Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years

Month 46 - 1 Corinthians

2011-03-19T23:27:00.003Z

This month is the first of two sessions looking at Paul's letters to the Corinthian church, which would have meant something quite different in their culture as we will see.

1 Corinthians is one of my favourite books, certainly the one I find most interesting, so hopefully it'll be a good discussion. Commentary from Hunter film from A.D. and Eddie Izzard.

Month 45 - Romans

2011-02-11T22:32:00.003Z

Most commonly hailed as Paul's greatest letter Romans was a key influence during the reformation and continues to be today. It also means that the second part of the New Testament (the epistles) carries on from where part 1 (theological histories) left off - in Rome.

Month 44 - Acts

2011-01-03T21:26:00.002Z

The New Year starts with a look at the various comings and goings in the early church - The Acts of the Apostles (or Acts for short). Acts is, I think, one of my favourite books of the Bible, inspiring but hardly a hagiographic whitewash. Perhaps that's why I've been enjoying John Henson's interesting book "Bad Acts of the Apostles". I'll also be drawing on Geza Vermes, William Barclay and a commentary written by somebody Page; no relation as far as I know.

Film-wise there are quite a few films on Acts / the lives of Peter / Paul. I've finally ordered the 80s miniseries AD, leaving me to anxiously check my mail every day, hitherto without success. There's also Peter and Paul starring Anthony Hopkins in the latter role. I also have a mini-series called St. Peter starring Omar Sharif as the titular saint. I tried to watch it once but it was pretty bad. Plus there's a word for word one and a few others that barely register a mention.

As it's the church AGM on Tuesday 25th January I'm going to have to change the date I emailed out a while back. The Tuesday session will now be on Tuesday the 18th. There might be a somewhat Return of the Jedi-esque Death Star 2.0 feel about it though. The Monday session will be on Monday 24th January as originally planned. Both start at 41 Linden Road at 7:30pm.

Month 43 - John

2010-12-06T19:36:00.002Z

Having worked through the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) over the last three months we now move on to John on the 13th and 14th December (it's early this month so it doesn't clash with Christmas).

I've got quite a lot of resources for this one. In addition to William Barclay's commentary, I've also got ones by Drane, Tasker, Webster, Marsh, Richardson and Sloyan. Sloyan's is the most up to date, and from a series that has been useful before. Not that I'm going to read all of these, but it's good to have plenty to dip into for those "eh?" passages.

John's gospel has also quite a heavy influence in film. The main one is 2003's Gospel of John which I'm currently reflecting on in my other blog. But as John is so different from the other 3 it has a disproportionately large influence on the films and so there are plenty of good clips that I can chose from.

All this is kicking off at 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road.

Month 42 - Luke

2010-11-13T01:50:00.004Z

Just realised I never got around to posting this. Rough Guide to the New Testament moves on to Luke's Gospel this month. Monday 22nd November and Tuesday the 23rd November, 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road. I've been following Mark Goodacre's podcasts and Darrell Bock's commentary (as well as William Barclay's). I also bought a book by Geza Vermes recently which covers this book as well.

Month 41 - Mark

2010-10-19T12:55:00.000Z

It could be argued that we owe more to the Gospel of Mark than any other single book, although there are a few others for which a good case could be made.

As usual we'll be starting at 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road. The same session will run on both Monday 25th October and Tuesday 26th October, so take your pick.

In terms of resources, I have access to a really good number of commentaries on Mark. The main one I've been using is William Telford's introduction "Mark", which is also the most recent of those I have (from this century rather than the last), plus it, um, has a nice cover. Telford also is a fan of Jesus films (see his book for example; he obviously knows what he's on about) But I've also had a quick look at those by William Barclay (an old favourite of mine), AM Hunter, the classic by D.E.Nineham (available from all good second hand shops), Morna Hooker and if I have time Larry Hurtado.

In terms of more modern media, Mark is actually the only gospel not to have been adapted word-for-word into a "film". There are various reasons for this, but no doubt the absence of a birth of a resurrection appearance by Jesus probably has something to do with it. A short introductory documentary has been made however by the University of Nottingham's Bibledex project. And Mark Goodacre's podcasts are always good listening. He's collected all of those that relate to Mark here.

