"A fascinating investigation." --Christian Advance "For the Books
That Changed the World series . . . Armstrong accepted the arguably
most daunting assignment. What other book has as long a history of
influence as the Bible, or has affected more people and societies?
[Armstrong] is, of course, up to the task and provides an excellent
précis of the writing and compiling of the Bible and the ensuing
centuries of biblical interpretation. . . . This is one terrific
little book." --Booklist "Dispels any notion of religion as a
rigidly fixed reading of sacred texts. Spanning millennia, from the
scripture's origins in oral stories to the conflicting beliefs,
ancient and modern, over its message, her book will discomfort
fundamentalists who believe that the Bible means what it says and
says what it means." --Rich Barlow, The Boston Globe "One of the
merits of Armstrong's book is that it points to the modern origin
of literalist interpretations of Scripture, and then revisits the
preceding centuries of Biblical scholarship to bring its
considerable diversity to the notice of modern readers." --Edward
Norman, Literary Review "Vintage Armstrong: sweeping, bold,
incisive, and insightful. In eight chapters it covers the history
of the writing, canonizing, and reading of the Bible... Her choice
of topics is impeccable ... and her brief, 23-page discussion on
the rise of the Talmud is masterful." --P.L. Redditt, Choice "A
handy, erudite primer on the Holy Books." --The Jerusalem Report "A
whirlwind tour through biblical studies. . . Armstrong's analysis
of the freedom previous generations (however far removed) felt with
adapting, editing, redacting and re-writing the texts to suit
contemporary purposes will undoubtedly remind savvy readers of all
the current uses to which these same texts are being put." --Kel
Munger, Sacramento News & Review "[Armstrong] shows how the highly
disparate writings that now compose the Jewish and Christian
scriptures came together and examines the very different methods of
interpretation used over the centuries. Her book's great strength
is the way she unfolds the Jewish and Christian histories of
formation and interpretation in parallel with one another."
--Richard Harries, The Guardian"A learned but accessible history of
the Bible's origins and genesis. Armstrong goes behind the
authorized versions preached by the churches to recreate the order
- and the political and social circumstances - in which the books
of the Old and New testaments were first written down, amended, and
then endlessly reinterpreted and recast.... Armstrong's great
achievement, however, is that, as well as leaving you with a
clearer, more historically accurate picture as to what precisely
the Bible is (and isn't), she also makes you want to go back and
read it again with fresh eyes." --Peter Stanford, The Independent
(UK) [Armstrong] has never written on such a broad scale, or with
as much passion . . . [her] concern that religion should no longer
be used to promote violence animates her measured, lucid prose and
vivifies her summar of the development of the Bible and its
interpretation."
--Bruce Chilton, New York Sun "Karen Armstrong preaches the gospel
truth in The Bible, explaining how the spiritual guide for one out
of three people on the planet came into being and evolved over the
centuries"
--Elissa Schappell, Vanity Fair "[A] richly interwoven and often
surprising history." --Michael Alec Rose, Bookpage "While there are
countless guides to reading the Bible, noted academic Karen
Armstrong looks at the history of the book with a keen historian's
eye. ... Armstrong condenses into a manageable volume the many
ideas and traditions that influenced the creation of the Good
Book." --Kirkus Reviews "This is one terrific little book."
--Booklist "[A] spending series. --Bill Ward, Minneapolis
Star-Tribune "[Armstrong] does an exceptional job of balancing and
interweaving Jewish and Christian approaches to scripture."
--Kirkus Reviews "Of all the 'Books that Changed the World' surely
the Bible is among the most important. And of all contemporary
popularizes of religious history, surely Armstrong is among the
bestselling. Who better, then, to recount the history of the Bible
in eight short chapters than this former nun and literature
professor who relishes huge topics and panoramic descriptions?
Armstrong not only describes how, when and by whom the Bible was
written, she also examines some 2,000 years of biblical
interpretation." --Publishers Weekly "Armstrong judiciously
summarizes centuries of history and writes with remarkable
insight."
