Decoding Religion in the Bible:
Learning to Recognize the Diversity of Biblical Texts
S. Daniel Breslauer
University of Kansas (emeritus)
Available now!
2007 / ISBN: 1-59738-001-6
320 pages / paper / Student price $39.95
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This introduction to the Hebrew Bible, Apocrypha, and New Testament focuses on using categories in the academic study of religion to analyze specific texts. The textbook provides historical and critical background on the history and development of the biblical canon. It also helps students learn how to craft well-written essays analyzing biblical material. Some features of the textbook include:
- Interpretive matrixes for each chapter
- Detailed analysis of selected biblical passages in each chapter
- Review questions for each chapter
- Explanatory examples and exercises in creating an essay in each chapter
- Discussion of issues in canonization and disputes in the formation of the Bible
- Maps, charts, and illustrations throughout the book
Making use of contemporary academic studies of the Bible, Breslauer offers historical background and interpretive analysis for every section of the Bible. He integrates this presentation with a recognition of and discussion of comparative materials from the Ancient Near East and from Hellenistic traditions. He studies how different passages view divinity, history, ethics, and ritual, showing that the Bible is an anthology of several types of religious perspectives.
