The New Jerome Bible Handbook

The "New Jerome Biblical Handbook" remains one of the most important books to come out of religious publishing in some time. It is an absolute essential for the busy clergyman who does not have the time for the in-depth reading and studying required for the far more academic "New Jerome Biblical Commentary". It will also make a worthy addition to the personal shelf of any informed layperson who wishes to become more biblically literate. It should also be found in every parish library.What the "Handbook" does, is condense and distill the dense and academic material in the "Commentary" and present it in an easily recoverable fashion. The reader will gain insights into every book of the Bible, as well as into the basics of modern critical methodology, without requiring the technical training of the academic or seminarian.From a theological standpoint, the "Handbook" could best be described as "moderate", rejecting both the anti-intellectualism of the fundamentalist far right as well as the deconstructionist tendencies of the far left. The editors did their work well in presenting a balanced picture of the best of modern biblical scholarship in an easy to read and comprehend format.Certainly worth 5 stars.

I heartily recommend this book to all those who wanted a quick reference about the Bible! Maybe viewed as a supplementary to the NJBC, I find this book a handy one to bring along during my theology classes, and a useful tool for easy reading. The best handbook made for the best bible commentary!It has charts and visuals not usually found in the NJBC, which I think helps summarize and condense the immense scholarly works found in the NJBC.A great Companion to NJBC!