Download or read book The Bible According to Mark Twain written by Mark Twain and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume collects the most important writings by Mark Twain in which he used biblical settings, themes, and figures. Featuring Twain's singular portrayals of God, Adam, Eve, Satan, Methuselah, Shem, St. Peter, and others, the writings stand among Twain's most imaginative expressions of his views on human nature and humankind's relation to the Creator and the universe. Composed over four decades (1871-1910), the writings range from farce to fantasy to satire, each one bearing the mark of Twain's unmistakable wit and insight. Among the many delights in store for readers are Adam and Eve's divergent accounts of their domestic troubles; Methuselah's discussion of an ancient version of baseball, complete with a parody of baseball jargon; Shem's hand-wringing account of how material shortages and labor troubles were hampering the progress of the ark his father, Noah, was building; a description of the disruptive actions of the fire-and-brimstone evangelist Sam Jones upon arriving in heaven; Captain Stormfield's revelations of what heaven is really like; Satan's musings on our puerile concepts of the afterlife; and Twain's advice on how to dress and tip properly in heaven. Twain's humor, however, is never gratuitous. As readers laugh their way through this volume, they will find ample evidence of Twain's concerns about scriptural fallacies and inconsistencies, the Bible's rather flat portrayal of important characters, and our limited notions about the nature and meaning of our own--and God's--existence. Many of the pieces in this collection, even the most lighthearted, might still be considered controversial; of some of the darker pieces, Twain himself acknowledged that they would be heretical in any age. Moreover, these writings are valuable cultural artifacts of a time when, across the Western world, fundamental religious beliefs were being called into question by the precepts of Darwinism and the rapid advances of science and technology. Several of this volume's selections are previously unpublished; others, like Letters from the Earth, are classics. Virtually all have been newly edited to reflect as closely as possible Twain's final intentions for their form and content. For serious Twain devotees, editors Howard G. Baetzhold and Joseph B. McCullough have supplied an abundance of background material on the writings, including details on the history of their composition, publication, and relevance to the Twain canon.
Download or read book A History of the Bible written by John Barton and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A literary history of our most influential book of all time, by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest In our culture, the Bible is monolithic: It is a collection of books that has been unchanged and unchallenged since the earliest days of the Christian church. The idea of the Bible as "Holy Scripture," a non-negotiable authority straight from God, has prevailed in Western society for some time. And while it provides a firm foundation for centuries of Christian teaching, it denies the depth, variety, and richness of this fascinating text. In A History of the Bible, John Barton argues that the Bible is not a prescription to a complete, fixed religious system, but rather a product of a long and intriguing process, which has inspired Judaism and Christianity, but still does not describe the whole of either religion. Barton shows how the Bible is indeed an important source of religious insight for Jews and Christians alike, yet argues that it must be read in its historical context--from its beginnings in myth and folklore to its many interpretations throughout the centuries. It is a book full of narratives, laws, proverbs, prophecies, poems, and letters, each with their own character and origin stories. Barton explains how and by whom these disparate pieces were written, how they were canonized (and which ones weren't), and how they were assembled, disseminated, and interpreted around the world--and, importantly, to what effect. Ultimately, A History of the Bible argues that a thorough understanding of the history and context of its writing encourages religious communities to move away from the Bible's literal wording--which is impossible to determine--and focus instead on the broader meanings of scripture.
Download or read book Before There Was a Bible written by Lee Martin McDonald and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-01-26 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did authority function before the bible as we know it emerged? Lee Martin McDonald examines the authorities that existed from the Church's beginning: the appeal to the texts containing the words of Jesus, and that would become the New Testament, the not yet finalized Hebrew Scriptures (referred to mostly in Greek) and the apostolic leadership of the churches. McDonald traces several sacred core traditions that broadly identified the essence of Christianity before there was a bible summarized in early creeds, hymns and spiritual songs, baptismal and Eucharistic affirmations, and in lectionaries and catalogues from the fourth century and following. McDonald shows how those traditions were included in the early Christian writings later recognized as the New Testament. He also shows how Christians were never fully agreed on the scope of their Old Testament canon (Hebrew scriptures) and that it took centuries before there was universal acceptance of all of the books now included in the Christian bible. Further, McDonald shows that whilst writings such as the canonical gospels were read as authoritative texts likely from their beginning, they were not yet called or cited as scripture. What was cited in an authoritative manner were the words of Jesus in those texts, alongside the multiple affirmations and creeds that were circulated in the early Church and formed its key authorities and core sacred traditions.
