied with the hermeneutical question of how to interpret what the Bible says that we have been left impoverished in techniques to describe and interact with the text itself. I have found this to be true in my life. This book brings out the richness of the Bible in introducing its literary forms and allowing the reader to get more out of the Bible as a result. It is a quick and interesting read which I recommend for any one interested in knowing more about this great book.

I teach a college course titled "Bible as Literature," a general education elective course aimed at all majors. I have used "How to Read the Bible as Literature" alongside the NRSV for the past ten years. Too many of the textbooks geared toward such a class begin from the assumption that every reader is an atheist. Dr. Ryken's book, without falling into sectarianism, treats the bible as a sacred text, not simply an artifact. The chapters are simple, straightforward, and clearly organized--exactly what students need for an introductory class.

A solid resource for the student and/or teacher of theology. Far too many readers of Scripture do not understand the different approaches necessary to for the different genres. Among Evangelical Christians (Yes, I am unashamedly one of them.) there is the propensity to pour the entire Bible into a pot, stir it up, and then proclaim, "I interpret it all literally."

"Read the Bible as Literature" exposes the inherent need to differentiate and read based upon literary types. I heartily recommend this book for both the laity and clergy.

Most Bible students have little familiarity with the concept of differing literary genres of Scripture. This book is an excellent introduction by a very learned and respected author - Leland Ryken, co-author of several books on the subject of Biblical literature and co-editor of the ESV LITERARY STUDY BIBLE with son, Phillip (a must have in my opinion).

Ryken begins by asking the obvious: IS THE BIBLE LITERATURE? - the title of Chapter 1. Of course it is and he continues in the rest of the book to cover the major types, but it's not exhaustive (some of his other titles are more so)

What I liked most about the book was its clarity within the various Chapters and the format of the text. Ryken provides an exceptional number of topical/summary headings in the wide side margins on each page - this makes for easy searching and helps reinforce the reader's learning.

I've purchased, read, annotated and enjoyed this and several other of the author's works on this topic. I've also taught the principles of reading the Bible as Literature and was surprised at how many people never considered this aspect of Biblical interpretation.

Leland Ryken is excellent in pointing out nuances of the Bible that most people have never even seen (such as satire, tragedy and parables). It gave me a fresh perspective on the Bible because even though the Bible is inspired, it was still written by competent men of God (I guess people 2500 years ago aren't as dumb as we were taught they were). This book helps to interpret even more accurately, and helps you identify the genres withing a book of the Bible. I believe this is a condensed version of another larger, more in depth book of his, but I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about biblical literature and what's in the pages of the Bible. Pastors and congregations across America would benefit from owning a copy of this book on their shelf.

This book will increase your hability to undertand the Bible. It will help you to consider the biblical narratives according to their different structures... A must-have !

Despite the fact that Ryken seems more theologically conservative than I find tasteful, this book does a good job of making the Bible accessible to the average reader as a matter more of Western culture than Christian faith. The author's emphasis on literature underscores that the importance of the Bible lies in its ability to communicate by evoking an emotional experience in the reader.

However, as a product of Western literature, there are a few important points Ryken skips over: How can the Biblical stories clearly intended in the Bible as morality tales not become trite and manipulative to postmodern Western audiences? Does the use of metaphor in the Bible invite differing interpretations because each reader will have a different experience of the original metaphor? And perhaps, due to Ryken's Wheaton-based theology, he entirely fails to address overiding themes in the Bible such as the condemnation of hubris and exclusivity.

The book is well organized, highly researched, and well written, but very boring! It simply analyzes biblical literature to death and makes many of the not so interesting and not so well written parts of the Bible out to be much more than they really are. It's a bit like trying to make the phone book out to be a great piece of literature. It isn't. It is a good source of information and that's all. The Bible has some nice literary parts to it to be sure, but the author stretches the value of much of the literature in the Bible. Her focus on the mundane, was tedious, and left much to be desired. I would have much rather had her be less detailed and cover the more interesting and valid aspects of Biblical literature rather than trying to make even Geneologies and redundant historical accounts out to be more interesting than they really are. Frankly, many of the stories in the Bible are really not that well written and to try and make it seem as though they are is just delusion.