Reading the Bible: A Study Guide by
Timothy R. Carmody
Reading The Bible
Introductions to reading the Bible are almost as old as the scriptures
themselves, but most of the recently published introductory biblical
textbooks focus exclusively on either the Old or the New Testament. In
contrast, READING THE BIBLE takes the unusual approach of serving as
an introduction to the Bible as a whole, helping the reader understand the
Bible as a single entity. In a practical, engaging manner, this book
provides a survey of the entire Bible, its sections, its books, and its social,
religious, and historical contexts. Then it also serves as a primer in the
methodologies of biblical interpretation. And last, it is a workbook, giving
examples of how to use the background knowledge from the survey and
methodological training to examine in some depth a few selected texts.
Drawing on his longtime teaching experience, the author shows readers
how to approach the biblical text in a direct, fulfilling and honest manner in
order to better understand and interpret it. And he demonstrates that by
examining the Bibles historical background, its literary features, and the

interpretive possibilities for the text, READING THE BIBLE is the ideal
introduction to modern biblical scholarship.
Personal Review: Reading the Bible: A Study Guide by Timothy
R. Carmody
My colleague Tim Carmody has done a great service to everyone who has
struggled to read the Bible! The original title he proposed for this volume
better illustrated his approach: "The Art of Reading the Bible." That is
exactly what Tim shows us--there truly is an art to reading and
understanding the deep truths that are found cloaked in the Bible's many
forms of literature. He begins with a good chapter on basics, geared to
creating readers who are comfortable with the Bible. Here he addresses
vital questions such as inspiration, inerrancy, context and human
involvement in production of the scriptures. As he demonstrates
beautifully, the Bible as we have it today is the product of a process that is
both ancient and new. It represents the faith of those who have gone
before, but finds new life and new breath in the believing communities of
today. Far from being a dusty set of documents, it is a "living Bible" with
much to say to us today.
One especially helpful tool is the manner in which Carmody identifies the
world BEHIND the biblical text (the culture that produced it), the world OF
the biblical text (the text itself) and the world IN FRONT OF the biblical text
(the context of the reader). These distinctions are absolutely vital to
avoiding misinterpretation and as Carmody moves through the various
forms of biblical literature, he returns again and again to these important
distinctions. He not only proposes an excellent methodology, he
demonstrates his own faithfulness to that methodology.
The text is easily read, but offers profound insight. It is well suited for
introductory courses in theology or Bible. To the believer who needs some
help getting comfortable with the Bible, this work will be a great comfort.
But Carmody is also helpful to those who seriously wonder if the Bible
remains relevant in the contemporary world. This is the "thinking-person's"
study guide!
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