Download or read book In the Beginning written by Michelle P. Brown and published by Smithsonian Books. This book was released on 2006-12 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the companion volume to a major exhibition at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery that assembles, for the first time, seventy of the most important biblical codices in the world. this is the companion volume to a major exhibition at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery that assembles, for the first time, seventy of the most important biblical codices in the world. though the Bible has been called teh best-selling book of all time, the term itself comes from the Greek for "a collection of books." the Bible that we know today was compiled over centuries and comprises numerous components, from the books associated with Moses to the Gospels credited to the Four Evangelists.IN tHE BEGINNING gathers many of the most important early witnesses to the Hebrew and Christian bibles. the physical evidence for the earliest copies of scriptures is fragmentary and partial, from scraps of fragile papyrus to battered vellum codices. Here they are preserved in a sumptuously illustrated volume that captures this formative period of human history. three leading authorities in the field explore the Bible through its first thousand years, revealing both its transformation into a complex symbol of fatih and the parallel "evolution" of the book as a medium for the transmission of information-one of the greatest technological revolutions the world has ever known.
Download or read book Revelation written by and published by Canongate Books. This book was released on 1999-01-01 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.
Download or read book Transforming Bible Study written by Bob Grahmann and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2003-09-11 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Word of God is alive—dynamic and powerful. Do you want a Bible study method that will bring Scripture to life in your personal study and in your group studies? With both biblical expertise and cultural awareness Bob Grahmann clearly introduces the inductive method of Bible study and offers a variety of exercises to help you put it into practice right away.
Download or read book The Assumption of Moses written by Robert Henry Charles and published by . This book was released on 1897 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Assumption of Moses by Robert Henry Charles, first published in 1897, is a rare manuscript, the original residing in one of the great libraries of the world. This book is a reproduction of that original, which has been scanned and cleaned by state-of-the-art publishing tools for better readability and enhanced appreciation. Restoration Editors' mission is to bring long out of print manuscripts back to life. Some smudges, annotations or unclear text may still exist, due to permanent damage to the original work. We believe the literary significance of the text justifies offering this reproduction, allowing a new generation to appreciate it.
Download or read book The First Book of Moses Called Genesis written by and published by Grove/Atlantic, Inc.. This book was released on 1999 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hailed as "the most radical repackaging of the Bible since Gutenberg", these Pocket Canons give an up-close look at each book of the Bible.
Download or read book Whose Bible Is It written by Jaroslav Pelikan and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-01-31 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jaroslav Pelikan, widely regarded as one of the most distinguished historians of our day, now provides a clear and engaging account of the Bible’s journey from oral narrative to Hebrew and Greek text to today’s countless editions. Pelikan explores the evolution of the Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic versions and the development of the printing press and its effect on the Reformation, the translation into modern languages, and varying schools of critical scholarship. Whose Bible Is It? is a triumph of scholarship that is also a pleasure to read.
Download or read book Holy Bible NIV written by Various Authors, and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2008-09-02 with total page 6637 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.
