Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion

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Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119730384
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (197 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion by : James W. Watts

Download or read book Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion written by James W. Watts and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-04-27 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE AS A SCRIPTURE IN HISTORY, CULTURE, AND RELIGION The Bible is a popular subject of study and research, yet biblical studies gives little attention to the reason for its popularity: its religious role as a scripture. Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion integrates the history of the religious interpretation and ritual uses of biblical books into a survey of their rhetoric, composition, and theology in their ancient contexts. Emphasizing insights from comparative studies of different religious scriptures, it combines discussion of the Bible’s origins with its cultural history into a coherent understanding of its past and present function as a scripture. A prominent expert on biblical rhetoric and the ritualization of books, James W. Watts describes how Jews and Christians ritualize the Bible by interpreting it, by expressing it in recitations, music, art, and film, and by venerating the physical scroll and book. The first two sections of the book are organized around the Torah and the Gospels—which have been the focus of Jewish and Christian ritualization of scriptures from ancient to modern times—and treat the history of other biblical books in relation to these two central blocks of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. In addition to analyzing the semantic contents of all the Bible’s books as persuasive rhetoric, Watts describes their ritualization in the iconic and expressive dimensions in the centuries since they began to function as a scripture, as well as in their origins in ancient Judaism and Christianity. The third section on the cultural history and scriptural function of modern bibles concludes by discussing their influence today and the controversies they have fueled about history, science, race, and gender. Innovative and insightful, Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion is a groundbreaking introduction to the study of the Bible as a scripture, and an ideal textbook for courses in biblical studies and comparative scripture studies.

Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion

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Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 111973035X
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (197 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion by : James W. Watts

Download or read book Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion written by James W. Watts and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2021-04-27 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE AS A SCRIPTURE IN HISTORY, CULTURE, AND RELIGION The Bible is a popular subject of study and research, yet biblical studies gives little attention to the reason for its popularity: its religious role as a scripture. Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion integrates the history of the religious interpretation and ritual uses of biblical books into a survey of their rhetoric, composition, and theology in their ancient contexts. Emphasizing insights from comparative studies of different religious scriptures, it combines discussion of the Bible’s origins with its cultural history into a coherent understanding of its past and present function as a scripture. A prominent expert on biblical rhetoric and the ritualization of books, James W. Watts describes how Jews and Christians ritualize the Bible by interpreting it, by expressing it in recitations, music, art, and film, and by venerating the physical scroll and book. The first two sections of the book are organized around the Torah and the Gospels—which have been the focus of Jewish and Christian ritualization of scriptures from ancient to modern times—and treat the history of other biblical books in relation to these two central blocks of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. In addition to analyzing the semantic contents of all the Bible’s books as persuasive rhetoric, Watts describes their ritualization in the iconic and expressive dimensions in the centuries since they began to function as a scripture, as well as in their origins in ancient Judaism and Christianity. The third section on the cultural history and scriptural function of modern bibles concludes by discussing their influence today and the controversies they have fueled about history, science, race, and gender. Innovative and insightful, Understanding the Bible as a Scripture in History, Culture, and Religion is a groundbreaking introduction to the study of the Bible as a scripture, and an ideal textbook for courses in biblical studies and comparative scripture studies.

A History of the Bible

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Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0143111205
Total Pages : 642 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (431 download)

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Book Synopsis A History of the Bible by : John Barton

Download or read book A History of the Bible written by John Barton and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A literary history of our most influential book of all time, by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest In our culture, the Bible is monolithic: It is a collection of books that has been unchanged and unchallenged since the earliest days of the Christian church. The idea of the Bible as "Holy Scripture," a non-negotiable authority straight from God, has prevailed in Western society for some time. And while it provides a firm foundation for centuries of Christian teaching, it denies the depth, variety, and richness of this fascinating text. In A History of the Bible, John Barton argues that the Bible is not a prescription to a complete, fixed religious system, but rather a product of a long and intriguing process, which has inspired Judaism and Christianity, but still does not describe the whole of either religion. Barton shows how the Bible is indeed an important source of religious insight for Jews and Christians alike, yet argues that it must be read in its historical context--from its beginnings in myth and folklore to its many interpretations throughout the centuries. It is a book full of narratives, laws, proverbs, prophecies, poems, and letters, each with their own character and origin stories. Barton explains how and by whom these disparate pieces were written, how they were canonized (and which ones weren't), and how they were assembled, disseminated, and interpreted around the world--and, importantly, to what effect. Ultimately, A History of the Bible argues that a thorough understanding of the history and context of its writing encourages religious communities to move away from the Bible's literal wording--which is impossible to determine--and focus instead on the broader meanings of scripture.

