often Christians tie themselves in knots trying to justify their own beliefs that may be scriptural but more often based on tradition or opinion, "
"Most of what Christians fight over are behaviors that may or may not be sins, When we don't like the ways that other people act, it is easy to label their actions as sinful whether they are or not, "
"We should have less pride in our opinions and more pride in Jesus' work for all of us, . . and trust that God is in control of His creation, "
I appreciated the author's explanation at the end of how Christian faith traditions have evolved and expanded over the centuries and the basic tenants of them all, I also enjoyed her perspective as a biblical archaeologist, This is one of the BEST, most accessible books on biblical interpretation I have ever read, Amanda Hope Haley provides a very easy to read yet challenging book on understanding the Bible, Her background in biblical archaelogy makes her findings very evidencebased, but her strong faith in God shines through in every page, I thought she was very thoughtful, logical and faithful a rare find in hermeneutics books,for sure! What a fascinating read, you could tell that the author was passionate about the topic and was wellwritten, Overall I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more from the author, I was originally introduced to this title through advertisements on the Bible Binge podcast, and that demographic and the title created the impression that this would be a humorous memoir.
It is not, It is chock full of dense, good biblical information, but it is not fun or easy to read, If youre looking for a good primer on what the Bible is and where it comes from, this is the book for you,
Looking for a faithbased read that you would want to read for pleasure Keep looking, This is a very relatable book with scripturebased explanations for societal norms today, Writer Amanda Hope Haley uses her theological background to weave a humble approach to teaching others how God really sees things we find important in our daily life, Her stories and examples are well developed to help put scripture in a realistic and honest light,
Thank you Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, Much of this book isn't a bad, She talked about how we got the Bible, how different Protestant denominations came about and some of their traditions, and gave some Bible background information for the New Testament that was fine.
She also talked about how we shouldn't add human ideas to the Bible or cherrypick verses to prove our point and we should keep the verse context in mind.
But then she does exactly that about Genesis,
She says that God used the Big Bang and evolution to create, Both are human models that continually change and are guesses about the past by people who weren't there, God was there and told us what happened, and a closer look shows that the Genesis account and the Big Bang don't mesh, She says that because yom/day indicates a longer than ahour period in other contexts, it can be used that way in Genesis, Linguistically not true look up Answers in Genesis online for more info, So she's adding human ideas to the Bible,
She also seems to feel that our interpretation of archaeological finds and ancient texts should shape our understanding of the Bible, She accepts that there was a big flood because other cultures have flood stories, She doesn't necessary think that the Bible's version is the accurate account, She feels that the Bible is meant to teach moral truths and so doesn't need to be historically accurate, She accepts the Documentary Hypothesis which I thought was very discredited these days, but I guess not, She often says the right things but then does the very thing she's teaching against, so I can't recommend this book, Some quotes:
Location"It truly doesnt matter whether or not yom means “twentyfour hours” in Genesisbecause creation is no less amazing if it took,billion years instead of seven days to get us here, "
Location"Just because a book contains historical truth doesnt mean it is a history book, The Bible has many great examples of this, "
Location"We have to become okay with saying, “I dont know why,” when Scripture conflicts with science and history, "
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, So WellWritten!
I loved this! This showed me it's okay not to have all the answers, and maintain a questioning attitude while continuing my learning.
Haley, a Bible scholar and biblical archeologist, has written a book that is rich in historical context and accessible to nonscholars, I appreciate how Haley both reaffirms the authority of scripture and allows for proper historical context, I really enjoyed the approach of the author to bring about clarity on topics and ideas of traditionalism, legalism and biases that Christians have that arent biblically sound or theologically correct.
Although I didnt agree with the way she presented every idea, I found myself being challenged and the book served as an eye opener and provoked me to think more about why I believe what I believe.
Look, if you're a Christian or you are interested in learning more about the Bible, stop whatever you are doing and get this book!
I really wish we had this as a study companion for all the Bible study sessions we had during confirmation and baptism classes, it'd make the whole process quite thrilling!
So, thank you Amanda for researching and writing this book and Harvest House Publishers for having this out, I'm not keen on spoilers but the aspect of 'Christ' and 'the Christ,' still has me shook!
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC, now I feel like I'm enlightened.
Originally started last year. Returned to it with more focus and thoroughly enjoyed the level of scholarship and faith building insight,
Very balanced approach to the Christian Faith, the origins of the scriptures, how to study them, why things go wrong and confusion happens,
Having studied theology myself I am comfortable with this subject and have always found modern literary criticism, liberal and destructive to the point you lose sight of why you started in the first place.
