Angels, Demons, and a Talking Ass

This chapter examines the Bible’s divine world. Along with different varieties of angels and demons there are medically prophylactic snakes, a talking ass, a curse-wielding box (the Ark), supernatural rocks, giant fish, and more that are discussed in this chapter. The chapter asserts that even angels defy easy categorization in the Bible; for example, they can be human or divine depending on the context. Their counterparts too—demons and even “Satan”—the chapter shows mean different things in different parts of the Bible.

A Problematic Book

This chapter discusses seven reasons why the Bible is problematic—in other words, more complicated than it appears at first glance. One is that the Bible is not a single book. As such, one cannot expect to read through the Bible, cover to cover, and encounter a neat dramatic structure defining a single story. Another reason is that there is more than one Bible, since what constitutes the whole of the Bible depends on the process of canonization. From there, the chapter argues that the Bible is problematic because the texts themselves were composed, and collected, over a long period of time. The Bible has a lot of different authors and editors, most of whom are anonymous. Even the latest texts come from a very long time ago. The Bible was written in languages that are utterly unfamiliar to most readers today. Finally, the chapter raises its final point: that most of the Bible's readers today “believe in” it.

Impossibilities, Normalized

This chapter examines biblical oddities and assumptions. There are two general categories of biblical oddity: the matter-of-fact weird and the admittedly weird. The first category comprises peculiarities and strange events that biblical texts report without any notice of the fact that they are extraordinary. The second contains peculiarities that the Bible draws attention to as peculiar. Without resorting to one-size-fits-all scientific explanations or simply explaining away the Bible's oddities with modern arrogance, this chapter helps readers get a handle on the whys and wherefores of the Bible's miracles and its reason-defying assumptions, appreciating how they may have come to be, the roles they play, and the ways that one might either make sense of them today or simply recognize them for their very strangeness.

Ten Commandments for Reading the Bible

This chapter provides some advice for how to approach the Bible. It first discusses some general dos and don'ts of biblical literacy before providing ten commandments on how to read or use the Bible. First, is to recognize that the Bible does not equate to God and to beware of making the Bible itself an object of worship. The chapter urges readers to be mindful of the Bible's translations and its logical gaps and not to dismiss the wisdom and knowledge of previous Bible scholars. It argues that the Bible should not be used to harm others or to presume to issue divine judgment on others. And it warns against carelessly and simplistically interpreting the Bible, or taking biblical texts out of context. The final commandment is to take the Bible seriously without being blind to its more uncomfortable and unsavory aspects.

Good People Behaving Badly

This chapter explores how some major biblical “heroes” defy modern expectations of good behavior or otherwise fail to be ideal role models. It traces the various foibles of such figures as Abraham, David, and Peter. And it shows how the Bible depicts even Jesus and God behaving in ways that challenge modern theological assumptions or sensibilities. The chapter reveals that even the greatest heroes of the Bible have bad sides, too. And it concludes, in light of that, that, according to the Bible, God does not require perfection. This chapter also gives pause to readers tempted to reduce “the biblical God” to particular assumptions. Therefore, the chapter argues for a more nuanced approach to biblical heroes. Admitting that the Bible portrays its greatest characters (even God) as engaging in questionable behavior or exhibiting flaws and foibles should remind faithful readers that taking the Bible seriously does not mean reading, much less applying, it without thoughtful and informed critique.

And General Befuddlements

This chapter discusses some of the oddities in biblical texts that continue to befuddle even scholars. Reasons include the vagaries of transmission and how far removed the modern reader—as well as the modern scholar—is from the cultural, historical, and linguistic contexts in which the Bible was written. Some of these puzzling texts may assume familiarity with customs or stories well known to the authors but lost to us now; others may be cases of stories missing significant parts; in still other cases, one might simply want to know more than the texts reveal. This chapter investigates the Bible’s range of translation possibilities, its literary context and forms, its historical contexts, and particular theological assumptions at work, including the fact that all the texts were collected and presented by believers, not disinterested reporters. The chapter then reveals that some possibilities for interpretation and understanding are stronger than others. Furthermore, even in those cases where the Bible's oddities defy experts, the possibilities for understanding, interpretation, and even application are not without limit.

God

This chapter explores the Bible’s representations of God, including inconsistencies and how they may have come about. The Bible portrays a God who is neither male nor female; who is both “out there” in the cosmos and right here, immediately, intimately present; punitive and forgiving; capable of experiencing a range of emotions; deeply interested and invested in the affairs of earth; and wildly, extraordinarily dynamic. In other words, the Bible’s representations of God reflect the Bible’s wide-ranging history, its literary diversity, and the driving urge of human beings to find our place and purpose and to make some sense of it all.

The Perennial Bestseller

This chapter presents the ways the Bible has permeated modern culture, especially outside of predictable settings such as synagogues and churches. From characters and poems to sayings and storylines, the Bible provides an astonishing number of expressions, practices, and tropes that still resonate today. The chapter discusses a mere fraction of biblical phrases and imagery that have found their way into modern discourse, making familiar what nevertheless bears surprising peculiarities. Individual characters and stories also show up in reimaginings that are sometimes quite rich and provocative. It is not always necessary to know their biblical origins to appreciate modern usage, but the value of knowing about the Bible, regardless of what one believes, can be a safeguard against the kinds of misuse that cause discord and outright damage.

Biblical (Im)Morality

This chapter considers those instances wherein the Bible espouses questionable ethics. In the process, it shows how the Bible often upends modern expectation. The texts beg us to take a step back and acknowledge that just because something is in the Bible does not make it right. From ethnic cleansing to owning human beings to not-so-Christian family values, the Bible is hardly a transparent model of righteousness through and through. This chapter notes some of those texts, contextualizes them where it is helpful and appropriate to do so, suggests ways besides the prescriptive to think about how one treats those passages, and simply acknowledges that their existence shows that the Bible may not always be what we expect or wish it to be.

But in the Original . . .

This chapter tackles the issue of why there is no such thing as an “original” Bible. When it comes to the Bible, “going back to the original” usually means referring to the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts, since those are, respectively, the languages of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible and of the New Testament, from which our translations come. However, there is simply no single Bible that old or that otherwise stands as “The One” that gave rise to them all. Our earliest versions come from hundreds of years after the Bible's (both Jewish and Christian versions) contents were finalized. There is no authoritative ur-text that can be consulted for the final word. But while there is no such thing as an original Bible, the facts of the Bible's development, the admission that we have fragments of copies sometimes with competing claims or inscrutable passages, invites us to reconsider the most basic ways to read it.