The Bible, Cultural Identity, and Missions

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Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1443892890
Total Pages : 470 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (438 download)

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Book Synopsis The Bible, Cultural Identity, and Missions by : Dziedzorm Reuben Asafo

Download or read book The Bible, Cultural Identity, and Missions written by Dziedzorm Reuben Asafo and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2016-04-26 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection brings together a number of very carefully authored articles that outline practical approaches to three of theology’s most intriguing subjects, namely The Bible, Cultural Identity, and Mission. Each of these subjects is indispensable to both the astute Christian theologian and Christian since they form the very core of what Christians believe. Each contributor explores a unique theme, and carefully, through academic exactness and contextual experience, communicates this without forgetting to employ very basic and familiar cultural analogies to drive home the missionary imperative of the Christian faith.

Bible Culture and Authority in the Early United States

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Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691179131
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (911 download)

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Book Synopsis Bible Culture and Authority in the Early United States by : Seth Perry

Download or read book Bible Culture and Authority in the Early United States written by Seth Perry and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Early Americans claimed that they looked to "the Bible alone" for authority, but the Bible was never, ever alone. Bible Culture and Authority in the Early United States is a wide-ranging exploration of the place of the Christian Bible in America in the decades after the Revolution. Attending to both theoretical concerns about the nature of scriptures and to the precise historical circumstances of a formative period in American history, Seth Perry argues that the Bible was not a "source" of authority in early America, as is often said, but rather a site of authority: a cultural space for editors, commentators, publishers, preachers, and readers to cultivate authoritative relationships. While paying careful attention to early national bibles as material objects, Perry shows that "the Bible" is both a text and a set of relationships sustained by a universe of cultural practices and assumptions. Moreover, he demonstrates that Bible culture underwent rapid and fundamental changes in the early nineteenth century as a result of developments in technology, politics, and religious life. At the heart of the book are typical Bible readers, otherwise unknown today, and better-known figures such as Zilpha Elaw, Joseph Smith, Denmark Vesey, and Ellen White, a group that includes men and women, enslaved and free, Baptists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodists, Mormons, Presbyterians, and Quakers. What they shared were practices of biblical citation in writing, speech, and the performance of their daily lives. While such citation contributed to the Bible's authority, it also meant that the meaning of the Bible constantly evolved as Americans applied it to new circumstances and identities.

The Bible in History

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198029802
Total Pages : 403 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (98 download)

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Book Synopsis The Bible in History by : David W. Kling

Download or read book The Bible in History written by David W. Kling and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2004-08-12 with total page 403 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No one can doubt that the Bible has exerted a tremendous influence on Western civilization since the dawn of Christianity. But few of us have considered the precise nature of that influence in particular historical contexts. In this book, David Kling traces the fascinating story of how specific biblical texts have at different times emerged to be the inspiration of movements that have changed the course of history. By examining eight such pivotal texts, Kling elucidates the ways in which sacred texts continue to shape our lives as well as our history. Among the passages he discusses are: * "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18), which inspired the formation of the papacy and has served as its foundation for centuries * "The righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:17), which caught the imagination of Martin Luther and sparked the Protestant Reformation * "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord: Let my people go, so that they may worship me'" (Exodus 8:1), which has played an important and diverse role in African American history from early slave spirituals through the modern civil rights movement and beyond * "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28), which has been adopted by feminists as a rallying cry in the battle for women's ordination Each of the historical episodes he explores--from the beginning of Christian monasticism to the emergence of Pentecostalism--is evidence of the dynamic interplay between Scripture and the social and cultural context in which it is interpreted. Kling's innovative study of this process shows how sacred texts can give life to social movements, and how powerful social forces can give new meaning to Scripture.

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes

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Publisher : InterVarsity Press
ISBN 13 : 0830863478
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (38 download)

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Book Synopsis Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes by : E. Randolph Richards

Download or read book Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes written by E. Randolph Richards and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2012-07-31 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. Identifying nine areas where commonplaces of modern Western thought diverge with the text, the authors ask us to reconsider long-held opinions about our most beloved book.

Understanding the Bible

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Publisher : Saint Mary's Press
ISBN 13 : 0884898520
Total Pages : 112 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (848 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding the Bible by : Jerry Ruff, Sr.