Month 40 - Matthew

2010-09-05T19:50:00.000Z

Rough Guide to the New Testament (the New Testament part of Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years) kicks off on Monday 27th September and is repeated the following day. The session will be looking at the Gospel of Matthew.

Going into the New Testament means that a number of resources I have been using will be used no more (such as Anderson's "Critical Introduction to the Old Testament"), but also brings new resources into play. I've been working through John Court's "Reading the New Testament" over the summer, and there are quite a few other NT books I plan on using.

Being, as I am, named after this gospel I've collected a number of commentaries on it over the years; William Barclay's (2 vols), Michael Green's, John Fenton and D.A Carson. I also did a zone a few years ago on this subject and borrowed a few for the occasion which will influence what we look at.

Being, as we are, in the easy part of the Bible there are lots of online media resources to chose from as well. I'll highligh just two here - Bibledex's intro video (which I've not yet watched) and Mark Goodacre's podcasts which I've really enjoyed.

And of course there are films. Lots of Jesus films obviously (as readers of my other blog will know), but there are two which focus specifically on Matthew's version of events - Pasolini's Gospel According to St. Matthew and the Visual Bible's word for word version.

Whew. I'll try to go on less next month. See you at either the Monday or Tuesday session at the end of the month. 7:30 at 41 Linden Road.

Rough Guide to The New Testament

2010-07-27T16:49:00.005Z

Rough Guide to the Old Testament is a two and a bit year course looking at the New Testament one book at a time. Starting on 27th September the monthly sessions are interactive, combining discussion, group work, games, video and straight teaching. For more information contact Matt Page.

Summer Recess

2010-06-01T16:44:00.002Z

Having finally reached the end of the Old Testament, things are going to quieten down a bit for the summer so that we can start the New Testament in September. It'll be nice to have a little break, although there's the London Trip to prepare for, and I might do a session either on the deuterocanonical books (the Apocrypha) or on the non-canonical gospels. Anyway, session 40 - Matthew will be on the 27th September in all probability.

Month 39 - Malachi

2010-05-17T20:13:00.002Z

We've reached the final book of the Old Testament - Malachi - and not a moment too soon! It's Monday 24th (not the 31st as this is a bank holiday) at 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road. There are a couple of new resources to draw on as well. We may also talk a bit about the apocrypha.

Bibledex: Excellent Resource

2010-04-28T11:01:00.001Z

It's all come a little too late for Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years to really benefit, but the University of Nottingham has been releasing the Bibledex videos on each book of the Bible, but whereas the early days seemed to be mainly New Testament (perhaps because I was reading about them at Mark Goodacre's New Testament Weblog) they've recently (as in the last two months) released most of the Old Testament as well. The only book we could really have used these resources for is Haggai, but I will be able to use them for Malachi as well. Once we're into the gospels we're not as short of resources so I probably won't use them much until we get onto the letters. But anyway it's a good resource to have and I'm going to add it to the sidebar.

Month 38 - Zechariah

2010-04-23T18:11:00.000Z

We're up to the penultimate book in Old Testament - Zechariah - and we're switching back to Monday nights. This month's session is on the 26th April starting at 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road.

Month 37 - Haggai

2010-03-22T20:13:00.003Z

The fourth year of Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years starts with Haggai, the shortest book for until we get to the back end of the New Testament sometime around Christmas 2011.

I've also got a new commentary to draw on, which covers our remaining 3 books from the Hebrew Bible; Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. It's by Joyce Baldwin whose work on Daniel I got a lot from a few years ago. I'm unaware of any films which feature Haggai or his co-star Zerubbabel, though I have a nagging doubt that he features somewhere along the line.

Anyway, Tuesday 23rd March 2009 at 41 Linden Road. 7:30pm start.

Month 36 - Zephaniah

2010-02-18T22:05:00.002Z

As we come to the end of the third year of Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years we arrive at Zephaniah, certainly one of the least known of the minor prophets.

As usual we're starting at 7:30, but this time it's on a Tuesday (the 23rd of February). See you then.

Moving to Tuesdays

2010-02-18T10:52:00.000Z

Having consulted with most of you who have been along to Through the Bible, I've decided to move it to Tuesday evenings instead. The next session, on Zephaniah, will, therefore start on Tuesday 23rd February at 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road.

Month 35 - Habakkuk

2010-01-07T21:51:00.003Z

We start the New Year with Habakkuk (one "b", three "k"s), which seems to have a decidedly different feel to me than some of the other books we've looked at recently.

