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countingstarsbycandlelight's review against another edition
3.0
meh. it felt overly abridged. parts were interesting, but i would have preferred more detail.
marisbest2's review against another edition
4.0
This book is actually a pretty good overview of how the bible has been read, with an emphasis on Jewish and Christian exegesis. It ends with a call for a new and specific kind of exegesis, but for the most part remains apart from theology/exegesis. Its fairly shallow, but has good breadth. Does what its supposed to
jennms_qkw's review against another edition
4.0
Some sections were a bit brief for my taste but I know it had to be shorter. I learned so very much. Thank you, Karen Armstrong.
chelseasofia's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. It gives a very simple account (as much of it can be simple) of a very complicated history. Although, when I picked it up I thought there would be more explanation of how the bible was put together, what got put in and why and what was thrown out i.e. the 7th Ecumenical Council. What this book is more about, is how the Bible was interpreted, used, and viewed throughout the ages. And this history is fascinating. I think the most fascinating chapters were the beginning chapters because she starts back before there was any written text, and explains both the Jewish relationship with the Bible and the Christians and New Testament.
mcsnide's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting overview of the history of the Bible and how it has been used over the years. Nothing ground-breaking here, but a solid overall work.
ewbanh's review against another edition
5.0
Some overlap with a The Case for God, but still an excellent read. Weak account of fundamentalism around the Scopes trial, but otherwise a brilliant book.
matthewcpeck's review against another edition
4.0
Thank God/Yahweh/Allah for Karen Armstrong. In our current culture of overly aggressive atheists and primitive fundamentalists, Armstrong's writings on Western Religion are a sanctuary of sanity and clarity.
'The Bible: A Biography' is, just as its title promises, an account of the 'life' of the most discussed, argued-over, influential tome of them all. The first half runs through what we know of the history of the composition and origins of the Old and New Testaments, and the second half provides an account of its exegesis and interpretation by Jews and Christians from the beginning of the millenium to the present day. The fact that Armstrong attempts to cover all of this in less than 230 pages may frustrate some readers - some sections may seem rushed and some important subjects and figures given a scant couple of paragraphs. But there are centuries of literature and educational materials about the Bible out there for the reading, and this book is an accessible, continually fascinating and admirably structured introduction to a complex topic. Armstrong is incapable of writing a weakly worded sentence.
One of many interesting facts gleaned from this book: Pat Robertson-style Christian fundamentalism is actually a modern phenomenon. The bible scholars of centuries past understood that the Bible should not be taken literally. What happened?
'The Bible: A Biography' is, just as its title promises, an account of the 'life' of the most discussed, argued-over, influential tome of them all. The first half runs through what we know of the history of the composition and origins of the Old and New Testaments, and the second half provides an account of its exegesis and interpretation by Jews and Christians from the beginning of the millenium to the present day. The fact that Armstrong attempts to cover all of this in less than 230 pages may frustrate some readers - some sections may seem rushed and some important subjects and figures given a scant couple of paragraphs. But there are centuries of literature and educational materials about the Bible out there for the reading, and this book is an accessible, continually fascinating and admirably structured introduction to a complex topic. Armstrong is incapable of writing a weakly worded sentence.
One of many interesting facts gleaned from this book: Pat Robertson-style Christian fundamentalism is actually a modern phenomenon. The bible scholars of centuries past understood that the Bible should not be taken literally. What happened?
mcfarlandclan's review against another edition
4.0
Great OVERVIEW of the creation of the Bible, and biblical scholarship.
jlyroberts's review against another edition
1.0
Sprint through bible history. Did not enjoy. Can't tell you I actually learned anything.
nwhyte's review against another edition
3.0
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1965056.html
Karen Armstrong's books about religion have not always worked for me, but this one did the trick - a fairly intense account of how we think the books of the Bible came to be written, and how they have then been used by Jewish and Christian believers over the centuries. Most of it was material with which I was already familiar, but presented in quite and intense and engaging format. I had not previously considered Wycliffe's links with the scholastic philosophers (which perhaps shows how little I had previously thought about him at all). Not really a book for beginners but an interesting perspective for readers who already know a bit about the subject.
Karen Armstrong's books about religion have not always worked for me, but this one did the trick - a fairly intense account of how we think the books of the Bible came to be written, and how they have then been used by Jewish and Christian believers over the centuries. Most of it was material with which I was already familiar, but presented in quite and intense and engaging format. I had not previously considered Wycliffe's links with the scholastic philosophers (which perhaps shows how little I had previously thought about him at all). Not really a book for beginners but an interesting perspective for readers who already know a bit about the subject.