John Barton (1)Besprekingen

Fantastic read.

The Word: How We Translate the Bible—and Why It Matters makes for both daunting and rewarding reading. Barton's purpose here is to survey the kinds of decision-making translators have to do and offer chapters focused on the complexities of these. Go for literal accuracy or for an accuracy of spirit/feeling? Modify outdated usages, like the universal male, to offer a more inclusive reading experience?

Barton knows this subject in all its detail and complexity, which is what makes the experience both daunting and rewarding. If you don't have a degree in theology, you'll either have to spend a great deal of time doing research to be able to understand some of Barton's more specific or esoteric points or you'll have to be able to choose when to skim and when to sink into the book. I fall into the second category. I know my understanding of the specifics of The Word was only partial, but I also found that partial understanding very worthwhile.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the published via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

A new edition of a survey of biblical criticism in which the author clarifies the kinds of questions about the meaning of texts that led scholars to develop the now traditional 'historical-critical' approaches. Also covers the latest developments in biblical study, including deconstruction and postmodernism. First published in 1984.

Despite Barton being an Anglican priest, there is not a whole lot of difference between his history of the bible and Bart Ehrman's. Barton acknowledges the corruption of biblical texts, the contradictions within the gospels, and makes a good case that no one studying the current beliefs and organization of either Christianity or Judaism would be able to find a lot of it in the bible. Nor would someone reading the bible, conceive of Christianity and Judaism as they exist today. Throughout, his writing is clear, and his selections of texts from the bible or from biblical scholars are all excellent. Barton will make you appreciate and want to delve more into the stories in the bible, even if you aren't a believer. Throughout it all, Barton somehow maintains his own belief in the core story of Christianity, the salvation to be received through belief in Jesus Christ. This shows how powerful belief can be, because as I stated at the outset, Barton's analysis of the bible is not one that most Christians would agree with--or even read all the way through! I highly recommend this honest analysis by a person of faith.

Non so quante versioni e edizioni di questo libro ho conosciuto, sfogliato e raccolto nel corso del tempo. Ricordo che ci fu un periodo in cui la Bibbia era venduta (non saprei dire se letta) a fascicoli settimanali in tutte le edicole d’Italia. Mio padre, oltre che tipografo, era anche un rilegatore, per anni ha fatto questo lavoro con i libri.

Le piccole biblioteche di casa degli Italiani di un paio di generazioni sono piene di questi libri. Almeno lo sono state. Oggi non so cosa le gente colleziona. Edizioni di cinque, dieci ed anche più volumi che venivano tutti allineati bellamente nel salotto di casa da chi a stento sapeva leggere e credeva anche di poter farsi una cultura. Religiosa o laica, a fascicoli.

Chi se lo poteva permettere, affiancava a questi libri qualcosa di più: i volumi della mitica Treccani che “guerreggiava” spesso con la Britannica, per chi si atteggiava a conoscere la lingua inglese. Oggi, questo tipo di “cultura”, che si manifestava tutta cartacea e patinata, con illustrazioni in quadricromie e copertine in finta pelle, fa parte del museo della memoria.

Posseggo ancora una versione su cassette della Bibbia letta e drammatizzata in inglese, (vedi la foto) oltre a diverse edizioni in video dei Comandamenti di un famoso regista. Nel giro di un ventennio questo libro che è, a dire il vero, una biblioteca, te lo puoi portare appresso sul tuo cellulare.

Un libro, un “testo” sia laico che sacro, diventato il nucleo centrale della cultura occidentale. Ha influenzato la letteratura, la musica, le arti, la nostra stessa storia e le istituzioni. Tuttora le case editrici in tutto il mondo stampano e vendono milioni di copie, anche se continua ad essere un libro piuttosto difficile sotto diversi punti di vista.

Rimane, comunque, il “nutrimento” della fede cristiana. L’autore di questo recente libro in lingua inglese John Barton, pubblicato anche in versione Kindle per pochi euro, cerca di rispondere alla domanda su quanto questa “biblioteca”, formata da una cinquantina di altri libri, continua ad interessare nel mondo di oggi.

Il titolo la dice tutta: “Una storia della Bibbia”. Si sarebbe potuto benissimo chiamare “Una Guida alla Bibbia” in quanto offre al lettore il racconto di come tanti libri, così diversi tra di loro, possano essere stati scritti e accettati come libri guida, (si dice canonici). Ma spiega anche come gli stessi, nel corso dei secoli, siano stati interpretati ed usati per vari e diversi scopi. Il libro di Barton, non a caso, ha per sottotitolo “Il Libro e le sue Fedi”. Si riferisce a quella sia dei Cristiani che degli Ebrei.

