The Bible Makes Sense

The audience for this book is interested Christian laity in the church who have little opportunity for sustained study. Brueggemann states that the purpose of this book is to make the theological assertions of the Bible accessible and credible and to let the Bible be a revelatory theological resource testifying to a particular way of life. Being a faith perspective, his interpretation of both the Old and New Testaments is done from a particular perspective of the Christian faith community; Brueggemann writes as a believer and an insider. Although he does not claim his interpretation is the only possible way of understanding the Bible, he urges that his perspective is both faithful to the character of the Bible and energizing for the life, fidelity, and vitality of the church. Each chapter develops his perspective, which he contends leads to distinctive conclusions, and each contains several reflection and discussion issues with scriptural passages for meditation and Brueggemanns comments on the passages. In chapter 1 (The Possibility of a Fresh Perspective), he puts forward his thesis that the Bible can be read intelligently once its categories of discourse are understood and taken seriously. [Full Review]