The session starts at 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road on Monday 25th January 2009.

Month 34 - Nahum

2009-12-09T21:45:00.003Z

So just as we're coming to the end of the year then we're entering the second half of the Bible (by number of books at any rate). So the second half of Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years commences with a look at Nahum. Having discussed it with those there last time we thought the 21st December was the best date to go for - even in spite of its proximity to Christmas. We'll start at 7:30pm at my house as per usual.

James Limburg's and Peter C. Craigie's commentaries will again be used, as well as my usual refernce texts. Hopefully see you then.

Matt

Month 33 - Micah

2009-11-23T20:09:00.002Z

I'm a bit late posting this, but in case anyone hasn't worked out, the next Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years will be on the 30th November 2009, from 7:30pm at 41 linden Road.

It's about Micah, a book of which I could only remember the bit about Bethlehem and the following verse, which has found it into two songs from my childhood: one from Ishmael and one from Graham Kendrick - "He has shown you oh man what is good, and what does the law require of you? But to act Justly and to love merc yand to walk humbly with your God."

There are obviously no Micah films, but the commentaries persist. As with previous months I'll be using James Limburg's and Peter C. Craigie's commentaries as well as a little three piece on Jonah, Micah and which I picked up just last week. Result.

Month 32 - Jonah

2009-10-08T10:12:00.005Z

October's Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years is looking at Jonah - the most loved and most mis-understood of all the minor prophets. Starting at 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road on Monday 26th October.

Resources-wise, I'll be using James Limburg's and Peter C. Craigie's commentaries again. I'll also maybe look at a couple of animated films about Jonah including the recent VeggieTales version of the story and one from the Bible in Animation people. I also want to talk about the story of a "modern day Jonah". If you want to spoil it and read about that in advance, it's all here.

My friend Tyler Williams has also written various pieces on Jonah over at his Codex blog, including the insight that Jonah snored. There's also a good post on the book from Clayboy.

Month 31 - Obadiah

2009-09-07T22:00:00.005Z

September sees us tackling the shortest book in the Hebrew Bible - Obadiah. A good time to take a week off? No sir-ee. For a start, you will probably never ever here someone talk about this book ever again. For a second, it gives us a chance to get really up close to a book, in a way that we can't even with the shorter books.

In terms of resources, again, I'll be using James Limburg's and Peter C. Craigie's commentaries. I'm also planning to use Douglas Stuart's commentary on it (he of "How To Read The Bible For All It's Worth" fame). Whether we'll manage to get to the bottom of why Obadiah is even in the Bible, time alone will tell.

Anyway, it all kicks off on Monday 28th September - 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road. Hopefully see you there.

Month 30 - Amos

2009-08-18T15:32:00.004Z

I'm a little late in posting this, partly because I had been toying with the idea of cancelling this session in the midst of a crazy month. But it is very much on.

Amos is one of the most renown and accessible of the minor prophets, and his cry to "let justice flow like a river" is one of the most well known and popular in all scripture.

We'll be kicking off at 7:30pm on Monday 24th August 2009 at 41 Linden Road.

Resources-wise there no films but I'm working through a couple of commentaries. Peter C. Craigie's has certainly whet my apetite for the book and in addition to James Limburg's one I've also got a dedicated one from the Torch series that I use so often. Not sure whether I'll read all of those before Monday, but we'll see where we go.

Month 29 - Joel

2009-07-10T09:23:00.003Z

This month we move onto one of the shortest books in the Old Testament: Joel. Starting at 7:30pm on Monday 27th July at 41 Linden Road. In terms of resources I'll be using the entries for Joel in James Limburg's and Peter C. Craigie's commentaries on the first few minor prophets. As the book is so short, I hope to go much more in depth into the book itself.

There are no filmed versions of this book, though in searching for them I did stumble across one that uses the quasi-Joel sounding phrase: The Day of the Locust from 1975 the year of my birth. Bizarrely it features a character called Homer Simpson, though the link to his more famous namesake is apparently coincidental.

Biblical Horror Stories for Children

2009-07-10T09:18:00.003Z

...that's my title for my talk at this year's Greenbelt Festival. The idea is that I'm going to be looking at the parts of the Bible where God appears to have people killed, wondering why the place we're most likely to hear these stories is Sunday school, and asking how we should respond. I'm hoping to use a clip or two from Bible films, as there are some really good examples of how we selectively read the text to suit our sensibilities.

