‘Genesis for Normal People’ by Pete Enns and Jared Byas
A Book Review
I was stuck on a train going to and from the Vineyard Leaders’ Conference this week, so I did a lot of reading! Just warning you.
Questions, questions?
If you have spent time reading Genesis, it is jam-packed full of stuff that really ought to make you ask some questions. If not, then you have not read it properly. How come the order of things in Gen 1 is different from Gen 2? Where did Cain’s wife come from? What about the flood? Why did Rachael steal the household gods? Why did her dad have a household god?
The chances are that you have been trying to read this ancient book as a modern text book, or news report or story book and you have missed much of the point as a result.
If you ever listen to “The Bible for Normal People” podcast then you will be familiar with Pete Enns and Jared Byas. Both are respected scholars and Enns, in particular is a highly renowned Old Testament scholar. They are also very funny and easy to listen to.
So, the book. Brilliant. Just brilliant.
The book is all about enabling us to read Genesis through ancient eyes. To understand the context, the history, the Ancient Near Eastern religions and thus equip us to read it sensibly, so we do not end up with ridiculous ideas about things. It is well written and easy to read as well as being very funny. I laughed out loud on several occasions. Do not be fooled by how easy it is to read and the fact that it is only 180 pages. This is not written by people who are just making it up.
I totally recommend reading this, if you have a chance, because it will help you to be able to read the starting book of the Bible in an educated way, and therefore enable you to have a better foundation for the rest of it!
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