The bible itself can be daunting. It’s sacred and the versions make it often confusing about which one to use. Attending a class at church can be just as overwhelming because some people memorize scripture without an understanding and don’t relate the passage to the context of what the verse is from or about. Others are self-professed or actual theologians who are focused on the history behind the scripture and have so much ‘understood’ breaking it down to a layman’s ability to relate is almost a religious turn off. Having faith is great, but to truly form a relationship with God, you need to understand the word of God and not be scared off the daunting task this means.

“Significantly, the Bible explicitly tells us that Joshua did not ask God what to do. Maybe he decided this was not such a difficult decision. He soon learned, however, that he had been hoodwinked, that these shabby folks “from afar” were actually next-door neighbors.”

How To Read the Bible by Harvey Cox relates these extremes which are so common in understanding what the bible says and gaining the understanding without feeling foolish by double meanings and difficult concepts. This book reads similar to the how-to for dummy series, without the childish simplicity of the cover. Cox explains how to seek understanding from stories, and how stories relate while not stating the old testament or new testament is ever contradictory. The denomination of a person’s faith won’t affect the basis behind this book either, as it has an interpretive point of view which is beneficial to a beginner of faith through a theologian which feels drawn to a new perspective.

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