Re-claiming the Bible for a non-religious world / John Shelby Spong.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Spong, John Shelby.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible--Introductions.

Bible.

Bible--History.

History.

Genre:

Introductions.

Physical Description:

xviii, 414 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : HarperOne/HarperCollins Pub., [2011]

Summary:

In this informal and accessible survey, Spong moves book by book through the Scriptures, introducing their themes and messages by examining the sweep of history in which these books were originally written. For the vast audience of people eager for a meaningful journey into the Bible, Spong leads the way. 432 pp.

Contents:

Setting the stage: posing the problem. Examining the Bible's mystique

The formation of the Torah. Breaking open the Books of Moses ; The Yahwist document : the original narrative ; The Elohist document : the Torah expands ; The Deuteronomic writers : the third strand of the Torah ; The priestly document : the fourth strand of the Torah

The rise of the prophets. The transitional books : Joshua, Judges, and Samuel ; The story of Nathan : all are subject to the law ; I and II Kings, Elijah and Elisha : step two in the prophetic tradition

Introducing the writing prophets. The prophetic principle: ancient and modern ; The Isaiahs I, II, and III ; Jeremiah : prophet of doom ; Ezekiel ; prophet of the exile ; Daniel : misplaced but potent

The minor prophets : the book of the twelve. Hosea : the prophet who changed God's name to love ; Amos : the prophet who changed God's name to justice ; Micah : the prophet who turned liturgy into life ; Jonah : definer of prejudice ; I and II Zechariah : shapers of the Jesus story ; Malachi : the dawn of universalism

The Bible's protest literature. Job : icon of a new consciousness ; Ruth : the myth of racial purity

Liturgical books and wisdom literature. THe book of psalms ; Wisdom literature : Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon ; Lamentations and Esther : books designed for liturgical observances ; The chronicler, Ezra and Nehemiah : national mythmakers

Introducing the Christian scriptures, commonly called the New Testament. A new beginning

an old theme ; Dating the historical Jesus ; Dating the New Testament in relation to the life of Jesus ; the oral period

Paul : the first New Testament writer. The witness of Paul ; Paul's secret thorn ; Paul's early Epistles : I Thessalonians and Galatians ; The Corinthian Letters ; Resurrection according to Paul ; Resurrection through Jewish eyes ; Romans : the Gospel of Paul ; The theology of Paul as revealed in Romans ; Who is Christ for Paul? The Gospel in Romans ; The elder Paul : Philemon and Phillipans ; Post-Pauline Epistles : II Thessalonians, Colossians and Ephesians

The synoptic Gospels. Exploring Mark : the original Gospel ; Park's use of synagogue worship patterns ; Mark's first narrative of the Crucifixion : a Passover format ; Matthew : the most Jewish Gospel ; Matthew's interpretive secret ; Matthew and the liturgical year of the sysnagogue ; Luke : moving toward the Gentile world ; Luke's vision of universalism ; Acts : the spirit that embraces the world and drives toward wholeness ; Paul and early Christians as viewed through Acts

The pastoral Epistles, Hebrews and the general Epistles. I and II Timothy and Titus : "We have the truth!" ; The Epistle to the Hebrews ; The general Epistles : James, I and II Peter and Jude

The Johannine corpus. Introducing the Johannine paterial ; The Gospel of John : not a literal book ; The raising of Lazarus and the identity of the beloved disciple ; The epilogue of John ; The Johannine Epistles and the Book of Revelation.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [411]-414).

ISBN:

9780062011282

0062011286

OCLC:

729990549