Pocket Guide to the Bible

"Jason Boyett's Pocket Guides are smart and hilarious. And
they're sneaky too: You don't realize how much you're learning
because you're having so much fun." --AJ Jacobs, author, The
Year of Living Biblically

Americans consistently identify the Bible as the most
influential book in history, but seriously: are you really reading
it? Probably not. If all you know about the Bible are a few Psalms
and the Christmas story, then you're missing out on a book that's
wilder, weirder, and more entertaining than you ever imagined.

With a stealthy combo of entertainment and insight, Jason
Boyett's Pocket Guide to the Bible fills the gaps in your religious
education. It introduces you to the characters you must know,
reveals the thrilling development of the biblical canon, and
details the less-churchy parts of Scripture (hello, sex and
violence!). Don't miss out on discovering

• How God employs talking donkeys, mentally unstable prophets,
  and helpful prostitutes in his master plan

• Which moral failures may result in an old-fashioned smiting

• Why Catholic Bibles include books some Protestants refuse to
  recognize

• Whether your New International Version of the Bible may in fact
  be demonic

With Pocket Guide to the Bible, you'll finally realize what's so
good about the Good Book.

Auteur

Jason Boyett is not a professional theologian or historian but
that hasn't stopped him from writing this book. His work has
appeared in a variety of publications as well as on his blog
(www.jasonboyett.com). He lives in Texas with his wife and
children.

The Pocket Guide Series explains complex religious subjects with
a lethal dose of educational hilarity, guided by the author's
insatiable curiosity, humor, and gentle irreverence. The Pocket
Guide series includes Pocket Guide to Sainthood, Pocket Guide to
the Afterlife, and this book. Discover more at
www.pocketguidesite.com.

Résumé

"Jason Boyett's Pocket Guides are smart and hilarious. And they're sneaky too: You don't realize how much you're learning because you're having so much fun." —AJ Jacobs, author, The Year of Living Biblically

Americans consistently identify the Bible as the most influential book in history, but seriously: are you really reading it? Probably not. If all you know about the Bible are a few Psalms and the Christmas story, then you're missing out on a book that's wilder, weirder, and more entertaining than you ever imagined.

With a stealthy combo of entertainment and insight, Jason Boyett's Pocket Guide to the Bible fills the gaps in your religious education. It introduces you to the characters you must know, reveals the thrilling development of the biblical canon, and details the less-churchy parts of Scripture (hello, sex and violence!). Don't miss out on discovering

• How God employs talking donkeys, mentally unstable prophets, and helpful prostitutes in his master plan

• Which moral failures may result in an old-fashioned smiting

• Why Catholic Bibles include books some Protestants refuse to recognize

• Whether your New International Version of the Bible may in fact be demonic

With Pocket Guide to the Bible, you'll finally realize what's so good about the Good Book.

Contenu

INTRODUCTION VII

Chapter one

BIBLICABULARY (A Glossary of the Good Book) 1

Chapter Two

CAST OF CHARACTERS (A TO J) 31

Chapter Three

CAST OF CHARACTERS (K TO Z) 63

Chapter four

WHAT HAPPENS, PART 1 (The Old Testament at Breakneck Speed)
87

Chapter five

WHAT HAPPENS, PART 2 (The New Testament at Breakneck Speed)
117

Chapter six

THE BRIEF HISTORY OF HOLY WRIT (A Timeline) 133

Chapter seven

VERSIONS AND PERVERSIONS (A Selective Survey of Translations)
157

Chapter eight

LIST YE BE SMITTEN (Biblical Flotsam and Jetsam) 173

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 189