Customer Reviews

A Walk through the Bible

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This is the kind of helpful summary that I have long been searching for and look forward to sharing with others, especially ones who are new to faith. Newbigin does a masterful job of demonstrating how the Bible is THE story of the history of humankind. As he learned during his many years in India, the Bible is not a book of religion but rather it is "a unique interpretation of universal history, the history of the whole creation and the history of the human race." Such a perspective demands that we not turn away from the business of ordinary life or from "our responsibilities as actors in history."

In relation to God's choice of a particular people, Newbigin notes, "God makes himself know to us in the context of our shared life as human beings because that is what our human life is. We therefore come to know God through one another - and specifically through the people whom he chose to be the bearers of his purpose." (6) Anyone looking for the means to "get a handle on the Bible" will be disappointed in this book because Newbigin helps us to see the many ways that the Bible gets a hold of us. This readable volume is a wonderful companion for all who seek to understand what the Bible is all about. If this book sells even half as well as the Left Behind series then, perhaps, the church just might get back to the business of living, telling, and sharing the good news in the world around us. "A Walk Through the Bible" is helpful to that end!

Unlike his other previous books such as ¡°Gospel in a Pluralist Society¡± and ¡°Foolishness to the Greeks,¡± this volume is written in simpler English for wider circles of the audience who want to know about the Bible. Lesslie Newbigin, one of the most influential Christian thinkers and writers in the twentieth century, knows what he wants to write and makes Christian doctrines easy in this book. The eight shorts chapters carry all the essence of the Biblical truths.

The unique quality of this book is that it makes the Bible accessible to anyone who wants to take the journey into the biblical world and to the knowledge of the Truth. Reading this book, one will find that the Bible is not just an account of a remote world, but a story of God¡¯s love for oneself. In addition, there is a high academic value, too. If any reader finds Newbigin¡¯s other books are so profound that it takes time to read, this small book. "A Walk through the Bible" is a good place to begin. Indeed, this book is a useful Bible study guide as well as a wonderful summary of Christian theology.

A friend recently posted a picture on Facebook of a poster with the question "Stressed?" followed by a list of Bible verses. Apparently the idea is to read these verses when you are down and you will feel better. I think this poster encompasses the way most Christians read the Bible today. Not as the unfolding story of God relating to his people, but as a collection of verse-pills for us to swallow when we are feeling down.

In this short little book, Newbigin gently reminds us of the way a story is meant to be read, and then takes us on a walk through the over-arching narrative of our Story. It is a book that I would certainly recommend to my (many) friends who are Christians, but don't quite know the Bible story yet. It is a book I can see myself turning to in order to be reminded of the larger sweep of scripture. Newbigin seamlessly integrates contextual information not included in scripture with scripture itself to present us with the story, from Genesis to Revelation.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with knowing, remembering, and cherishing Bible verses - as long as we understand the larger narrative from which they are taken. Newbigin's book reminds us of this larger narrative, and encourages us to continue reading it.

Shortly before he died in 1998, Lesslie Newbigin recorded a series of eight radio programs on the basic themes and central characters in the Bible. Newbigin used his gift of story telling to present the grand narrative of Scripture -- from Genesis through Revelation -- in an accessible and engaging manner.

I was excited to learn recently that Barefoot Ministries / Beacon Press (located here in Kansas City) had republished this wonderful little book (approx 70 pages). I would highly recommend the book for those who are new believers and need a good summary of the biblical narrative; as well as those who may have forgotten how extraordinary the biblical story really is.

This truly is an awesome overview of the metanarrative of the Bible and how humankind fits into that narrative. Even better, it can be read in a single sitting. Highly recommended to all new to the Christian faith and for those curious about the reason Christians claim a unique perspective on faith and life.

I was recently introduced to the writings of Lesslie Newbigen by a professor friend who knows his work well. I believe Lesslie Newbigen was a profound thinker, and produced works of exceptional merit. That said, I do not think this is one of them. The concept of this little book is excellent, but as I read through it I could not help but think he missed the mark. In some ways it is too simplistic and, if I dare say this about a man of his undisputed brilliance, even a bit sophomoric. There were some matters that I thought he did not convey Christian doctrine in a manner consistent with my understanding. I may be wrong, of course. However, I think he wrote this not for a Western audience, but for his Indian audience. Perhaps some of his points were intended to overcome some embedded theological assumptions commonly embraced by Hindus. For example, he speaks of "other gods" as if they really do exist. Moreover he suggests that Jesus was busy studying Scripture all those missing years. Both notions, and there are others, were a disconnect for me. But, if knocking down Indian misconceptions was his purpose, I suspect this book was effective. When measured against my expectations, it fell short.

UPDATE: My review of this book stands. It must be a book written for children or non-Westerners. However, I am now reading "Foolishness to the Greeks" by Lesslie Newbigen and it is quite profound. It warrants five stars and the highest rating.