In part, I'm setting this page up now so that I can post links to any slides and clips I use in the talk itself. That way anyone listening on CD/MP3 won't miss out. So watch this space.

Month 28 - Hosea

2009-06-23T20:03:00.003Z

Bit pushed for time this month so I won't write much. Suffice to say that the 28th session of Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years, or the 1st session of The Dirty Dozen starts at 7:30pm on Monday 29th June.

In terms of resources I've been reading the dedicated commentary by G.A.F. Knight, as well as the entries for Hosea in James Limburg's and Peter C. Craigie's commentaries on the first few minor prophets. This story has only been filmed once to my knowledge, and that was just last year. Oversold was a modernised version of the story set in Vegas, and was a solid effort for such a small production.

The Dirty Dozen: 12 Studies in the Minor Prophets

2009-05-27T20:54:00.003Z

12 months. 12 Prophets. You do the Maths! Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years has come to the minor prophets, and is opening it up to anyone who just wants to do a year course. If you've ever wondered why you've never heard a sermon on Nahum, or why Obadiah is even in the Bible, this is for you. The first session on Hosea starts in June, and then we'll be exploring a different book each month until May 2010. If you're interested in coming along, or if you just want to find out more details, contact Matt, or keep checking the Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years blog for future updates.

Month 27 - Daniel

2009-05-11T21:42:00.002Z

What better way to end a Bank Holiday weekend by looking at the book of Daniel? 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road on Monday 25th May 2009.

Resources wise I' mwell stocked up. Not only did we do Daniel in church a couple of years back (listen to the podcasts) but I also wrote an essay on it a few years ago. I own John Gibson's Daily Study Bible commentary, and have read those by Norman Porteous and Joyce Baldwin as well of parts of John Goldingay's. I also have Ernest Lucas's guide.

Filmwise though it's all a bit sparse as these posts explain.

Month 26 - Ezekiel

2009-04-23T11:36:00.002Z

For one of the longest books in the Bible, Ezekiel is kind of obscure. Such is the fun of Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years - a chance to get your head around one of the Bible's biggest wackos.

Resources-wise I'll be drawing on some notes I had from the old London Bible College as well as looking at John B. Taylor's commentary. Wikipedia is a bit patchy, and there are no films to draw on except this obscure one I can't find out any details for, and a random misquote from Pulp Fiction.

Anyway, "the fun" starts at 7:30 at 41 Linden Road, 27th April 2009.

Month 25 - Lamentations

2009-03-12T23:12:00.005Z

In contrast to its predecessor, Jeremiah, Lamentations is one of the shorter books in the Old Testament, and one of the most easily forgotten. Squeezed in between two of the Bible's most impenetrable texts - the prophetic ramblings of Ezekiel and Jeremiah, it's easily skipped. Not quite Wisdom, not quite a minor prophet, it's all in limbo.

But perhaps during a credit crunch it's one of the more appropriate books to be reading - a grieving man's lament over his broken city.

As most of the last session was spent watching the film of Jeremiah, I want to spend the start of the session looking at a couple of other things abut Jeremiah, who is, after all , traditionally associated with the writing of this book, before going on to concentrate on Lamenations itself. Kicking off at 7'@:30pm on Monday 23rd March at 41 Linden Road. Hopefully see you there.

In terms of resources, a couple of bits from Lamentations appear in the film, but I'll mainly be drawing on the usual texts, plus R.K.Harrison's commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations. If I turn up any interesting internet links in my research I'll add them below.

Edit: Oh, and I've just found out that Rob Bell's Mars Hill Church is coming to the end of a series on Lamentations.

Month 24 - Jeremiah

2009-02-17T20:59:00.005Z

Coming up to the 2 year mark we arrive at Jeremiah. The longest book of the Bible (by number of words) is fairly unknown. One of the resources I've been looking at is H Cunliffe-Jones's commentary from the easily-available-in second-hand-bookshops Torch Bible paperbacks series. It's strange that what was probably a fairly pivotal book at the time so rarely surfaces in churches (except for the odd, out-of-context, citation of 29:11). There's a good outline at Bible.org

Films-wise there is just one (that I know of) - Jeremiah (1998), part of the Bible Collection.

