Stephen J. Binz is a biblical scholar, award-winning author, popular speaker, and pilgrimage guide. He studied Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and Jerusalem and has developed dozens of books and programs in biblical theology and spirituality. A number of his commentaries are the foundation for the following Little Rock Scripture Study offerings: Introduction to the Bible, Panorama of the Old Testament, Panorama of the New Testament, Exodus, and The Infancy Narratives of Jesus. He is also the author of Holy Land Pilgrimage (Liturgical Press). More information about Binz’s work may be found at Bridge-B.com.

• ContentsPreface   ixChapter 1The Bible As God’s Self-Revelation   1God Entered into an Ongoing Covenant   2The Old Testament   3The New Testament   4Roadblocks to Reading the Bible   5Chapter 2The Word of God in Christian Life   7Commitment to God’s Word   9The Transforming Power of the Word of God   9The Role of the Holy Spirit   13Chapter 3Choosing a Bible Today   15The Catholic and Protestant Versions   16Deciding Which Bible to Use   18Methods of Biblical Translation   19Formal Equivalence Translations in Modern English   20Dynamic Equivalence Translations in Modern English   21So Which Bible Should I Read?   22Chapter 4Exploring Your Bible   24The Order of the Biblical Books   24Understanding Biblical Citations   26Looking Up Bible Passages   27Helpful Additions to the Bible   27Chapter 5The Scriptures of God’s People   31The Hebrew Scriptures Formed Over Centuries   32The New Testament Formed Through the Life of the Church   33The Stages of the Bible’s Development   36Chapter 6The Inspired Word of God’s Church   39Human Limitations and God’s Truth   40The Bible is the Book of the Church   42A Church Nourished by Sacred Scripture   44Chapter 7The Word of God in Human Words   46Literary Forms in the Bible   47Examples of Literary Forms in the Bible   49The Historical Reliability of the Bible   52Chapter 8The Challenge of Faithful Interpretation   54The Literal Sense and the Fuller Senses   54Example of Multiple Senses   57Considerations for Faithful Interpretation   58Chapter 9The Fallacy of Biblical Fundamentalism   61Characteristics of Biblical Fundamentalism   62The Christian Challenge   66Chapter 10The Canon of the Bible   68Formation of the Old Testament Canon   69The Collection of Old Testament Books   70The Composition of New Testament Books   71Formation of the New Testament Canon   74Chapter 11The Importance of Biblical Scholarship   76Author, Text, and Audience   77Discovering What the Text Meant—The Historical-Critical Approach   79Discovering What the Text Means—Other Methods of Scholarship   81Chapter 12How to Read and Study the Bible   84A Few Practical Suggestions   84Tools for Studying the Bible   86A Method for Personal Daily Study   87Group Study of the Bible   88Let’s Go Forward   90

Although this is, in a very clear way, a Catholic guide to Scripture, it would be a useful introduction for lay people from most mainstream Protestant churches too. Binz mixes theological reflection on the role of the Bible with a well-thought through description of it, and of how a Christian might profitably study.Journal for the Study of the New Testament