C’è un intero capitolo dedicato alla scrittura del libro, vista alla luce delle varie trascrizioni dalle migliaia di papiri sui quali i testi vennero scritti i quali contengono numerose differenze. In un altro capitolo, l’autore discute le svariate traduzioni antiche e moderne fatte nel corso dei secoli e mette in guardia i lettori sulle tante e diverse interpretazioni possibili, incluse quelle dei vari addetti a comunicare la parola del “Signore”.

La Bibbia contiene molti generi narrativi: racconti, metafore, parabole, testi di legge, salmi, profezie, canti e poesie, proverbi. Gran parte delle Scritture Ebraiche, che corrispondono all’Antico Testamento Cristiano, furono scritte a partire dall’ottavo fino al secondo secolo avanti Cristo.

Risulta molto difficile pertanto tracciare la storicità di quello che ci viene raccontato. Si può anche dubitare della figura di Mosè e della cacciata degli Ebrei dall’Egitto. Burton mette in guardia anche il lettore dai cambiamenti di opinione dei vari studiosi che si sono susseguiti nei secoli.

Per quanto riguarda il Nuovo Testamento, l’autore pone in evidenza le differenze narrative contraddittorie dei quattro Vangeli. Gli studiosi moderni hanno messo in luce le molte contraddizioni nella narrazione, contrariamente a quanto hanno fatto nei secoli i diversi approcci ai testi nella traduzione degli stessi.

Un esempio di queste contraddizioni lo si può vedere nel Vangelo di Marco che è anteriore a quello di Giovanni. Quando quest’ultimo sceglie lo stesso Gesù come messaggio, luce e vita del mondo, diventa difficile ricostruire e narrare la sua vicenda. E’ vero che l’arricchisce da un punto di vista letterario, ma mette in luce la figura di Cristo in maniera diversa dagli altri evangelisti.

Uno dei temi centrali in questa situazione è che, sia per i Cristiani che per gli Ebrei, la religione conta di più di quanto possa contare la Bibbia. Il libro viene ad essere collocato in una prospettiva particolare, cioè diventa una “regola di fede”. Il “narrato” diventa “parola” divina. Le due religioni, quella dei Cristiani e quella degli Ebrei vengono a trovarsi in tal modo su due posizioni molto diverse.

L’Ebraismo sceglie la pratica come legge proveniente sia dal Talmud come dalle Scritture. I Cristiani, dal canto loro, nella Bibbia leggono una narrativa sulla caduta degli uomini nel peccato e nella venuta di Cristo al mondo una maniera per salvarsi e conquistare la vita eterna. I Cristiani amano i profeti. Per gli Ebrei il Pentateuco, i primi cinque libri, viene letto regolarmente e sono i libri che contano. Ai profeti si dà poco conto.

John Barton ci descrive la situazione riguardante la lettura del libro da parte degli Ebrei e dei Cristiani come due cerchi che si sovrappongono. Entrambi le religioni attingono alle Scritture ma in maniera diversa, mentre altre parti sono completamente ignorate. Questi due diversi modi di “leggere” sono causa del conflitto tra le due fedi.

I Cristiani hanno tradizionalmente interpretato le Scritture Ebraiche come accadimenti superati. L’Ebraismo è considerato un fossile sopravvissuto. Un possibile incontro tra le due fedi deve partire dai Cristiani i quali dovrebbero considerare l’Ebraismo come una religione che vive, per questa ragione valida di per sè.

Ma cosa accadrebbe poi all’idea Cristiana che Dio ha preparato la via tramite Cristo al popolo scelto? L’Ebraismo continuerebbe ad essere una fede solo per gli Ebrei, il Cristianesimo solo per i non Ebrei.

La Bibbia potrebbe continuare essere considerata come la parola ispirata da Dio pur essendo stata scritta da esseri umani non infallibili. Burton sostiene che questo libro non può essere considerato tale. Può contenere errori e limitazioni, sono la loro stessa identità di scritture a dirlo.

Egli non si limita soltanto a criticare il fondamentalismo dei Cattolici i quali continuano a sostenere che quelle pagine sono essenziali per la loro fede. Barton sostiene che la Bibbia racconta storie alle quali dovremmo credere. Esse creano un mondo nel quale le stesse ci fanno entrare con la nostra immaginazione.