Well be starting, as usual at 7:30 at my house, on the 23rd February.

Month 23 - Isaiah

2009-01-20T22:58:00.002Z

New Year, new president, new biblical genre - prophecy. And Isaiah is obviously the big one with all it's "unto us a child is born"ing here, and it's "lion shall lie down with the lamb"ing there. As ever, things start at 41 Linden Road at 7:30 on Monday 26th Jan.

Rsources wise, there are stacks. I am shortly to be reunited with my library, so whilst I have already snaffled a couple of Isaiah commentaries, and already have a number of the course texts with me, I'll enjoy having those to dip into again.

But for what it's worth, Isaiah is given a very short shrift film-wise. About ten minutes of one Living Christ episode where the story from Isaiah 36-37 appears by way of introduction to the prophet and his writings, which in turn introduces Jesus, whom the series is really about.

Month 22 - Song of Songs

2008-12-08T21:09:00.004Z

Just in time for Christmas we come to Song of Songs, arguably the best proof of the Bible's reliability that there is. After all, if you were going to make up a holy book you'd never put this collection of horny-but-odd poems in.

As with Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, Song of Songs (or Canticles as it's also known) features in a number of films, mainly those about Solomon. Indeed, whilst it's love poetry seems a little out of place in the Bible, it fits right into Hollywood's priorities.

Elsewhere, there are a number of online resources:Marcia Falk's commentary, Carl W. Ernst's introduction, Bible.org's introduction, ILovePhilosophy.com's new translation
And of course - Wikipedia. Plus you can read about all the rude bits here.

Month 21 - Ecclesiastes

2008-11-06T00:01:00.001Z

Next session 24th November 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road. Hopefully I'll post some more on resources soon...

Barats and Bereta: Bible in a Minute

2008-10-23T08:29:00.000Z

Month 20 - Proverbs

2008-10-20T20:17:00.003Z

This month marks the big two zero and it's time for Proverbs. Those of us in Open Heaven looked at Proverbs in the summer of 2007, and so I guess the talks from that summer could form part of the resources for this month. I say could, because I'm not sure how much we really "did" Proverbs, and how much we simply taught wisdom for the 21st century by cherry picking the odd verse here and there. (When, for example, we considered how we should discipline children no-one suggested, for example, that we should beat them with sticks). And don't get me started on the whole "when Solomon said..." thing. That's not to say it wasn't a good sermon series - it was. I'd just like to come at it a different way.

On the plus side it means I have a range of commentaries to consult, and there's even a decent film clip.

Anyway, it all kicks off at 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road on Monday 27th October. See you then.

Month 19 - Psalms

2008-09-01T05:59:00.004Z

September's "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years" is looking at Psalms - the longest book in the Bible, at least in terms of chapters. It's also where we find the halfway point in the Bible - although where, exactly, you mark it depends on whether you mean halfway in terms of number of pages, chapters, words or something else entirely. That we reach this landmark only nineteen sixty-sixths of the way through the course is testament to the fact that from here on in the books get shorter.

The session will start, as usual, at 7:30pm but it will be at our new house - 41 Linden Road - and hopefully Digory will be feeling sleepy.

Resources wise I only have a fairly old commentary on Psalms, but I want to come at the book from a different angle than the one we used with the history books. Still working on what that will be, but then there's still a month to go.

Satan in Job

2008-08-19T10:16:00.002Z

Following on from last night's discussion, here is the link to the article I mentioned. I had completely mis-remembered it's thrust. In fact, the article is even more interesting than I'd remembered. I should add that it's author, Tyler Williams, is an evangelical Old Testament scholar who's somehow also part of the Willow Creek Network. Anyway here it is:

The Mysterious Appearance of “Satan” in English Translations of the Book of Job

Month 18 - Job

2008-08-12T20:13:00.003Z

Unabated by Digory Page's birth, Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years carries on this month with a look at Job. But there's a special guest in the chair - Stu Jesson.

Resources wise I'm going to leave it up to Stu - there's only a quarter of a film tha features Job anyway (De Oliveira's O Meu Caso), but I have it on good authority that there's going to be some Girard involved. The above image is one of the most challenging roles ever taken by famed Bible actor Gordon Bewes (he's out of the Good News).

