A slant. [The Story of the Bible in 365 Readings by Ed Strauss]

If you find the Bible interesting but daunting. . .
If scripture seems too long and hard to understand. . .
If you’d like a clear, concise guide to God’s Word. . .
 
This is the book you need.
 
The Story of the Bible in 365 Readings distills scripture into easy-to-understand summaries, that you can read straight through or one per day over the course of a year.
 
Arranged chronologically, from the creation of light in Genesis 1:3 to Jesus’ revelation of the end times to John, this book offers you both biblical and other historic details to clearly explain the events of God’s Word. You’ll see how they affected humanity’s future—even your life today!

Colorfully designed and illustrated with classic paintings and other imagery, The Story of the Bible in 365 Readings is “readable reference” that will help you understand the scope and meaning of God’s Word.

Ed Strauss' The Story of the Bible in 365 Readings was not what I expected. I thought I was going to be told the story of the Bible in a format ideal for daily reading. And yes, that expectation was met and fulfilled, but not in the straightforward way I'd hoped for. There was a slant to the readings.

And it's hard to tell the story of the Bible without a bias of interpretation. Look at the number of translations alone, not to mention Christian denominations, and you'll see what I mean. What I wanted from this book were readings that were general and basic across the spectrum of Christian beliefs. Instead the readings felt like sermons. That might work for many, but it took away from the book for me.

Sermons can be nice. I might even argue that the ire or contradicting understandings I took reading the summaries were more than appropriate because it inspired research, revisiting, and meditation on the word. And yet, I was angry that I was being sermonized to. I'd like to walk away with a desire to re-read my Bible or think about that specific event or reading, but without the slant of author's interpretation. But the flow of the readings and summation of major events was solidly presented. 3 stars from me.

The Story of the Bible in 365 Readings is to be published October 1, 2020.