Download or read book Understanding the Bible written by Jerry Ruff, Sr. and published by Saint Mary's Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the Bible: A Guide to Reading the Scriptures will inform your reading and enrich your understanding of the Bible from historical, literary, and faith perspectives. It is ideal for use regardless of your background, your beliefs, your questions, or the Bible translation you are reading. Inside are articles that explore the Bible in its faith, historical, and cultural contexts. The Bible is looked at as literature too--its genres and literary forms. There are articles introducing the Old and New Testaments, specifically the Pentateuch, the Historical Books, the Wisdom and Poetry Books, the Prophets, the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters, and Revelation. The history and differences of translations are discussed, and other tools to help you unlock the Bible are introduced. Additional aids include maps, charts, a timeline, and a glossary. Together these aids further investigate the Bible and the world in which it was written, as well as the progression of scholarship that helps us understand the Bible today.

The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible

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Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191649171
Total Pages : 742 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (916 download)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible by : Michael Lieb

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible written by Michael Lieb and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2013-01-10 with total page 742 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent decades, reception history has become an increasingly important and controversial topic of discussion in biblical studies. Rather than attempting to recover the original meaning of biblical texts, reception history focuses on exploring the history of interpretation. In doing so it locates the dominant historical-critical scholarly paradigm within the history of interpretation, rather than over and above it. At the same time, the breadth of material and hermeneutical issues that reception history engages with questions any narrow understanding of the history of the Bible and its effects on faith communities. The challenge that reception history faces is to explore tradition without either reducing its meaning to what faith communities think is important, or merely offering anthologies of interesting historical interpretations. This major new handbook addresses these matters by presenting reception history as an enterprise (not a method) that questions and understands tradition afresh. The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible consciously allows for the interplay of the traditional and the new through a two-part structure. Part I comprises a set of essays surveying the outline, form, and content of twelve key biblical books that have been influential in the history of interpretation. Part II offers a series of in-depth case studies of the interpretation of particular key biblical passages or books with due regard for the specificity of their social, cultural or aesthetic context. These case studies span two millennia of interpretation by readers with widely differing perspectives. Some are at the level of a group response (from Gnostic readings of Genesis, to Post-Holocaust Jewish interpretations of Job); others examine individual approaches to texts (such as Augustine and Pelagius on Romans, or Gandhi on the Sermon on the Mount). Several chapters examine historical moments, such as the 1860 debate over Genesis and evolution, while others look to wider themes such as non-violence or millenarianism. Further chapters study in detail the works of popular figures who have used the Bible to provide inspiration for their creativity, from Dante and Handel, to Bob Dylan and Dan Brown.

Understanding Scripture

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Publisher : Hendrickson Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1619706075
Total Pages : 155 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (197 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding Scripture by : Alvera M. Mickelsen

Download or read book Understanding Scripture written by Alvera M. Mickelsen and published by Hendrickson Publishers. This book was released on 2015-03-27 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can you distinguish when Scripture is literal vs. figurative? Should parables, allegories, and prophecies be interpreted with the same method? If you're wondering - or want your study time to be more rewarding - here are clear explanations, guidelines, advice, and discussion questions to help you discover what the Bible really means.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 760 pages
Book Rating : 4.A/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia by : James Orr

Download or read book The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia written by James Orr and published by . This book was released on 1915 with total page 760 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Making Sense of the Bible [Leader Guide]

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Publisher : Abingdon Press
ISBN 13 : 1501801325
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis Making Sense of the Bible [Leader Guide] by : Adam Hamilton

Download or read book Making Sense of the Bible [Leader Guide] written by Adam Hamilton and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2014-09-15 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this six week video study, Adam Hamilton explores the key points in his new book, Making Sense of the Bible. With the help of this Leader Guide, groups learn from Hamilton as his video presentations lead groups through the book, focusing on the most important questions we ask about the Bible, its origins and meaning.

The Cultural World of the Bible

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Publisher : Baker Academic
ISBN 13 : 144122825X
Total Pages : 448 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (412 download)

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Book Synopsis The Cultural World of the Bible by : Victor H. Matthews

Download or read book The Cultural World of the Bible written by Victor H. Matthews and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2015-07-14 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this new edition of a successful book (over 120,000 copies sold), now updated throughout, a leading expert on the social world of the Bible offers students a reliable guide to the manners and customs of the ancient world. From what people wore, ate, and built to how they exercised justice, mourned, and viewed family and legal customs, this illustrated introduction helps readers gain valuable cultural background on the biblical world. The attractive, full-color, user-friendly design will appeal to students, while numerous pedagogical features--including fifty photos, sidebars, callouts, maps, charts, a glossary of key terms, chapter outlines, and discussion questions--increase classroom utility. Previously published as Manners and Customs in the Bible.

What Did Jesus Look Like?