And it's staying at our house - 41 Linden Road. Hopefully see you there.

Edit - Stu has found a Job clip from South Park.

Month 17 - Esther

2008-07-21T01:31:00.002Z

The final session before I hand over to Stu for a month whilst Mel has our baby. 7:30pm at 41 Linden Road looking at Esther.

Not got much time to talk about resources, but I will point you towards the various posts I've written on Esther films over at Bible Films Blog. I'm going to use a clip or two.

Hopefully see you there.

Month 16 - Nehemiah

2008-06-30T02:02:00.001Z

I'm posting this after the event as it seems a shame not to have a post for Nehemiah. So here it is.

One of the books I've been reading quite a bit for this session is David Weiss Halivni's "Revelation Restored". I actually wish I'd read it before the Ezra session.

The other thing to say about resources for Nehemiah is that in May I remarked that there's never been a movie made about Ezra. I did, however, trip over his appearance in the 1999 film Esther which I've made a few comments on at my Bible Films blog.

Month 15 - Ezra

2008-05-14T19:02:00.004Z

May's Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years is looking at Ezra, a love it or hate it book about life after the Jewish Exile. There are no free Thursday's between now and the end of the month, so the new-group session will be on Wednesday 21st May from 7:45pm. The original group will be on Monday 26th May at 7:30. What better way to go finish a bank holiday weekend?

There are some useful extra resources for Ezra, namely the other books / chapters attributed to Ezra that are absent from Protestant Bibles. That may lead us into a discussion on canonicity. I'll be using all the usual favourites, and the Peter Ackroyd commentary I used briefly for I and II Chronicles also covers Ezra and Nehemiah.

Film-wise it appears that there's never been a movie made about Ezra. Not hugely surprising, but it means that for this month's image I've had to rely on a photo of the Behistun Inscription.

Change of Date / Time

2008-04-30T19:11:00.003Z

The session on 2 Chronicles that was originally due to be tomorrow (Thursday 1st of May) has been changed to the following Wednesday (7th May). Also meeting at 7:45 for an 8 o'clock start. Sorry for the confusion hope you can still make it.

Month 14 - 2 Chronicles

2008-04-21T13:30:00.005Z

Following on from last month we're covering 2 Chronicles this month. Resources will be largely the same, although I've picked up a couple of new ones as well so they will hopefully be useful. There's a useful table here plotting the reigns of the different kings and timings of the prophets and so on.

The Monday night group will be on 28th April, I think the other session will happen on the 1st May, although we're looking at an alternative date as a lot of the people who want to come can't make it. Watch this space (or, at least, the one to the right). Both sessions start at 5 Meadow Lane at 7:30. I know that for a while I've been saying that the next session might be the last at Meadow Lane, but this time I really think I mean it. I'm also looking to gradually move the sessions to slightly earlier in the month in case the baby is a few days early (he's due 1st August). In other news, the one and only Mr Stuart Jesson has kindly agreed to cover August's session for me, so that will be a treat for those who are around then.

New Resources

2008-04-21T12:56:00.002Z

I picked up a couple of new resources that I'll be using for the remainder of the course, to give me a few different angles. 'The Bible Book:A User's Guide' is by my namesake Nick Page, author of the thought provoking 'And Now Let's Move into a Time of Nonsense' and the ultimately disappointing 'Church Invisible'. Page can be quite humorous at times, and the layout is pretty accessible. The other book is Douglas Connelly's 'The Bible for Blockheads'. I'm less familiart with Connelly, but like Page's book the majority of the text is given over to going through each book by book - a bit like the course.

I should point out that neither of these are particularly academic works, but a lot of thought has gone into how to present the information. Both are on offer at the Good News Centre at the moment.

Month 13 - 1 Chronicles

2008-03-19T09:54:00.006Z

1 Chronicles marks the start of something new for "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years". For those of us that have been doing this since the start, we're now a year through. I don't know about you guys, but it doesn't seem that long since we sat down to look at Genesis.

But it's also the start of a new group, so welcome to any of you guys who are joining us for the first time. Despite being the 13th book of the Bible, 1 Chronicles is actually quite a good place to start. It's obviously not quite as good as Genesis or Matthew, but there is something to be said for it. I'll say more about that at the sessions.

