Abstract
Many introductory textbooks to the Bible tend either to skim the surface too lightly or dive too deeply and overwhelm the student with too much information—not so this book. With clarity and precision, Arterbury, Bellinger, and Dodson have struck an ideal balance appropriate for students beginning to study the Bible academically.
The book is divided into eight chapters, most of which cover a collection of biblical books: Pentateuch (ch. 2), Prophets (ch. 3), Writings (ch. 4), Gospels and Acts (ch. 6), Paul (ch. 7), and General Letters and Revelation (ch. 8), plus an introduction (ch. 1) and a description of the intertestamental period (ch. 5). The approach of each chapter is broadly historical-critical, ‘giving attention to historical, literary, and theological contexts’ (p. xi). Students are introduced to important terms and concepts such as source criticism, suzerain-vassal treaties, redaction, pseudonymity, Hellenism, apocalypticism, etc., but the major focus of each chapter is the biblical content itself, and every book of the Bible is treated individually. Numerous text boxes and illustrations summarize important content or provide supplementary information; some have an interactive element: e.g., ‘An Exercise: Interpreting Psalm 6’ (p. 112).
The first chapter, ‘Places to Begin’, is especially notable in that it asks (1) ‘Why Read the Bible?’, addressing the need for biblical studies, (2) ‘How Did We Get the Bible?’, covering the basics of textual criticism, and (3) ‘How Shall We Read the Bible?’, which surveys different interpretive approaches (e.g., allegorical, historical-critical, literary). Here students are given an eminently honest, plainly written introduction that expertly raises the need for biblical studies and simultaneously addresses many of the challenges they will face along the way. One slight concern is that, although each chapter contains an appended bibliography, no footnotes or endnotes accompany specific discussions, which might more easily direct students to additional resources. However, this might simply be a matter of preference. This volume is an excellent—not to mention affordable!—introduction to the Bible and biblical scholarship.