I Luterani però spesso dicono che la Bibbia ci parla di cose che noi stessi non possiamo raccontare se non dopo di aver letto il libro. Un Libro con la maiuscola. Ce ne sono anche altri di libri simili, oltre quelli che appartengono alla biblioteca chiamata Bibbia. Proprio mentre leggevo questo libro in inglese mi sono imbattuto nella recensione di un libro scritto su un altro libro, “scrittura sacra” anch’essa. Quella musulmana, la terza delle religioni monoteistiche: l’Islam.

Anche questa religione poggia tutta la sua forza di fede su un libro: il Corano. Nell’intervista apparsa su “La Lettura” l’autore Adrien Candiard, un frate domenicano che vive in Egitto. Ha scritto un libro per il quale è stato intervistato. Egli dice che”la Bibbia è prosa, il Corano è poesia”, per questa ragione l’Islam è così complicato”.

Non l’ho ancora letto, non so se lo leggerò. Mi vien da pensare e poi dire che tra prosa e poesia, la vita degli uomini, nonostante tutti i libri che sono stati scritti, ieri come oggi, oggi come domani, continuerà ad essere avvolta in quella che il Qohelet chiamò “Hebel”, nebbia. Anche allora i libri erano troppi. E noi continuiamo a leggere libri ...

Non so quante versioni e edizioni di questo libro ho conosciuto, sfogliato e raccolto nel corso del tempo. Ricordo che ci fu un periodo in cui la Bibbia era venduta (non saprei dire se letta) a fascicoli settimanali in tutte le edicole d’Italia. Mio padre, oltre che tipografo, era anche un rilegatore, per anni ha fatto questo lavoro con i libri.

Le piccole biblioteche di casa degli Italiani di un paio di generazioni sono piene di questi libri. Almeno lo sono state. Oggi non so cosa le gente colleziona. Edizioni di cinque, dieci ed anche più volumi che venivano tutti allineati bellamente nel salotto di casa da chi a stento sapeva leggere e credeva anche di poter farsi una cultura. Religiosa o laica, a fascicoli.

Chi se lo poteva permettere, affiancava a questi libri qualcosa di più: i volumi della mitica Treccani che “guerreggiava” spesso con la Britannica, per chi si atteggiava a conoscere la lingua inglese. Oggi, questo tipo di “cultura”, che si manifestava tutta cartacea e patinata, con illustrazioni in quadricromie e copertine in finta pelle, fa parte del museo della memoria.

Posseggo ancora una versione su cassette della Bibbia letta e drammatizzata in inglese, (vedi la foto) oltre a diverse edizioni in video dei Comandamenti di un famoso regista. Nel giro di un ventennio questo libro che è, a dire il vero, una biblioteca, te lo puoi portare appresso sul tuo cellulare.

Un libro, un “testo” sia laico che sacro, diventato il nucleo centrale della cultura occidentale. Ha influenzato la letteratura, la musica, le arti, la nostra stessa storia e le istituzioni. Tuttora le case editrici in tutto il mondo stampano e vendono milioni di copie, anche se continua ad essere un libro piuttosto difficile sotto diversi punti di vista.

Rimane, comunque, il “nutrimento” della fede cristiana. L’autore di questo recente libro in lingua inglese John Barton, pubblicato anche in versione Kindle per pochi euro, cerca di rispondere alla domanda su quanto questa “biblioteca”, formata da una cinquantina di altri libri, continua ad interessare nel mondo di oggi.

Il titolo la dice tutta: “Una storia della Bibbia”. Si sarebbe potuto benissimo chiamare “Una Guida alla Bibbia” in quanto offre al lettore il racconto di come tanti libri, così diversi tra di loro, possano essere stati scritti e accettati come libri guida, (si dice canonici). Ma spiega anche come gli stessi, nel corso dei secoli, siano stati interpretati ed usati per vari e diversi scopi. Il libro di Barton, non a caso, ha per sottotitolo “Il Libro e le sue Fedi”. Si riferisce a quella sia dei Cristiani che degli Ebrei.

C’è un intero capitolo dedicato alla scrittura del libro, vista alla luce delle varie trascrizioni dalle migliaia di papiri sui quali i testi vennero scritti i quali contengono numerose differenze. In un altro capitolo, l’autore discute le svariate traduzioni antiche e moderne fatte nel corso dei secoli e mette in guardia i lettori sulle tante e diverse interpretazioni possibili, incluse quelle dei vari addetti a comunicare la parola del “Signore”.