Download or read book The Bible Recap written by Tara-Leigh Cobble and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2020-11-03 with total page 764 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you ever closed your Bible and thought, What did I just read? Whether you're brand-new to the Bible or you grew up in the second pew, reading Scripture can feel confusing or boring at times. Understanding it well seems to require reading it thoroughly (and even repeatedly), but who wants to read something they don't understand? If you've ever wanted to read through the Bible or even just wanted to want to read it, The Bible Recap is here to help. Following a chronological Bible reading plan, these recaps explain and connect the story of Scripture, section by section. Soon you'll see yourself as a child of God who knows and loves His Word in the ways you've always hoped for. You don't have to go to seminary. You don't need a special Bible. Just start reading this book alongside your Bible and see what God has to say about Himself in the story He's telling. "Tara-Leigh gets me excited to read the Bible. Period. I have found a trusted guide to walk me into deeper understanding of the Scriptures."--MICHAEL DEAN MCDONALD, the Bible Project
Download or read book Therefore I Have Hope written by Cameron Cole and published by Crossway. This book was released on 2018-07-20 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Throughout the journey of my worst nightmare—my descent into a dark, sad valley—the Holy Spirit would remind me of truths that comforted my soul and sustained my life." After the sudden death of their three-year-old son, Cameron Cole and his wife found themselves clinging to Christ through twelve key theological truths—truths that became their lifeline in the midst of unthinkable grief. Weaving together their own story of tragic loss and abiding faith, Cole explores these twelve life-giving truths to offer hope and comfort to those in the midst of tragedy.
Download or read book The Lost Books of the Bible and The Forgotten Books of Eden written by Rutherford Hayes Platt and published by Nelson Bibles. This book was released on 1927 with total page 660 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presented here are two volumes of apocryphal writings reflecting the life and time of the Old and New Testaments. Stories told by contemporary fiction writers of historical Bible times in fascinating and beautiful style.
Download or read book Genesis Translation and Commentary written by Robert Alter and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 1997-09-17 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[Here is] the Genesis for our generation and beyond."—Robert Fagles Genesis begins with the making of heaven and earth and all life, and ends with the image of a mummy—Joseph's—in a coffin. In between come many of the primal stories in Western culture: Adam and Eve's expulsion from the garden of Eden, Cain's murder of Abel, Noah and the Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham's binding of Isaac, the covenant of God and Abraham, Isaac's blessing of Jacob in place of Esau, the saga of Joseph and his brothers. In Robert Alter's brilliant translation, these stories cohere in a powerful narrative of the tortuous relations between fathers and sons, husbands and wives, eldest and younger brothers, God and his chosen people, the people of Israel and their neighbors. Alter's translation honors the meanings and literary strategies of the ancient Hebrew and conveys them in fluent English prose. It recovers a Genesis with the continuity of theme and motif of a wholly conceived and fully realized book. His insightful, fully informed commentary illuminates the book in all its dimensions.
Download or read book Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger written by Gary Michuta and published by Catholic Answers Press. This book was released on 2017-09-15 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some differences between Catholicism and Protestantism can be tricky to grasp, but one of them just requires the ability to count: Catholic bibles have seventy-three books, whereas Protestant bibles have sixty-sis - plus an appendix with the strange title Apocrypha. What's the story here? Protestants claim that the medieval Catholic Church added six extra books that had never been considered part of the Old Testament, either by Jews or early Christians. Catholics say that the Protestant Reformers removed those books, long considered part of Sacred Scripture, because they didn't like what they contained. In Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger, Gary Michuta presents a revised and expanded version of his authoritative work on this key issue. Combing the historical record from pre-Christian times to the Patristic era to the Reformation and its aftermath, he traces the canon controversy through the writings and actions of its major players.
Download or read book Formation of the Bible the Story of the Church s Canon written by Lee Martin McDonald and published by Hendrickson Publishers. This book was released on 2012 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Well-known for his scholarly works on the formation of the biblical canon, Lee McDonald has written a carefully researched and reasoned explanation on the history of the formation of the Bible expressly for the interested pastor and curious layman. Combining a lifelong commitment to the Scriptures, both as a pastor and as a scholar, McDonald approaches his task with sensitivity to the importance of these sacred texts as well as with the thoughtful practice of a person steeped in the process by which these texts were brought together to form the Bible as the church knows it now. From the collection (and translations) of the Hebrew Scriptures through the collection of the New Testament Scriptures, and finally the process of settling on the final forms for these collections, McDonald leads his reader right up to the present moment.
Download or read book Roman Catholics and Evangelicals written by Norman L. Geisler and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 1995-09 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comparative study shows that Protestants and Catholics are not as separated theologically as they may think. An excellent reference tool or textbook.
