By James Kugel, published 2007

This book is DENSE. Listening to it was both a blessing in how easy it was and also a curse in how hard it was to integrate some of the material without visual support. Kugel is a scholar and makes no excuses nor spares any depth when going over various areas of the old testament. His message is well defined, his work thoroughly sourced and his explanations clear. He brings a powerful deconstruction of some of the texts absorbed by people raised within or near christianity. If you are a sensitive christian snowflake, this book isn’t for you. If you want to know more about the texts you heard used and re-used sermon after sermon without ever getting to the bottom of things (intention), this is the book. Throw away the notion that God wrote, with his magic pen (or finger, or whatever), this heteroclite thousand-page book. Humans did the job and their smear is all over. It is interesting to note that Kugel identifies as a practicing Orthodox Jew. It’s clear that the intent isn’t to dismiss the importance of the Bible, but rather, question and de-construct it’s perception and accepted form of sacredness. If you are pragmatic, a thinker, an analyst or just hungry for knowledge, be ready to learn how the “modern” bible came to be and how to approach it. This book will fill you up. Beware, thought coma!

4.5/5