La Bibbia contiene molti generi narrativi: racconti, metafore, parabole, testi di legge, salmi, profezie, canti e poesie, proverbi. Gran parte delle Scritture Ebraiche, che corrispondono all’Antico Testamento Cristiano, furono scritte a partire dall’ottavo fino al secondo secolo avanti Cristo.

Risulta molto difficile pertanto tracciare la storicità di quello che ci viene raccontato. Si può anche dubitare della figura di Mosè e della cacciata degli Ebrei dall’Egitto. Burton mette in guardia anche il lettore dai cambiamenti di opinione dei vari studiosi che si sono susseguiti nei secoli.

Per quanto riguarda il Nuovo Testamento, l’autore pone in evidenza le differenze narrative contraddittorie dei quattro Vangeli. Gli studiosi moderni hanno messo in luce le molte contraddizioni nella narrazione, contrariamente a quanto hanno fatto nei secoli i diversi approcci ai testi nella traduzione degli stessi.

Un esempio di queste contraddizioni lo si può vedere nel Vangelo di Marco che è anteriore a quello di Giovanni. Quando quest’ultimo sceglie lo stesso Gesù come messaggio, luce e vita del mondo, diventa difficile ricostruire e narrare la sua vicenda. E’ vero che l’arricchisce da un punto di vista letterario, ma mette in luce la figura di Cristo in maniera diversa dagli altri evangelisti.

Uno dei temi centrali in questa situazione è che, sia per i Cristiani che per gli Ebrei, la religione conta di più di quanto possa contare la Bibbia. Il libro viene ad essere collocato in una prospettiva particolare, cioè diventa una “regola di fede”. Il “narrato” diventa “parola” divina. Le due religioni, quella dei Cristiani e quella degli Ebrei vengono a trovarsi in tal modo su due posizioni molto diverse.

L’Ebraismo sceglie la pratica come legge proveniente sia dal Talmud come dalle Scritture. I Cristiani, dal canto loro, nella Bibbia leggono una narrativa sulla caduta degli uomini nel peccato e nella venuta di Cristo al mondo una maniera per salvarsi e conquistare la vita eterna. I Cristiani amano i profeti. Per gli Ebrei il Pentateuco, i primi cinque libri, viene letto regolarmente e sono i libri che contano. Ai profeti si dà poco conto.

John Barton ci descrive la situazione riguardante la lettura del libro da parte degli Ebrei e dei Cristiani come due cerchi che si sovrappongono. Entrambi le religioni attingono alle Scritture ma in maniera diversa, mentre altre parti sono completamente ignorate. Questi due diversi modi di “leggere” sono causa del conflitto tra le due fedi.

I Cristiani hanno tradizionalmente interpretato le Scritture Ebraiche come accadimenti superati. L’Ebraismo è considerato un fossile sopravvissuto. Un possibile incontro tra le due fedi deve partire dai Cristiani i quali dovrebbero considerare l’Ebraismo come una religione che vive, per questa ragione valida di per sè.

Ma cosa accadrebbe poi all’idea Cristiana che Dio ha preparato la via tramite Cristo al popolo scelto? L’Ebraismo continuerebbe ad essere una fede solo per gli Ebrei, il Cristianesimo solo per i non Ebrei.

La Bibbia potrebbe continuare essere considerata come la parola ispirata da Dio pur essendo stata scritta da esseri umani non infallibili. Burton sostiene che questo libro non può essere considerato tale. Può contenere errori e limitazioni, sono la loro stessa identità di scritture a dirlo.

Egli non si limita soltanto a criticare il fondamentalismo dei Cattolici i quali continuano a sostenere che quelle pagine sono essenziali per la loro fede. Barton sostiene che la Bibbia racconta storie alle quali dovremmo credere. Esse creano un mondo nel quale le stesse ci fanno entrare con la nostra immaginazione.

I Luterani però spesso dicono che la Bibbia ci parla di cose che noi stessi non possiamo raccontare se non dopo di aver letto il libro. Un Libro con la maiuscola. Ce ne sono anche altri di libri simili, oltre quelli che appartengono alla biblioteca chiamata Bibbia. Proprio mentre leggevo questo libro in inglese mi sono imbattuto nella recensione di un libro scritto su un altro libro, “scrittura sacra” anch’essa. Quella musulmana, la terza delle religioni monoteistiche: l’Islam.