This month's sessions are happening as follows: Next Thursday 27th March, and the following Monday 31st March. Both kick off at 7:30 at 5 Meadow Lane. The idea is to keep the Monday group going as is, and starting the Thursday group up as fresh, so the content will be slightly different in two sessions to reflect that. By the time we hit Nehemiah, they'll be pretty much identical though.

In terms of resources, Chronicles is not the most over-done book. Other than the text itself there is also 2 Samuel which covers many of these events in its own way. In terms of commentaries there's Peter Ackroyd's on I and II Chronicles which also covers Nehemiah and Ezra. There's actually been a resurgence in interest in Chronicles in recent years so there are a good number of recent commentaries out there. Tyler Williams has a good list of them with some useful comments. Lionel Windsor's online notes are also useful.

Film-wise most films follow Samuel rather than Chronicles which tends to miss out the exploits of David's mighty men and focus on the affair with Bathsheba. There are two films in production about David so it will be interesting to see if either of them reverses the trend.

Month 12 - 2 Kings

2008-02-13T23:51:00.003Z

February's Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years takes in 2 Kings, the last book in the so called Deuteronomic History. The session is on the 25th February at 5 Meadow Lane, starting at 7:30 as always.

Resources-wise I continue to recommend Genesis to Jesus for those just starting to get their heads around what's going on in this book in particular. I'll be using Hubbard's commentary again, although it wasn't quite as helpful as I'd hoped as well as the Wikipedia article.

But there is a real shortage of film's based on this book, which is strange for a book where there is so much story. I guess most Bible Films have drawn on stories people know from Sunday school as that boosts the likely audience, rather than looking for what might just make the best film overall. I'll probably write a longer article on that over at Bible Films Blog

There's also a useful Samuel, Kings and Chronicles harmony.

Month 11 - 1 Kings

2008-01-13T03:34:00.001Z

2008 kicks off with a look at 1 Kings, still at 5 Meadow Lane, still at 7:30pm. The date, however, is 21st January (which is a week earlier than the date I gave out at the last session).

Resources-wise, I have to recommend the relevant chapters in Dave Burke's Genesis to Jesus. It's brief, and I probably would question the odd bit these days, but on reading it for the first time all those years ago it dropped a whole load of things into place, and started me down a particular road which has lead me to here.

I'll also be drawing on Hubbard's commentary. though at the moment I have no idea whether it'll be worthy of my attention.

Online material as ever includes the Wikipedia article. There's also a useful Samuel, Kings and Chronicles harmony.

Filmwise, there are only a couple and whilst the Bible Collection's Solomon doesn't get quite as embroiled in the story of the queen of Sheba, as 1959's Solomon and Sheba it still spends more time on that story than perhaps it should. There are also a few animated versions, although one of them is from the Simpsons. The others, though, are of Elijah perhaps the most criminally underfilmed story in the whole Bible. One is by the Testaments series, the other from Friends and Heroes. Finally there is an hilariously stiff and dated version of the Elijah story that appeared in the Living Bible series.

Month 10 - 2 Samuel

2007-12-13T15:19:00.000Z

Session 10 of Through the Bible in Five an a Half Years is reconvening on the 17th December, just in time for Christmas. 5 Meadow Lane starting at 7:30. I don't want to give too much away but it will feature a clip of Richard Gere in his underpants getting even more undignified that this. (la la la la la la hey...).

Month 9 - 1 Samuel

2007-10-29T04:02:00.000Z

November's Session will look at 1 Samuel. The date is Monday 19th November, and, as usual, it'll start at 19:30 at 5 Meadow Lane.

I've not really started looking into this yet, so I've not got many resources to discuss. There are, however, plenty of films which deal with bits of Samuel, including the hilarious Richard Gere one, and Peter O'Toole's brief cameo in the recent One Night With the King.

Month 8 - Ruth

2007-10-15T06:34:00.001Z

As I said after September's session, October's Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years is taking place on Monday 22nd as it's Mel's Birthday the following week. Hope that doesn't catch too many of you by surprise. AS always it's a 7:30 start at 5 Meadow Lane.

In terms of resources, hopefully everyone will find the time to read the book in question this month as it's only 4 short chapters. Of the stuff I've read so far the final paragraph of the brief introduction in the NIV study Bible stands out.

There are a couple of filmy bits too, but I want to use them in this month's session so I won't say too much here!

