Reading and Understanding the Bible

With his usual flair and reader-friendly style, Ben Witherington III brings us a fresh and distinctive guide to interpreting the Bible. Ideal for courses in Biblical Interpretation, Hermeneutics, and Introduction to the Bible, Reading and Understanding the Bible is unique in that it carefully examines the various genres of literature in the Bible while also explaining how to interpret each within its proper context. Taking a faith-friendly approach to historically based interpretation, it shows students how to read the Bible with a keen awareness of the many and profound differences between the modern world and ancient biblical cultures. It explains how ancient societies worked, how documents were created, who preserved them and why, the patriarchal nature of all ancient cultures, and, most importantly, how these cultural characteristics should affect our reading of the Bible.

FEATURES

* An exceptionally lucid and dynamic writing style, an eight-page color-photo insert, and helpful maps and charts keep students engaged

* Sample contextual interpretations of biblical passages illustrate foundational hermeneutical principles

* A comprehensive glossary and suggested further readings offer students additional support

Ben Witherington III is Amos Professor of the New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and also serves on the doctoral faculty at St. Andrews University in Scotland. One of the world's top evangelical scholars, he has written more than fifty books and is also a popular lecturer. Along with many interviews on radio networks across the country, he has been seen on the History Channel, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, the BBC, The Discovery Channel, A&E, and the PAX Network.

Abbreviations
Transliterations
Preface
An Invitation to Explore the Bible
Part One: Surveying the Terrain, Studying the Map
1. 'Let the Reader Understand'
2. The Grand Narrative of the Bible
3. The History in the Bible
4. On Figuring out What's Figurative, and on Learning about the Letter of the Law
5. Of Parables, Promises, and Prophecies
6. The Oral and Rhetorical Character of the Ancient Biblical World
7. Social Realities and Cultural Scripts in Bible Times
8. The Theological Structures of the Gospels
Part Two: Unearthing the Treasure
9. The Basic Rules of the Road: Hermeneutics
10. Digging Deeper: Historical Narrative
11. Digging Deeper: The Psalms
12. Digging Deeper: Isaiah
13. Digging Deeper: The Prophecy and Parables of Jesus
14. Digging Deeper: Paul--His Reflections on Hymn and Him
15. Next Steps
16. Did the Canon Misfire? The Bible's Story
Epilogue: Found in Translation
Bibliography