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0567671518
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (676 download)

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Book Synopsis What Did Jesus Look Like? by : Joan E. Taylor

Download or read book What Did Jesus Look Like? written by Joan E. Taylor and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-02-08 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jesus Christ is arguably the most famous man who ever lived. His image adorns countless churches, icons, and paintings. He is the subject of millions of statues, sculptures, devotional objects and works of art. Everyone can conjure an image of Jesus: usually as a handsome, white man with flowing locks and pristine linen robes. But what did Jesus really look like? Is our popular image of Jesus overly westernized and untrue to historical reality? This question continues to fascinate. Leading Christian Origins scholar Joan E. Taylor surveys the historical evidence, and the prevalent image of Jesus in art and culture, to suggest an entirely different vision of this most famous of men. He may even have had short hair.

How to Read the Bible

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199840032
Total Pages : 218 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (998 download)

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Book Synopsis How to Read the Bible by : Steven L McKenzie

Download or read book How to Read the Bible written by Steven L McKenzie and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-04-13 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: McKenzie argues that to comprehend the Bible we must grasp the intentions of the biblical authors themselves--what sort of texts they thought they were writing and how they would have been understood by their intended audience. In short, we must recognize the genres to which these texts belong. McKenzie examines several genres that are typically misunderstood, offering careful readings of specific texts to show how the confusion arises, and how knowing the genre produces a correct reading. The book of Jonah, for example, offers many clues that it is meant as a humorous satire, not a straight-faced historical account of a man who was swallowed by a fish. Likewise, McKenzie explains that the very names "Adam" and "Eve" tell us that these are not historical characters, but figures who symbolize human origins ("Adam" means man , "Eve" is related to the word for life ). Similarly, the authors of apocalyptic texts--including the Book of Revelation--were writing allegories of events that were happening in their own time. Not for a moment could they imagine that centuries afterwards, readers would be poring over their works for clues to the date of the Second Coming of Christ, or when and how the world would end. For anyone who takes reading the Bible seriously and who wants to get it right, this book will be both heartening and enlightening.

A Political History of the Bible in America

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Publisher : Presbyterian Publishing Corp
ISBN 13 : 066426039X
Total Pages : 695 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (642 download)

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Book Synopsis A Political History of the Bible in America by : Paul D. Hanson

Download or read book A Political History of the Bible in America written by Paul D. Hanson and published by Presbyterian Publishing Corp. This book was released on 2015-08-24 with total page 695 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Biblical history, enriched by many religious and cultural traditions, flows into and is intertwined with our nation's epic, both for better and for worse. To ignore that history is to cut ourselves off from our roots and to deny the ancestral experiences that forged our individual and collective identity." --from the prologue This substantial work explores the interplay of religion and politics throughout the history of the United States. Paul D. Hanson traces American history back to colonial times, paying close attention to the role that biblical tradition has played in shaping the national story of the United States. He then presents a detailed study of politics in the Bible that is framed by the challenges and crises in American history. Students will learn how deeply religion has influenced both domestic and international policy and contributed to the nation's sense of identity and purpose. After laying these biblical-historical foundations, Hanson considers a method of biblical interpretation that can speak to the diverse nation of today. He proposes an inclusive form of public moral discourse that invites full participation by members of all religious and philosophical groups.

Exploring the New Testament World

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Author :
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
ISBN 13 : 1418587060
Total Pages : 2035 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (185 download)

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Book Synopsis Exploring the New Testament World by : Albert Bell

Download or read book Exploring the New Testament World written by Albert Bell and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 1998-09-18 with total page 2035 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The timeless message of the New Testament applies to people of every culture and generation. Yet there is great value in understanding the world in which that message was first revealed - its social manners, politics, religious customs, and culture. Exploring the New Testament World, written by classics and Bible scholar Dr. Albert A. Bell, Jr., illuminates the living context of the New Testament, immersing its readers in the intriguing world of Jesus and the early church. An authority on ancient Greek and Roman language, culture, and history, Dr. Bell writes in a readable style that is accessible and enjoyable to any reader - an uncommon accomplishment among New Testament scholars today. Surveying Jewish factions of the era, the social and political structure of the Roman Empire, and the philosophies and religions that surrounded the early church, Dr. Bell helps his readers learn to think like first-century Jews, Greeks, and Romans, illuminating puzzling New Testament passages for clear understanding. Comprehensive Scripture and Subject Indexes make this volume even more useful as a "manners and customs" Bible companion. This authoritative guide receives high praise from college professors and Sunday school teachers alike, proving its appeal to both popular and academic audiences. A "must-have" reference for every pastor and an indispensable resource to any Bible reader.