The Bible as Literature: An Introduction

This is the best introductory textbook on the Bible as literature. The authors position is that the Bible is most logically interpreted as story. They do NOT deny that real history lies behind parts of the Bible nor that it tells real history, not only in the Historical Books, but in the Pentateuch and throughout the Bible. Maybe Joshua led a military campaign into Canaan, but the story is still theological-historical fiction. Historical fiction requires the historical elements, but the theological meaning is best understood by studying the book as narrative. The different forms of Biblical criticism are carefully explained and even demonstrated in such a way that anyone can understand. The book is well-written and convincing. I still think the hardback edition is overpriced, however. This is not a huge book. The amount of information you get is fairly limited. I am not saying it is not worth buying, but I am saying you might want to consider a used or paperback copy.

I bought this book, the 5th edition, for a graduate class and ended up reading almost all of it even though only some parts of it were assigned. I was very impressed. It is very scholarly without being dry. It is fairly short given the subject matter and reader friendly with captions and review questions. It also covers the Apocrypha.

I think that this book is wonderful! I am a student of Dr. Anthony York's and we have utilized this book in our classes. The Bible As Literature discusses the Bible in a manner that helps the reader actually read what is/was written without all the religious jargon. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is curious about "The Bible" or to anyone who thinks they "really" know what the Bible states.

This book is great. I have Dr. Anthony York, one of the authors of this book,in class, and his book is wonderful. It really helps to see the various opinions of the bible. It is also great for people who want to study the bible as literature and not from a religious stand point.