Anche questa religione poggia tutta la sua forza di fede su un libro: il Corano. Nell’intervista apparsa su “La Lettura” l’autore Adrien Candiard, un frate domenicano che vive in Egitto. Ha scritto un libro per il quale è stato intervistato. Egli dice che”la Bibbia è prosa, il Corano è poesia”, per questa ragione l’Islam è così complicato”.

Non l’ho ancora letto, non so se lo leggerò. Mi vien da pensare e poi dire che tra prosa e poesia, la vita degli uomini, nonostante tutti i libri che sono stati scritti, ieri come oggi, oggi come domani, continuerà ad essere avvolta in quella che il Qohelet chiamò “Hebel”, nebbia. Anche allora i libri erano troppi. E noi continuiamo a leggere libri ...

shout out to the book that started my faith based crisis.

I have not read the entire Bible or even a majority of it. What I have read or heard has come mainly through readings and sermons at church services. On occasion, I will also hear or read passages of the Bible from speeches, lectures or other books. I have a curiosity about the Bible. How much of it is historically true? How much of it is myth? Specifically does what the Bible tells us about Christ’s life on earth have any legitimacy or merit?

Barton’s book is enormous (489 pages) and covers the Old and New Testaments. I skipped around the book searching for topics that I may have interest or would at least know something about. As the author has indicated "the Bible contains many elements that are problematic for Jewish and Christian faith.”

The Bible is a mishmash of myth, history, poems, narratives, laws, prophecies, propaganda, and conjecture. Barton’s book seems best for Biblical scholars or those with a deep reading of the Bible. Much of the book was way beyond my comprehension or interest. That’s why I chose to pick and choose topics to read.

This book, which has considerable merits, is now 20 years old and thus lacks the benefit of scholarship produced since its publication. Also, it has one salient and frustrating defect, which is not unique among popular Bible commentaries, especially those on the New Testament: It often fails to comment on some of the most crucial but obscure passages, which are naturally most in need of explanation to non-specialist readers seeking to understand the text. These omissions usually occur in the case of texts that are theologically contentious and thus most likely to raise religious sensitivities and passions. I cannot help but think that the commentators knew this and were intent on avoiding controversy (and thus losing sales?). That irenic approach, if that is what it is, leaves genuinely interested readers--who cannot be expected to conduct biblical scholarship independently--totally uninformed about some of the most consequential and interesting findings of biblical scholarship. Readers who take the trouble to consult (or even to buy) a Bible commentary like this one deserve to be informed of such knowledge, even if it is unsettling to some, about passages that they will not be able to interpret for themselves. Seekers of truth should not be deprived of such knowledge when it is available.

There are, however, exceptions to this apparent reluctance of commentators to discomfit some unsuspecting readers among their "ecumenical" (the editors' description of this commentary) audience. For example, Dale Allison, in his commentary on Matthew, acknowledges that Jesus thought that he would return to earth to establish his perfect kingdom very soon (surely within the first century or, at the very latest, the early second). Many churches, and even learned commentators, have ignored or even denied this foundational teaching of the historical Jesus. Allison reminds them that the eschatological expectation of Jesus's imminent return was incontrovertibly real and obviously mistaken. This means that Jesus and the early Christians were wrong about this essential and integral feature of his teaching: Jesus manifestly did not return. This is a crucial fact that many will find unwelcome.

Useful features of the book are several clear, color maps that show places relevant to the Bible; an introductory essay on each book of the Bible; and a short (pre-2000) bibliography for each book of the Bible.

I’ve spent a whole year reading this book. As one who was nurtured in Methodism and then found comfort in various expressions of Evangelical faith, this easy toil of a few pages a day has been a necessary adjustment (and often, corrective). What you make of this comprehensive and scholarly work, may depend on how much your bible has been shaped by your faith.

Very broad, very well-written, and very convincing; the kind of thing only an Anglican priest could write without falling into innumerable potholes. Barton somehow blends readability with a great grasp of intricate academic debates. This is at the top of my to re-read pile.

Author John Barton, a priest in the Anglican Church and Oxford professor, reflects the influence of both institutions in this long and detailed history of the Bible and how it developed.

He calls the Bible a “melee of materials”: a collection of folk memories, myths, and aphorisms subject to vagaries of translation over the years. He avers that “the history of the Bible is the story of the interplay between the religion and the book—neither mapping exactly onto the other.”

