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nadoislandgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This book changed the way I think about the Bible. Peterson has a great love for the Bible as the word of God, while also recognizing and respecting that it was created by a collection of people within history. His understanding of the styles used and the purpose of each book of the Bible shines a clearer light on the word.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the Bible better.
Now, for the first time, I want to go out and read The Message translation!
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the Bible better.
Now, for the first time, I want to go out and read The Message translation!
bickleyhouse's review against another edition
5.0
This book was amazing. With plenty of ideas about how to implement Lectio Divina (spiritual reading) in the reading of the Bible, and even some history on the translations of the Bible, this book kept me interested and inspired all the way through. For the first time, I really have a better understanding, too, of how Peterson's translation of the Bible, The Message, came about. This book, along with Life With God, by Richard J. Foster, have completely changed my world when it comes to reading the Bible. I will probably reread both books several times.
songyousing108's review against another edition
4.0
This is genuinely a "conversation" in the sense that it is not simply about reading the scriptures, but a compilation of thoughts regarding scripture reading.
matt_sheffield's review against another edition
4.0
There's a lot here, and what Peterson offers is worthy of multiple slow readings. I was hoping, however, for a more practical guide to Lectio Divina and was disappointed on that front. As I kept reading I was eventually pulled back into his stories, insights, and wisdom. Gave me a new appreciation for paraphrase translations such as The Message.
davenash's review against another edition
3.0
This books teaches you to do the lectio divina from a Protestant perspective. Peterson is passionate about his work and has some good insights and anecdotes.
caleb_karnosh22's review against another edition
5.0
I could have really used this book about 3 or 4 years ago. Peterson's approach to what Scripture is and how it is to be read would have been incredibly life-giving to me as I entered my undergrad in theology. I appreciated his firm stand on biblical authority-yet separation from those who rigidly read Scripture as primarily informational rather than revelatory. Specifically, the revelation of Jesus Christ and the weighty yet freeing call he has for our lives. The whole book was pastoral, reasonable, and passionately locked in on the deep and beautiful relationship that Jesus Christ desires to have with His people. I will be returning to this book often.
I also found the last part of the book insightful as he gave the story behind why he wrote The Message translation. Growing up I had always been told he performed an injustice on the Scriptures and merely did a wishy-wash paraphrase of Scripture. After reading this, Peterson convinced me of both his deep pastoral heart for translating as he did, and also the need for faithful paraphrased translations of Scripture. Everything Peterson did was out of love for the people in his church. He wanted the Scriptures to speak as a living word to people because the God we worship is the Word who took on flesh.
I also found the last part of the book insightful as he gave the story behind why he wrote The Message translation. Growing up I had always been told he performed an injustice on the Scriptures and merely did a wishy-wash paraphrase of Scripture. After reading this, Peterson convinced me of both his deep pastoral heart for translating as he did, and also the need for faithful paraphrased translations of Scripture. Everything Peterson did was out of love for the people in his church. He wanted the Scriptures to speak as a living word to people because the God we worship is the Word who took on flesh.
jfuel's review against another edition
5.0
The most frequent way we have of getting rid of the puzzling or unpleasant difficulties in the Bible is to systematize it, organizing it according to some scheme or other that summarizes "what the Bible teaches." If we know what the Bible teaches, we don't have to read it anymore, don't have to enter the story and immerse ourselves in the odd and unflattering and uncongenial way in which this story develops, including so many people and circumstances that have nothing to do, we think, with us.
Spiritual reading: a dog-with-a-bone kind of reading
So many highlights in this book. This is now my recommended manual on how to read the Bible.
Spiritual reading: a dog-with-a-bone kind of reading
So many highlights in this book. This is now my recommended manual on how to read the Bible.
bookishrn's review against another edition
3.0
Read this nightly with husband. We enjoyed it - and learned a lot. I've read a couple of books by Peterson, would like to read more. Knowing the background of how The Message Bible came to be was interesting, too.
aeder's review against another edition
3.0
Most of the book discusses the importance of living out Scripture. There was a cool couple of stories about Bible translations over the years that led to a discussion on The Message translation of the Bible and the idea that the Bible in common language is crucial.