The moment my eyes fell on the cover of The Torah Story I was, like any good bibliophile, aching to get my hands on it and just sit and read.
It is a textbook, yet accessible to the lay person. While addressing complex topics and drawing together the Torah and its Biblical context in an unprecedented way, it remains readable. And better yet, digestible. Study questions, Key terms, summaries and resources all aid the reader in comprehending the material for the long-term.
“The reality of this epochal preoccupation with the Torah means that anyone who wishes to understand the faith and writings of the Judaic and Christian religions, or even to understand the life and teachings of Old or New Testament persons, must devote himself or herself to Torah study. For those who do not have a working knowledge of the holy writings that Paul, for example, studied throughout his entire life, Paul’s own writings will remain a mystery or be misread, as they often are.”
“Background studies–such as historical, tradition, source, redaction, and canonical criticism-can be best appropriated by those who know the story itself [Natalie: And if some of those terms are unfamiliar, all the more reason to begin with a solid foundation instead of drowning over peripheral issues!]. This book, then, is not all one will ever need, but simply the first step, an important step, for the apprentice” (pgs. 13-14).
No comments yet.