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
Bond; The Historical Jesus: A Guide for the Perplexed
Paul
Tabor ; Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity
Tabor; Paul’s Ascent to Paradise The Apostolic Message and Mission of Paul in the Light of His Mystical Experiences
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
Finklestein and Silberman; The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts
Barton; The History of the Bible: The Book and its Faiths
Knight and Levine; The Meaning of the Bible
Deconstruction
McLaren; Do I Stay Christian?
Digital / Online
You won't agree with everyone on these programs, but they will get you thinking!
Podcasts:
YouTube Channels- Many of these can be listened to without reference to the visual content.
Mythvision There's a lot of content here to pick and choose from. Don't let the thumbnail graphics influence you- they are a bit over the top. The creator Derek Lambert isn't the best interviewer, but he has managed to host quite a few respected scholars (along with a few cranks).
James Tabor He's a retired professor from UNC Chapel Hill. His channel includes "...interviews, lectures, and related videos from my forty years exploring the academic study of the origins of Christianity and ancient Judaism."
Useful Charts- Religious Studies Collection Explanations of numerous world religions and their scriptures using innovative charts to trace their stories. Everything from Judaism to Hinduism to Norse mythology.
Yale Divinity School Lectures, video playlists and online course material on biblical and ministry topics. Most of these can be listened to without having to pay attention to visual content.
Kedem- The Ancient Near East an educational channel dedicated to the academic study of the ancient near east. Our mission is to provide scientifically based views and in-depth analysis about the history, archaeology, culture, and languages of the ancient near east - Assyria, Babylon and Egypt, with an emphasis on the history of Canaan and Ancient Israel.
The Center Place Lectures and discussion on history, theology, philosophy, religious studies, comparative religion, neuroscience, and more.