Making Sense of the Bible: Literary Type as an Approach to Understanding Book

No book in the Western world has evoked more diverse interpretations than the Bible. One reason for this multiplicity of interpretation is the gap of two thousand years between the writing of the Bible and our time. In Making Sense of the Bible Marshall Johnson bridges this cultural and historical distance. Focusing on the eight major literary forms in the Bible?wisdom literature, liturgical materials, quasi-historical material, prophetic writings, collections of laws and precepts, apocalyptic literature, letters, and Gospels?Johnson describes each form's central features to give readers a sense of what to expect from each literary form and how to approach it. In order to effectively understand the Bible as it was written, the author contends that readers must be able to recognize the diverse kinds of literature found between its covers. For inquisitive laypeople or students in search of the original meaning of the Bible, this book provides a thoughtful and concise introduction to its literary forms.Read More