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THE BIBLE AND THE COMMON READER by Mary llen Ches Kirkus Star

THE BIBLE AND THE COMMON READER

By

Pub Date: Nov. 14th, 1944
Publisher: Macmillan

Only one steeped in a knowledge of the Bible from childhood, and later conditioned by a love of literature and an appreciation of the higher values of life could have given us such a book as this. And only one of rare literary ability could make even such choice material so come alive to the reader. Mary Ellen Chase endeavors here to open up to the average reader the literary treasure of the Bible. In so doing she tells us of the nature and composition of the Bible as a body of literature and gives us the history and significance of our English translations, especially the King James version for which she has the highest appreciation. There follow chapters to delineate the background against which the Bible was written, the history of Israel and the character of the people. Then the chief component parts of the Bible are dealt with in such a way as to make both the books and the characters real to the reader. Surprisingly, the space allotted to the New Testament is scant compared with that given to the Old Testament, because the author has, perhaps, a higher estimate of the literature of the Old Testament, perhaps because space was running out for the author by the time she reached the New Testament. While the theological questions connected with the interpretation of the Bible are avoided, the assumptions of the author are th of a liberal branch of Pret. The results of the critical approach to the Bible are and utilized to enhance the value of the Bible as literature. Both students and teachers will find here many an illuminating ation of a favorite character or and ""the reader"" to when the Bible has been a closed book will find this volume leading them to open it and read with new understanding and appreciation.