The Bible: An Introduction, 3rd ed.

by Jerry L. Sumney

Publisher:

Fortress Press

, 2021

Overview

What is the Bible? How did it get to us? Why are translations so different? And what influence has the Bible had on culture? From its very first pages, The Bible: An Introduction, Third Edition, offers clear answers to the most basic questions that first-time students and curious inquirers bring to the Bible.

Without presuming either prior knowledge of the Bible or a particular attitude toward it, Jerry L. Sumney uses straightforward language to lead the reader on an exploration of the Bible's contents and the history of its writings, showing how critical methods help readers understand what they find in the Bible. Filled with maps, charts, illustrations, and color photographs to enhance the student's experience with the text.

This third edition offers a number of revisions and a new section on the deuterocanonical books. Neither polemical nor apologetic, The Bible presents the biblical writings as the efforts of men and women in the past to understand their lives and their world in light of the ways they understood the divine.

Key Features

• Uses straightforward language to lead the reader on an exploration of the Bible's contents and the history of its writings
• Shows how critical methods help readers understand what they find in the Bible
• Offers a number of revisions and a new section on the deuterocanonical books.

Praise for The Bible: An Introduction

In my classes, I have found The Bible: An Introduction to be an ideal gateway into the study of the Bible. It covers the breadth of the Bible in ways that honor the historical settings in which the biblical authors wrote and in which Israel and the church formed the biblical tradition. It respects the different kinds and functions of literature in the Bible. Best of all, it identifies the distinct theological voices in Bible and helps students bring those voices into conversation. The volume is enhanced by illuminating graphs, charts, timelines, and pictures--many of them taken by the author in the Bible lands. From start to finish, the volume is written in language that is immediately accessible.

—Ronald J. Allen, Christian Theological Seminary, Emeritus

This comprehensive guide to the Bible, full of helpful charts and illustrations, will prove a valuable resource both for the classroom and for personal study. Sumney keeps a balance between the big picture—for those beginning to explore the Bible—and the more sophisticated details that will assist those who seek to expand their biblical knowledge.

—Leticia Guardiola-Sáenz, Seattle University

What amazed me was how this textbook united [the class] in a quest for an understanding the Bible and in an experience of being a community despite our differences. Here is a quote from one of the students: 'In this class, we all pushed forward and studied biblical texts hand in hand, regardless of religious identification or beliefs. This was definitely something I thought was cool.' What a testimony!

—Beth Marie Halvorsen, Belmont University

Product Details

• Title: The Bible: An Introduction, 3rd ed.
• Author: Jerry L. Sumney
• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Print Publication Date: 2021
• Pages: 493
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Resource ID: LLS:BBLNNTRDCTN3RDD
• Resource Type: text.monograph.survey
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-01-12T21:35:14Z

About Jerry L. Sumney

Jerry L. Sumney was born in Indiana and grew up in central Florida. He taught in the religion department at Ferrum College from 1986-1997. Mr. Sumney is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and is past president for the Southeastern Region of the Society. At the national level, he also served as the chair of the steering committee for the Theology of the Disputed Paulines Group from 1996-2001 and currently serves as the chair of the steering committee for the Disputed Paulines Consultation. He is also currently chair for the Pauline Epistles and Literature Section of the international meeting of the SBL. He has written four books: Identifying Paul’s Opponents; Servants of Satan, False Brothers, and Other Pauline Opponents; Preaching Apocalyptic Texts (co-authored with Larry Paul Jones) and Philippians, A Handbook for Second-Year Greek Students (forthcoming, Hendickson, 2004). He is co-editor of Theology and Ethics in Paul and His Interpreters and Paul and Pathos. He also has written several articles in journals and books. He is currently working on a commentary on Colossians for the New Testament Library series. Mr. Sumney and his wife, Diane, have three daughters: Elizabeth, Victoria, and Margaret.