- Brian Chilcote
Where to Begin? Books and Podcasts you Should Know
Updated: Feb 17
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