For example, there are absolutely central doctrines in Christianity, such as that of the Trinity; the “real presence” (in Catholicism); or the organization of the Church itself, that are almost entirely absent from the New Testament. Barton states, “One of my purposes in this book is to demonstrate that there really are irreconcilables: that the faiths that appeal to the Bible are not totally congruent with it, though they are clearly closely related.”

He points out that all printed versions of the New Testament (and he analyses all the major ones) are based on the comparison of various different ancient manuscripts. Therefore an appeal to the exact wording of the New Testament is fraught with difficulty because of the lack of an agreed text. As Barton says:

"To attribute religious authority to such a document stretches the word ‘authority’ to its limits, and can only be sustained by devising special ways of iinterpreting this book that differ from those in which others are interpreted."

This does not, however, stop religious adherents from claiming doctrines are irrefutable because “the Bible says….”

In addition, Jews and Christians both read their version of the Bible as if it were a single book with a consistent theme, but their respective themes are quite different. The Old Testament is one characterized by the themes of violence and revenge; the New Testament is all about redemption. Christians emphasize the story of “The Fall” in Eden as an event from which mankind must be “redeemed,” and see the suffering and death of Jesus as the mechanism by which the redemption is effected. Moreover they employ some very strained interpretations of Delphic prophesies in the Old Testament as applying to or “prefiguring” events in the life of Jesus. Jews, on the other hand, ascribe little importance to the story of Adam and Eve, and view the Hebrew Bible as a narration of God’s continuing interaction with his chosen people.

Then there is the problem that many passages of the Bible are absurd on their face or at least highly incredible to a modern scientifically educated reader. That is not a new problem for believers. As early as the second century, Christian apologists struggled with some Old Testament passages. Origen was the Christian scholar who came up with the ultimate technique of interpretation that protected the Bible from criticism for its absurdities and inconsistencies. He said that it should always be interpreted allegorically—to him, the literal meaning of the text was relatively unimportant (and thus, it could be outright false) because the real meaning was hidden or stated indirectly.

Indeed, the need for translation and interpretation represents one of the most enduring problems of the Bible. Translators often could not come up with literal meanings to correspond to those in the documents they worked with, and thus individual beliefs, pedagogical orientations, and cultural agendas colored their work.

Translators and interpreters had more barriers than just lacking a Rosetta Stone for their work. For example, scrolls of the Hebrew Scriptures contain only consonants, forcing the reader into a creative process by having to determine contextual connections and inflections. This situation led to a large body of work in Judaism (specifically, the Talmud and the Midrash) to interpret the sacred texts. Early Jewish sages viewed the lack of “pure” or “objective” truth as positive: one must come to faith by active intellectual engagement. Christian scholars were more oriented towards finding the “essential truth” revealed by the Bible, and thus a great deal of violence has been exercised over the years in the attempt to establish a “definitive” version of religious “truth.”

Another interesting issue in translating the Bible is that the original versions of the various books, having been written by different people, manifest substantially different levels of sophistication and eloquence. For example, the original Greek of Mark is rather rough, whereas Luke and Matthew show a higher level of education. Moreover, Revelation (or the “Apocalypse”) is often ungrammatical. And yet, every English, German, and French translation has chosen to translate every book in a single “voice,” as if it was written by the same person. In fact, the King James Version of the English Bible is often pointed to as a paradigm of excellence in English composition. Barton thinks much could be gained by preserving the variation in diction in the original to the extent practicable.

It should be noted, however, that freedom to interpret in Judaism went only so far; the great Jewish philosopher Benedict Spinoza, now recognized as one of the founders of biblical criticism, was excommunicated for calling into question a literal interpretation of the Bible, rejecting the idea that the Bible consisted of “inspired truths.” His distinction between knowledge and logic on the one hand, and obedience to faith on the other, did not endear him to religious authorities; in 1656 he was cast out of the Jewish community. He believed the Bible should be read and interpreted just like any other book. He rejected the possibility of miracles and doubted the accepted authorship of some of the Old Testament books, proving for example that Moses could not have written all the books of the Pentateuch. One of his most innovative concepts was that people in biblical times thought differently from modern people, an idea that had not been clearly articulated before.

Spinoza might have been pleased by Barton’s use of comprehensive scholarship in an attempt to right the misconception that the Bible has one definitive meaning. He shows the stories in the Bible are diverse in style and content, contradictory, and reflect different historical needs. He contends that the assertion of a perfect fit between scripture and the faiths of either Judaism or Christianity is totally without justification, given the history that he so ably elucidates.

