For many people, the Bible lies at the heart of their faith, an ageless source of inspiration and guidance. On the other side of the spectrum, trained biblical scholars study the Bible using a variety of modern historical and literary approaches. But there is a wide gap be-tween these two groups of readers, a gap that brings negative consequences for both. Without an awareness of historical context, ordinary readers easily slip into a literal interpretation, while scholars sometimes overlook the deeply personal significance the Bible has for people in churches, synagogues, and Bible study groups.
In How to Read the Bible, renowned Harvard Divinity School professor Harvey Cox shows how these different ways of approaching the Bible can be reconciled to the enrichment of all. By discussing a range of biblical books from Genesis to Revelation, he demonstrates how the historical analysis of the Bible, rather than undercutting its spiritual significance, can enhance and deepen it. Drawing on some of the commonly used modes of biblical scholarship, such as archaeology, cultural studies, and literary criticism, Cox opens up a rich, diverse, and contemporary version of scripture, one that wrestles with issues of feminism, war, homosexuality, and race. The result is a Bible that is a timeless but contemporary resource for all.
Harvey Cox is the Hollis Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard University, where he has taught since 1965, both at Harvard Divinity School and in the Harvard Fac- ulty of Arts and Sciences. His classic book The Secular City is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's most influential books of Protestant theology. He is also the author of The Future of Faith. Cox lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Serpents, Floods, and the Mystery of Evil: The Book of Genesis 19
Chapter 2 Following the Footsteps of Moses: The Book of Exodus 41
Chapter 3 Battles and Burlesques in the Conquest of Canaan The Book of Joshua 65
Chapter 4 Talking Back to God from the Garbage Heap: The Book of Job 79
Chapter 5 Listening to the Voices of the Voiceless: Amos and the Prophets 103
Chapter 6 Getting to the Pinal Four: Gospels, Kept and Discarded 125
Chapter 7 Looking Over the Shoulders of the Writers: Matthew, Mark, and Luke 135
Chapter 8 On the Road with Paul of Tarsus: The Epistles 165
Chapter 9 Surviving a Turbulent Trip: The Book of Revelation 187
Chapter 10 How Do We Read the Bible Today? 215 Conclusion 227
