Where to Begin? Books and Podcasts you Should Know

There once was a book called the Bible

But some people labeled it libel

"Why?" you may ask

It was taken to task

For promoting a God who's too tribal!

We have in our hands a unique collection of ancient documents we call the Bible. Some treat it like it a magical book that speaks to them personally, giving advice and direction that applies to their everyday life. Others look at it as a fascinating compendium of ancient beliefs that help us understand the history of western civilization. Still others simply trust "the experts" to tell them what it means and hope that it helps them get to heaven after they die.

What is it really? Is it simple enough for children understand its stories and propositions? Does it have something to say to me and my faith community about our life together? Is a good English translation all I need in order to know and follow what's true about my past, present and future? Does God speak to us through The Word?

There's no shortage of debate about correct interpretations of what we read in the Bible. Many arguments have serious repercussions for individuals and churches; indeed, wars have been fought over the right way to understand the Bible. What follows is a list of titles in Cornerstone's library that we have found helpful in sorting out both the right questions to ask and some possible answers. You won't agree with everything in these volumes, but it will help you think more broadly about the ancient writings collected in our Old and New Testaments.

Ancient Near Eastern Culture

Walton; Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament

Walton; The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate

Kugel and Greer; Early Biblical Interpretation (Library of Early Christianity)

Niditch; Oral World and Written Word: Ancient Israelite Literature

Schneidewind; How the Bible Became a Book: The Textualization of Ancient Israel

New Testament

DeSilva; Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture

Rohrbaugh; The New Testament in Cross-Cultural Perspective

Malina and Pilch; Handbook of Biblical Social Values

Stambaugh and Balch; The New Testament in Its Social Environment (Library of Early Christianity)

Meeks; The Moral World of the First Christians (Library of Early Christianity)

Witherington; New Testament Rhetoric: An Introduction Guide to the Art of Persuasion in and of the New Testament

Malina and Rohrbaugh; Social Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels

Jesus

Tabor; The Jesus Dynasty: The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity

Allison; Jesus of Nazareth: Millenarian Prophet

Borg and Wright; The Meaning of Jesus

Paul

Tabor ; Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity

Crossan and Reed; In Search of Paul: How Jesus' Apostle Opposed Rome's Empire with God's Kingdom

Meeks; The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul

Bible

Walton; The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority

Enns; How the Bible Actually Works

Borg; Reading the Bible Again For the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally

Digital / Online

You won't agree with everyone on these podcasts, but they will get you thinking!

Podcast- Biblical Time Machine

Podcast- Apocalyptic Gospel

Podcast- New Testament Review

Podcast- The Naked Bible

Youtube- Mythvision

Youtube- JamesTabor