Mostly this is because those scholars in the main adapt traditional academic practices and dismiss the role of God in the process,
I am more comfortable with this author who is both theologically trained and a biblical archaeologist, Her heart and faith rest in God but isnt afraid to say she doesnt know, However, what she does know she shares openly, frankly and with conviction,
This is a book that is informative and faith building,
It is scholarly and provides the range of methods including biblical criticism that challenges authorship and the writings themselves, So you are given a good introduction into this subject and as a result your own faith isnt crushed, It may be either deepened or be more open to scepticism, But as the author suggests we need to allow God to lead us in his ways and be involved in our quest for knowledge,
I picked up this book as I saw that her next book with an equally snappy title is due out, “The RedHaired Archaeologist digs Israel, ” Based on this book I now cant wait! Amanda delves deep into the very structure of the Bible, exploring how the holy manuscripts were written, compiled, and translated and teaching us to cherish each passage for its unique literary structure and voice.
That contribution alone would have been enough, because she lays out that complicated history in such an easytounderstand format that the reader leaves enlightened rather than overwhelmed,
But she goes deeper, teaching us how to view sciences relationship with the Bible in a healthy manner the passages on creation literally made me tear up!, how to look at scripture in context rather than “cherrypicking,” how to read slowly and carefully, and ultimately, how to strip everything away, everything you have ever heard, everything you are “supposed” to read into scripture, and just listen.
Particularly helpful, I thought, was the chapter entitled “Too Many Cookbooks in the Christian Kitchen,” which talks about the problem, not new to our generation, of preferring to follow a doctrine, or a denomination, or legalism, or a man, which is so easy for us to do, isnt it I think a lot of times these problems start as we try to boil our beliefs down into a teachable message to take out into the world.
But we forget to fluff the stew back up again to learn God in the fullness of His glory, Amanda does a wonderful job reminding us of just how important it is to do that,
Her tone is conversational and easytoread, I found that the scripture she used as examples throughout was particularly wellchosen, You feel like youre in a really fun classroom and shes the teacher at the front with a blackboard breaking it all down into understandable language, And finally, I will add that what Amanda does is more than just teach hermeneutics a word we learn in the last chapter!, She presents the beautiful, aweinspiring picture of Gods plan, It seeps in when you least expect it, moving you to emotion and prodding you to reflect on what an awesome God we serve,
Highly recommended! Truth, Legend, and the Stories You Thought You Knew
Tradition suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and Jesus was born in a barn.
But what does the Bible really say Armed with her theology degree, archaeological experience, and sharp wit, Amanda Hope Haley clears up misconceptions of Bible stories and encourages you to dig into Scripture as it is written rather than accept versions altered by centuries of human interpretations.
Providing context with native languages, historical facts, literary genres, and relevant anecdotes, Haley demonstrates how Scripturewhen read in its original contextis more than a collection of fairy
tales or a massive rule book.
Its Gods revelation of Himself to us,
She teaches you to
understand how the books of the Bible were written, transmitted, and translated
recognize the differences between genuine Scripture and popular doctrines
boldly seek God in His own words, ask questions of tradition, and find answers in the texts
grow in your understanding of God and appreciation of the Bibles intimate and complex revelation of His nature
Its time to abandon the gods of tradition, and meet God in His Word.
I really love the way this written, because its in plain English for those not part of this world but also dont treat the audience as dumb/simple,
So great how aspects are broke down into myths but also showed we must need faith on some events and subjects, And I love that sometimes we just dont know, its ok to not know,
Like what we know fills a thimble and what we dont know fills a bucket!!
I learned a lot from this book and had other aspects of faith reaffirmed.
Cant wait to see what comes do next! My curiosity was stirred when I read the description of this book, I have always found contradictions in what I heard at church, what I believed, and what I read, I found this book thought provoking, and a fast read, I didn't always agree with everything she said, but I wasn't put off by her explanations or ideas either, I would highly recommend this book if you ever questioned some of your church ideas, Amanda Hope Haley has a bachelor of arts in Religious Studies from Rhodes College and a master of theological studies in Hebrew Scripture and Interpretation from Harvard University, She is a lover of the Bible its God, its words, and its history, Her fourth book, THE RED HAIRED ARCHAEOLOGIST DIGS ISRAEL, was released by Harvest House Publishers on February,, She contributed to The Voice Bible as a translator, writer, and editor and she has been a content editor and ghost writer for popular Christian authors, Amanda and David live in Tennessee with their always entertaining basset hound, Copper, where she is currently writing, .