Engaging the Christian Scriptures: An Introduction to the Bible

This readable, affordable, and faith-friendly introduction to the Bible aids students as they engage in their first informed reading of the biblical text in an academic setting. The authors, who have significant undergraduate teaching experience, approach the Christian Scriptures from historical, literary, and theological perspectives. The book is designed for a one-semester course and is meant to be read alongside the biblical text, enabling students to become educated readers of the Bible. In the process, it introduces critical perspectives and approaches without undermining the theological claims found in the Christian Scriptures. The book includes text boxes, illustrations, maps, and suggestions for further reading and is supplemented by web-based pedagogical resources.

• Contents
  
• 1. Places to Begin
• Why Read the Bible?
• How Did We Get the Bible?
• How Shall We Read the Bible?
• 2. Pentateuch
• The Old Testament World
• Primeval History
• Ancestral Stories
• Exodus and Covenant
• Sojourn in the Wilderness
• Theological Reflection: Creation and Covenant
• 3. Former and Latter Prophets
• Historical and Social Contexts of the Prophets
• Settlement in the Land
• Movement to Monarchy
• The Latter Prophets
• Exile and Beyond
• Theological Reflection: Crises of Monarchy and Exile
• 4. Writings
• The Context of the Writings
• Poetry and Worship
• Poetry and Wisdom
• Daniel and the Five Scrolls
• Theological Reflection: Faith and Culture
• 5. Between the Testaments
• Sociohistorical Developments
• Religious Beliefs and Practices in Antiquity
• 6. The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles
• The World of the Gospels
• The Genre and Literary Tradition of the Gospels
• The Gospel of Mark
• The Gospel of Matthew
• The Gospel of Luke
• The Gospel of John
• The Acts of the Apostles
• Theological Reflection: Unity and Diversity among the
• Gospels and Acts
• 7. Paul and the Pauline Tradition
• Paul's Life, Ministry, and Letters
• The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians
• The Letter of Paul to the Galatians
• The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians
• The Letter of Paul to the Romans
• Additional Undisputed Letters of Paul
• The Pauline Tradition
• Theological Reflection: The Contours of Paul's Theology
• 8. The General Letters and Revelation
• The World of Early Christians
• The Letter to the Hebrews
• The Letter of James
• The First Letter of Peter
• The Second Letter of Peter and the Letter of Jude
• The Johannine Letters
• The Revelation to John
• Theological Reflection: A Fitting Conclusion
• Indexes