What They Don't Tell You: A Survivor's Guide To Biblical Studies

What They Don't Tell You: A Survivor's Guide to Biblical Studies

Biblical studies courses in college and seminary are not the same as Sunday school classes, a realization that can be challenging for many students. This popular textbook by Michael Joseph Brown helps students navigate the unfamiliar terrain of biblical studies. Brown provides basic information about the Bible and biblical criticism. He defines the jargon and presents the variety of perspectives students will encounter in the classroom. This new edition has been updated to account for changes in biblical scholarship since the first edition was released in 2000. He has also added several new rules of thumb, a discussion of contextualized forms of biblical interpretation, and an appendix with suggestions for getting started on the task of exploring and interpreting biblical texts. This helpful guide will prepare students for the oft-disorienting experience of analyzing and engaging the Bible in academic settings.Review"Entering biblical studies can be like listening to one side of a conversation taking place in another language. What They Don't Tell You is like having a friend who knows the language. As both a pastor and biblical scholar, Michael Brown is well positioned to help students understand the academic biblical world and connect it with their experience in the church. Full of short, clear advice, What They Don't Tell You helps students to see the Bible in a new way and get the most from classes and commentaries."--Susan E. Hylen, Associate Professor of New Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University"I came away from this rereading of What They Don't Tell You overjoyed that this book has been revised. Brown's book is directed toward students who encounter academic biblical studies for the first time, and this book does indeed offer them an invaluable companion on this journey. But what a gift to teachers of biblical studies as well: here in one place are the answers to all the questions students bring to every semester of biblical studies. Start the course with this book, and students will be able and eager to engage whatever biblical material we teach them!"--Gail R. O'Day, Dean and Professor of New Testament and Preaching, Wake Forest University School of Divinity"This book is written with knowledge and skill from a place of experience and with a love for biblical studies. Dr. Michael Joseph Brown offers educators and students an accessible framework and vocabulary for approaching biblical studies. The text is for all who are serious about the critical study of the Bible, and it provides clarity for students entering into the oftentimes confusing world of biblical scholarship."--Sally Holt, Professor of Religion, Belmont University"The second edition of Michael Joseph Brown's 'survivor's guide' should be a supplemental textbook in every introductory course on the Bible. Prof. Brown's 'rules of thumb' are the wise advice of not only a survivor but also an expert in the teaching of biblical studies. A welcome guide to every student who is beginning the journey, since it captures the joy and the pain of an experience that many of us have shared!"--Emerson B. Powery, Professor of Biblical Studies, Messiah CollegeAbout the AuthorMichael Joseph Brown is Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at Payne Theological Seminary, the oldest African American seminary in the United States. He is also the author of several other books and numerous articles, his most recent being The Lord's Prayer and God's Vision for the World: Finding Your Purpose through Prayer.