Evaluation: This book is an excellent and consistently interesting must-read for students of religion. As for Fundamentalists, they wouldn’t like it….

(JAB)

The most recent and thorough discussion of OT ethics from leading expert in the field with chapters on a range of subjects interacting with wider ethical discussions.

A collection of studies covering morality and justice and the ethics of particular prophets. Helpful guides to natural law (especially chpts 2, 3 (pp48-50) and 6) and virtue (chpt 5)

A short, very accessible introduction to OT ethics in lectures by leading expert in field. Includes helpful material on divine commands and natural law (pp 58-76)

I found this too detailed and academic a work for my needs and so skim read parts of it, something I have very rarely done, usually just giving up on the book and leaving it unfinished. However, I wanted to follow the broad thrust of the arguments made and so skimmed the book, often reading the first and last few paragraphs of the sections in each chapter. Although probably a work largely synthesising the work of others, some apparently original arguments were made in respect of the creation of the canonical books of the New Testament.
I personally found the Reformation chapter a concise explanation of the differences between Lutheran and Calvinist ideologies, which I hadn’t previously understood.

Overall , the book was interesting and made good arguments, but was too detailed for me.½

Thorough, authoritative and even-handed history of the Bible covering every aspect from authorship to translation. There are some caveats: the author is inclined to repeat himself (which may not be a fault for those only interested in reading selected chapters) and he sometimes discourses at greater length than warranted by some of the more minor topics. Generally speaking this is an excellent book and is highly recommended.½

The Bible is a lot of things to a lot of different people. It can be used as guidance and a source of wisdom, you can read it for some kind of entertainment, maybe your specific sect deals with the Bible as though it was directly inspired by God. I don’t really like the Bible as a whole, but there are some good books in there. I especially like Ecclesiastes and Proverbs.

A History of the Bible is a book that focuses on the origins of biblical texts and is an interesting foray into Biblical Analysis. I have heard of some of these stories before, where the tone of the texts changes drastically even from line to line. The accepted explanation among scholars is that there were several writers who made additions to the texts over a long period of time.

The biggest problem I have with the Bible is that there are people who take it literally. Even if there are different texts that disagree with each other in the Bible, they explain it away by saying that you have to interpret it properly. They have ideas that are unsound scientifically and make no sense. Some biblical books were skipped over in the canon, though some argue that it was not hard to see why.

When I was a child, I went to a Catholic School. I had to go to church every day. We read the Bible and studied stuff related to it. Even back then I wondered if there were other Gospels. Were only those four apostles literate? I had no idea. It was a while later that I had heard that the Gospels weren’t even written at the same time. The fact that the Bible was written so long ago can be nice in one sense, but it leaves time for doubt to be instilled. How many books of the Bible were skipped over? Why were they skipped over? This book does a good job of answering my snarky questions.

Take the Ten Commandments and the rules that follow it. The author states that it is evidence that they were not nomadic when these laws were formulated. A lot of the laws deal with having a home and other property. Many things are implied in these lines. In that sense, the book is fascinating. I don’t usually analyze books that I read to the extent that a scholar would but there are some books that require it.

Eventually, the author runs out of books of the bible to discuss and begins to talk about the relationship between the Bible and the people that use it. Eventually with people like Baruch Spinoza there began to be doubt of miracles and events where God had a direct effect. It discusses the translations and the issues with people inserting their own political ideals or believing that the way God intended the Bible to be read is in the King’s English of the King James Version. Yeah, could you imagine having to be able to read English just so you could understand the Bible? That would be terrible. I admit that English is my Mother Tongue, but even I know that there are terrible aspects of English that make little to no sense whatsoever.

In any case, this book is enthralling. It isn’t really enchanting, but it is quite informative and interesting. For example, a lot of ideas that people take for granted today were considered really radical at the time. One instance is that of the Gospels having different tones, even though they all tell the story of Jesus Christ. Mark is considered the oldest one and has a more human Jesus. Matthew is a retelling of the Gospel of Mark. Luke goes off into a slightly different direction with more parables, and John is a strange outlier.

I had no issues with this book. Even with its length, a large portion of that is devoted to notes and the index.

Whether you see the Bible as the living word of God, or as a highly significant document from the ancient world, or as one of the classic works of world literature, The Oxford Bible Commentary will put in your hands everything you need to study and understand the biblical text.

