Biblical Literacy: The Essential Bible Stories Everyone Needs to Know

By Timothy Beal

Book Overview

"The Bible...is a locked treasure for those unfamiliar with the Scriptures....Beal offers a key with his accessible guide." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer "With skill and insight, Timothy Beal has given us a great gift: a lucid and engaging introduction to the most important book ever published." --Jon Meacham, author of American Lion , winner of the Pulitzer Prize In the tradition of Stephen Prothero's Religious Literacy , and with the deftness of Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue , Timothy Beal's Biblical Literacy is a one-stop course in the Bible passages and background information that everyone needs to know to navigate our nuanced cultural landscape--from devout believers to decided atheists, average citizens to pop-culture aficionados. Like Religion in America , Religion and its Monsters , and other of his highly acclaimed books, Beal's Biblical Literacy is a must-have handbook for understanding today's world.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061718629
• ISBN13: 9780061718625
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Loved as a gift

I gave this to my son and he loved it. It created a spark that led to other research into his faith.

Excellent Survey

This book provides a good survey of the Bible that skips over the parts which cause many people to struggle with maintaining focus. For readers who have not had as much direct reading in the Bible as they may have wished, the selections provide a fairly comprehensive overview that can be read in reasonably short amount of time. Naturally, one can quibble about the selections chosen by the author but on the whole they are good and representative of the parts from which they were selected. I personally would have selected the story of Gideon over that of Jepthath and I thought too much space was given to Revelation. Likewise, some excerpts from Nehemiah or Ezra would have been nice. But considering the breadth of the content, it is inherent that opinions will differ with respect to what should have been put in and what should have been omitted. The book has several sidebars that provide comments and ask questions about the various excerpts. I thought the author did an excellent job with the excerpts from Isaiah and the discussion about the gospel accounts is quite good. Overall, the author provides information that enables the reader to understand the excerpts in a sound context. For readers with little experience reading the Bible, this book will be a good resource for increasing familiarity with what the Bible actually says and, if desired, a good starting point for exploring other parts.

Rereading the bible

Beal's Biblical Literacy challenged me to think about these stories that I thought I already knew. There were many reminders, but many surprises as well. Informative and fun!

Worth reading

This book is an excellent introduction to the Biblical text and stories for those who are not familiar with them and a good review with pertinent questions for those who know it well to think through and discuss with others. We have enjoyed it.

Much Needed addition to my library and yours!

Beal's latest book is a wonderfully insightful read that will keep you thinking and laughing long after you close the cover. Not only for people of faith, this book will open your eyes to how biblical texts are used throughout culture. The "asides" add to one's cultural education - a must for anyone who desires to be relevant. Beal is an excellent writer who will engage your brain and your soul.