The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

~ Jr., James Stuart Bell (Author), (Author), (Author) "Most homes have one or more copies of the Bible..." (more)
Key Phrases: Potent Quotables, Old Testament, New Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

At first glance, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Bible seems irreverent at best, but as the saying goes, "Judge not ... a book by its cover." This little addition to the Complete Idiot’s series tackles one of the most intimidating and misrepresented subjects of the past 2,000 years and succeeds in producing a competent and thorough guide to the world's all-time bestseller. Jim Bell and Stan Campbell’s success is largely due to their humorous and conversational writing style. Their treatment of the Old Testament in particular is both an intriguing and hilarious ride through the drama of biblical history. With chapter headings like "Abraham: the not-so-accidental tourist" and "Tell-a-Vision Personalities (Isaiah through Malachi)," the authors provide a memorable picture of the goings-on in the first 39 books of the Bible. The Abraham chapter includes, among other noteworthy (and entertaining) facts, how Israel became the Hebrew "Promised Land," the origin of the phrase "fire and brimstone," and some of the less illustrious deeds of this "man of faith." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

James S. Bell, Jr., owner of Whitestone Communications, has served as executive editor of Moody Press and director of religious publishing at Doubleday. He has authored four Complete Idiot’s Guides including the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Prayer.

Stan Campbell is author of the eight-book BibleLog series, the New Testament Quick Studies series, and a host of other Bible-related youth products. He is also the co-author of Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Book of Revelation. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; 2 edition (July 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0028643828
• ISBN-13: 978-0028643823
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #530,750 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best I've seen, June 7, 1999

By	Thomas W. Craighead (Clio, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiots Guide to The Bible (Paperback)

I'm pastor of a church reaching out to folks who have only been Christians for a short time, and who have tons of problems. I have been searching for something to introduce them to the Bible quickly. This book is it! I love it. People will read it, discuss it, use it. I am going to standardize on it, presenting a copy to every convert during our New Christians' Training program we call First Class. I had a hard time putting it down, myself, and I have two graduate degrees, the better part of another, and have been a pastor in mission situations for more than 40 years.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Biblical Highlights Without All The Thees and Thous..., April 22, 2006

By	Richard Smith "You'll Poke Your Eye Out!" (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you were ever interested in reading the bible from front to back but never did because it can be such a daunting task, then this book might be your answer.

It's an easy to read Reader's Digest version of the Bible that reads like a modern/popular novel. Consequently most of the significant events, figures and some of the intrepretions are covered, but don't expect alot of detail. For that kind of discussion, you're going to have to go to the bible or a more scholarly based reference source.

Which brings up a great point...This book was not intended as a stand-alone replacement for the Bible. On the contrary, to get the most from this book I suggest you read it in conjunction with the Bible. As you complete a section in Idiot's, read the corresponding material in the Bible. From Idiot's you get a simplistic understanding that can then be used to help digest the related passages in the Bible.

A word of warning, the author's make light of many situtations so if you're a Bible purist this may put you off a bit. Its all done in the name of good fun, but sometimes it seems a bit out of place. Not a big issue...

I found the book to be of real value to me from the standpoint that by reading it I gained a perspective that I hadn't had in a long time. Like most people, I've read the Bible but it's been a long time since I've tackled it from front to back. By reading Idiot's I was able to get a better understanding of the flow of the book. A nice side-benefit for me.

This is a nice book for someone with a limited knowledge of the Bible and looking to get their feet wet. Also, it will work well for someone who is in the early stages of a study of the Bible. The authors take care in providing an objective recounting of biblical stories and events, so don't expect an analysis of the meanings. But what is provided can serve as a starting point in a quest to give a critical interepretation of the bible.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible made me an idiot no more, April 9, 2000

By	STEPHEN J. SMITH (Sierra Vista, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiots Guide to The Bible (Paperback)

This book is wonderfully written in a somewhat humorous vein that made the Bible a very interesting story. This book answered many, many questions that I had over the years and brought the Bible to me in a more objective and practical viewpoint. I highly recommend this book for everyone who is or has been confused by the Bible and for anyone who is seeking faith. A VERY well put together book that should be a textbook for Sunday Schools everywhere.