Here is a monumental, line-by-line critical commentary on the Bible, covering all the books that appear in the NRSV. An essential reference work, this definitive book provides authoritative, non-denominational commentary written by an international team of more than 70 leading scholars from various religious backgrounds. Incorporating the latest research, the contributors examine the books of the Bible in exhaustive detail, taking a historical-critical approach that attempts to shed light on the scriptures by placing them in the context in which their first audiences would have encountered them, asking how they came to be composed and what were the purposes of their authors. The Commentary includes a general introduction, extensive introductions to both testaments and the Apocrypha, and briefer introductions to the particular books, plus an essay with commentary on important post-biblical Jewish and Christian literature. Each article concludes with a bibliography that points the reader toward the most important supplemental works in English, including major reference works, introductions, and so forth.

A truly stunning work of biblical scholarship, The Oxford Bible Commentary will be an invaluable resource for pastors preparing a sermon, for students, for those in study or discussion groups, and indeed for anyone--whether Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox Christian--who seeks a clearer perspective on a text that has been held in reverence for thousands of years. The OBC features a Logos Library System CD-ROM that, once unlocked, gives the reader access to its text and that of the New Revised Standard Version Bible. The CD is fully compatible with all Logos products.

I never fail to learn something from this scholarly volume after a quick consultation about a particular text.

John Barton spent 15 years studying the making of the Bible. This brief booklet (less than 100 pages) presents his findings. He first gives a short synopsis of each of the 66 books of the Bible, and then dives into probable authorship and dating. From there, he discusses how the books were selected and collected into scripture, including an interesting discussion of what was considered “scripture.” Finally, he explains how the two canons (Old Testament and New) were derived.

Barton is not going to tell you Paul wrote Hebrews or that Moses wrote the Torah. His purpose is not to present traditional, conservative teachings, but to bring you up to date on current Bible scholarship, and he writes in a manner that non-technical readers can comprehend. There is no unified understanding between scholars, and some of Barton’s views are his own, yet all in all I think he does a great job of introducing the formation of the Bible.

In my opinion, the book’s greatest value is for conservative Christians! If you don’t want to spend weeks learning about biblical scholarship, but need to be aware of the thinking and conclusions of critical scholarship, this is a perfect overview. Two hours will give you the basics.

If cognitive dissonance didn't formerly describe your state of mind, anyone who is at all interested in struggling through the perspectives and epistemological bases of literary methods of biblical study will find their mind not only being stretched, but given a thorough shakeup by Barton. The book is incredibly enlightening by showing the circularity of various arguments, the assumptions and contexts around which they are based, and their relation to one another, but also incredibly stupefying in that it gives multiple answers to the basic questions that a biblical scholar and student is trying to ask. Each answer and method discussed are seen to have positive and negative aspects. And yet not every answer and method can be retained coherently. It is almost a book on philosophy. Despite being primarily concerned with the description, function, and goals of various literary methodologies (Source Criticism, Form Crit., Redaction Crit., Canon Crit., Structuralism, and New Crit.), it constantly brings to the foreground fundamental questions that inform our conclusions (like “how does one read a text?”, “what kind of literature, exactly, are biblical texts?”, “how do we know?”, “where does meaning come from?”, “can modern definitions adequately explain ancient texts?”, “does it even matter?”, and so forth). If on the one hand, a person is lead to uncertainty about how best to make sense of basic questions about texts and meaning, on the other hand, this makes biblical study all the more exciting because it throws wide the gates of past and present understanding to progressive, refreshing horizons and unknown possibilities. Through the search for a better methodology (not necessarily “the correct one”), the reader will find themselves not only viewing biblical texts in ways they never would have imagined, but rekindling the fire of their love for the literature. Two things I found immensely helpful were Barton's continual explication of how and why biblical study does not stand apart and alone from the rest of secular literary study and his basic proposal, which the entire book served to validate, that biblical study methods are not really part of the Sciences per say (although being modern, they make use of the scientific method), but are better described as part of the Humanities. The pitfall of this first edition is that it is not conversant with all the methods which have more recently come on scene such as Social-Scientific Criticism, Anthropological Crit., Post-Colonial Crit., Feminism, Reader-Response Crit., and so forth. Had the book been more up-to-date, it would have unquestionably earned the full five star rating (which I am not quick to render). If the second, updated edition displays the same constancy of erudition, Reading The Old Testament: Method in Biblical Study by John Barton would surely make the list of the most important or must-read introductory books on biblical study now available.

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