The Bible is funny! Very funny, according to Douglas Adams. In this book, Adams demonstrates how readers can discover this often-neglected humor looking at the Bible as a whole and seeing biblical stories with all their rough edges--the unethical and ambiguous characters, the unsolved problems, and the surprising endings. Adams argues that by missing the humor and irony of the Bible, readers often miss intended meanings as well.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Douglas Adams served as Professor of Christianity and the Arts at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California until his death in 2007.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A refreshing interpretation of selected Biblical texts,
By Ken Frank <kbfrank@cyberg8t.com> (Claremont, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Prostitute in The Family Tree (Paperback)
No, this is not the Hitchhiker's Douglas Adams. But yes, the author delights in irony and satire in the Christian Bible. He finds it in counter-establishment interpretations of Jesus' parables, the letters of Paul, and portions of Hebrew scripture. Adams' key is to read the aforementioned passages not as universal moralisms but as mirrors of ourselves. We see our own foibles and shortcomings in the Biblical characters. For instance, Adams suggests the "Prodigal Son" is not some born again idealist we cannot hope to emulate but a con artist trying to keep his head above water. There is hope for us, says Adams, if we learn from the Bible stories that God does not give up on the morally disfunctional. One advantage of this approach is that it provides a coherent understanding of otherwise unfathomable passages such as the Parable of the Unjust Steward. The "prostitute" of the title is a reference in the Gospel of Matthew to Rahab, an ancestor of Jesus. That Jesus' family includes a prostitute is something many might like to cover up, but Adams uses it as a springboard for ironic understandings of scripture. Those who are looking for refreshing and subversive readings of Biblical texts will enjoy this book. It makes what is saintly look more human. The author details several practical methods for leaders of Bible studies to introduce his style of interpretation.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Warning,
By
This review is from: The Prostitute in The Family Tree (Paperback)
This was a great book. I picked this up thinking this was the "hitchhikers guide" Douglas Adams. I really enjoyed this book but I think it should be stated this is NOT the 42 guy. So if you're looking for his books, this is not one of them.
65 of 86 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not what I thought,
By CloneRomyNo1 (Aurora, CO United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Prostitute in The Family Tree (Paperback)
I thought that this would be a great book written by THE Douglas Adams, author of HHG2G and well known atheist. Wow, was I mistaken! Anyway, I've got nothing against this book. I just want to make sure other people don't make the same mistake I did.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Remember the stories your parents told you about what it was like when they were growing up and how hard they worked? Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
biblical humor, unmerciful slave, parental stories, mustard shrub, grandparent stories, perfect dinner party Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mark's Gospel, San Francisco, Sam Uncle, White House, Bay Area, The Telling Humor of Biblical Stories, French Impressionist, John's Gospel New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Remember the stories your parents told you about what it was like when they were growing up and how hard they worked? Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
biblical humor, unmerciful slave, parental stories, mustard shrub, grandparent stories, perfect dinner party Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mark's Gospel, San Francisco, Sam Uncle, White House, Bay Area, The Telling Humor of Biblical Stories, French Impressionist, John's Gospel New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 30
books:
See all 30 books this book cites
1
book
cites this book:
- The Meaning of Creation: Genesis and Modern Science by Conrad Hyers on page 100, and Back Matter
- Humor in the American Pulpit: From George Whitefield Through Henry Ward Beecher by Doug Adams in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Second Tree from the Corner by E. B. White in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Jesus and Postmodernism by James Breech in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Humor of Christ by Elton Trueblood in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 30 books this book cites
- Women of the Bible Lands: A Pilgrimage to Compassion and Wisdom by Martha Ann Kirk on page 277
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