Recommendations for text for Bible as literature course

psaulm119 · #1 31st July 2006, 08:41 PM

Hi there. I am having a very tough time finding a text for a Bible as Literature course I'm going to be teaching at the charter school where I teach. I have found only two that are suitable for high school (grades 9-12). bibleinschools.net has one that has decent material, but their layout is incredibly plain (looks like they created this book using nothing other than MS Word and some cheap clipart), and they want $100 a book. I have also browsed through bibleliteracy.org, but their book (although it has lots of glossy photos) seems to invite students to interpret the Bible figuratively (as opposed to literally) and I'd rather not have to deffend the literacy of a passage every time we open the book.

Have any of you come across these courses in your communities? What texts were used? School starts in 3 weeks and I'm getting a bit desperate. Thanks in advance.

Paul

arunma · #2 2nd August 2006, 12:53 AM

A friend of mine used a very good text for her college-level class, but it only covers the New Testament. I'll see if I can find the author's name and get back to you.

Antje · #3 8th August 2006, 02:12 AM

Originally Posted by psaulm119

Hi there. I am having a very tough time finding a text for a Bible as Literature course I'm going to be teaching at the charter school where I teach. I have found only two that are suitable for high school (grades 9-12). bibleinschools.net has one that has decent material, but their layout is incredibly plain (looks like they created this book using nothing other than MS Word and some cheap clipart), and they want $100 a book. I have also browsed through bibleliteracy.org, but their book (although it has lots of glossy photos) seems to invite students to interpret the Bible figuratively (as opposed to literally) and I'd rather not have to deffend the literacy of a passage every time we open the book.

Have any of you come across these courses in your communities? What texts were used? School starts in 3 weeks and I'm getting a bit desperate. Thanks in advance.

Paul

If you can't find anything else (and I'm sorry I don't have any recommendations for you), I say go with the latter text and devote one or two classes to the topic of the literal/figurative interpretation of the Bible, and then move on with the actual content of the course.

Personally, I like thinking of the Bible as literature. Somehow it is so much easier to grasp the truth of a passage if you look at it as you might look at your favourite novel (a trusted friend with beautiful imagery). That way the awkward sentences (reading a translated text is frustrating sometimes) don't matter as much as the underlying truth.

jfer45 · #4 9th August 2006, 12:14 AM

What type of charter school is this and why do you want to limit your students to only one interpretation?

kidsminister · #5 14th August 2006, 05:46 PM

How to Read the Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken is an excellent book - he seems to write from a more conservative point of view, but uses literary devices and language to help the reader get even more out of God's Word by reading it as literature!!

Hope that helps!!