--Christian Science Sentinel Armstrong is at her best when
explaining how today's focus on the Bible as a literal, static text
runs counter to a longstanding interpretative tradition that viewed
study of the good book as 'an activity for attaining
transcendence.'" --Andrea McQuillin, Shambhala Sun
Of all the "Books That Changed the World"-the recently launched series to which this book belongs-surely the Bible is among the most important. And of all contemporary popularizers of religious history, surely Armstrong is among the bestselling. Who better, then, to recount the history of the Bible in eight short chapters than this former nun and literature professor who relishes huge topics (The History of God) and panoramic descriptions (The Great Transformation)? Armstrong not only describes how, when and by whom the Bible was written, she also examines some 2,000 years of biblical interpretation by bishops and rabbis, scholars and mystics, pietists and critics, thus opening up a myriad of exegetical approaches and dispelling any fundamentalist notion that only one view can be correct. Readers unfamiliar with ecclesiastical history may feel overwhelmed by dense chapters that read more like annotated lists than narrative-a hazard of trying to cover so much in so little space. (A glossary helps to anchor the bewildered.) At her best when she pauses long enough to expand on a topic, Armstrong offers intriguing insights on, for example, the allegorical method developed by Origen in the third century and the mystical midrash of the Kabbalists in medieval Spain and Provence. (Nov.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
"A fascinating investigation." --Christian Advance
"For the Books That Changed the World series . . . Armstrong
accepted the arguably most daunting assignment. What other book has
as long a history of influence as the Bible, or has affected more
people and societies? [Armstrong] is, of course, up to the task and
provides an excellent precis of the writing and compiling of the
Bible and the ensuing centuries of biblical interpretation. . . .
This is one terrific little book." --Booklist "Dispels any
notion of religion as a rigidly fixed reading of sacred texts.
Spanning millennia, from the scripture's origins in oral stories to
the conflicting beliefs, ancient and modern, over its message, her
book will discomfort fundamentalists who believe that the Bible
means what it says and says what it means." --Rich Barlow, The
Boston Globe "One of the merits of Armstrong's book is that it
points to the modern origin of literalist interpretations of
Scripture, and then revisits the preceding centuries of Biblical
scholarship to bring its considerable diversity to the notice of
modern readers." --Edward Norman, Literary Review "Vintage
Armstrong: sweeping, bold, incisive, and insightful. In eight
chapters it covers the history of the writing, canonizing, and
reading of the Bible... Her choice of topics is impeccable ... and
her brief, 23-page discussion on the rise of the Talmud is
masterful." --P.L. Redditt, Choice "A handy, erudite primer
on the Holy Books." --The Jerusalem Report "A whirlwind tour
through biblical studies. . . Armstrong's analysis of the freedom
previous generations (however far removed) felt with adapting,
editing, redacting and re-writing the texts to suit contemporary
purposes will undoubtedly remind savvy readers of all the current
uses to which these same texts are being put." --Kel Munger,
Sacramento News & Review "[Armstrong] shows how the highly
disparate writings that now compose the Jewish and Christian
scriptures came together and examines the very different methods of
interpretation used over the centuries. Her book's great strength
is the way she unfolds the Jewish and Christian histories of
formation and interpretation in parallel with one another."
--Richard Harries, The Guardian"A learned but accessible history of
the Bible's origins and genesis. Armstrong goes behind the
authorized versions preached by the churches to recreate the order
- and the political and social circumstances - in which the books
of the Old and New testaments were first written down, amended, and
then endlessly reinterpreted and recast.... Armstrong's great
achievement, however, is that, as well as leaving you with a
clearer, more historically accurate picture as to what precisely
the Bible is (and isn't), she also makes you want to go back and
read it again with fresh eyes." --Peter Stanford, The
Independent (UK) [Armstrong] has never written on such a broad
scale, or with as much passion . . . [her] concern that religion
should no longer be used to promote violence animates her measured,
lucid prose and vivifies her summar of the development of the Bible
and its interpretation."
--Bruce Chilton, New York Sun "Karen Armstrong preaches the
gospel truth in The Bible, explaining how the spiritual guide for
one out of three people on the planet came into being and evolved
over the centuries"
--Elissa Schappell, Vanity Fair "[A] richly interwoven and
often surprising history." --Michael Alec Rose, Bookpage
"While there are countless guides to reading the Bible, noted
academic Karen Armstrong looks at the history of the book with a
keen historian's eye. ... Armstrong condenses into a manageable
volume the many ideas and traditions that influenced the creation
of the Good Book." --Kirkus Reviews "This is one terrific
little book." --Booklist "[A] spending series. --Bill Ward,
Minneapolis Star-Tribune "[Armstrong] does an exceptional
job of balancing and interweaving Jewish and Christian approaches
to scripture." --Kirkus Reviews "Of all the 'Books that
Changed the World' surely the Bible is among the most important.
And of all contemporary popularizes of religious history, surely
Armstrong is among the bestselling. Who better, then, to recount
the history of the Bible in eight short chapters than this former
nun and literature professor who relishes huge topics and panoramic
descriptions? Armstrong not only describes how, when and by whom
the Bible was written, she also examines some 2,000 years of
biblical interpretation." --Publishers Weekly "Armstrong
judiciously summarizes centuries of history and writes with
remarkable insight."
--Christian Science Sentinel Armstrong is at her best when
explaining how today's focus on the Bible as a literal, static text
runs counter to a longstanding interpretative tradition that viewed
study of the good book as 'an activity for attaining
transcendence.'" --Andrea McQuillin, Shambhala Sun
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