Extra Resources for Judges

2007-09-22T12:59:00.000Z

Just a couple of extra resources that I've come across since my earlier post. Firstly, I came across a book review for the snappily titled "Compositional Strategy of the Book of Judges: An Inductive, Rhetorical Study". It's a bit complex, but gives you an idea of the differing positions of one aspect of studying Judges - its composition and structure.

A slightly easier read is my, highly tenous, compare and contrast piece on Judges and Pulp Fiction. I had a ball writing it at least.

Finally, characters are also involved in the not-at-all-theologically-stretching-but-a-damn-good-laugh-anyway Bible Fight games. SUrely with Samson you're on to a winner?

Month 7 - Judges

2007-09-07T15:06:00.001Z

September's session will be looking at the book of Judges and will take place on Monday 24th September at 5 Meadow Lane. As usual we'll be starting at 7:30.

I did a study on Judges years a go (when I was a student) so I'm quite intrigued to see how I find it this time around. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for the book inspite of the problematic violence.

In terms of resources, I've got hold of a copy of Clinton McCann's commentary, and I can recommend the Tyndale one as well (Cundall and Morris). I also have another one, which is more a collection of essays but the title alludes me.

Film resources for Judges are a little odd. There have been a ton of films on Samson and Delilah including the most famous one by Cecil B. DeMille from 1949 (as per the picture). There have also been a number of hilariously poor ones like the one that star Liz Hurley as Delilah. But no film has ever got the whole of Judges, and in fact, other than Samson, only Gideon's story has been made into a film (and only an obscure one at that). Surely in this post Xena age it's time for a Deborah / Jael film? One film that is certainly not a direct film interpretation of Judges, but does have a lot in common with it is Pulp Fiction but more on that when I've had a chance to revisit it.

Not had time to peruse the online resources, but if I turn up anything significant I'll be sure to post it.

Month 6 - Joshua

2007-08-20T07:52:00.001Z

Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years continues tonight with the book of Joshua. I have to confess it's probably my least favourite book of the Bible, but as a result I'm certainly looking forward to this session as I think I have some important things to discuss and I'm interested in everyone else's perspectives.

In terms of resources I've focussed on printed matter mainly for this session looking at two very different perspectives - Richard Hess's commentary and Gerd Ludemann's "The Unholy in Holy Scripture: The Dark Side of the Bible", as well as the usual resources.

Anyway the session kicks off at 7:30pm at 5 Meadow Lane tonight (20th August)

Month 5 - Deuteronomy

2007-07-06T09:11:00.000Z

Session 5 of Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years is on the 23rd July looking at Deuteronomy.

As ever there are a few resources I'd like to point out in addition to the material in the recommended reading in the sidebar.

In terms of published works, Philip Yancey writes a great chapter on this book in "The Bible Jesus Read". It's a great and insightful read, (although it has scant regard for the Documentary Hypothesis) and I only really realised in looking for accompanying film clips that it's Yancey's narration, rather than a particular film, which has formed the dominant mental image in my mind.

Speaking of the Documentary Hypothesis, Wikipedia not only has an article on Deuteronomy itself, but also on the possible writer behind it - the Deuteronomist.

The Deuteronomy session is on Monday 23rd July, at 5 Meadow Lane, starting at 7:30pm. It'd be great to see you there.

Resources for Numbers

2007-06-21T09:51:00.000Z

I promised at the end of May to post some resources for Numbers, but I've been surprised to find that there are so few (other than the book itself).

One excellent commentary on the book is by Mary Douglas who I mentioned in the session on Leviticus. I decided to splash out for the book on this one and have really enjoyed it. Numbers is far more interesting than you might think at first glance!

Otherwise though there's a bit of a dearth of information aside from the recommended reading (see sidebar). So why not go easy and play one of these Bible Fight games instead?

The Numbers session of "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years" is taking place on Monday (25th June) at 7:30 at 5 Meadow Lane.

Month 4 - Numbers

2007-05-29T10:54:00.000Z

Session 4 of "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years" - Numbers - is taking place on Monday 25th June at 7:30 at 5 Meadow Lane.

I'll add some resources some time in the next few weeks.

Thoughts on Levitcus

2007-05-29T10:15:00.000Z

I really enjoyed last night's session on Leviticus. In some ways it's a shame that my reading has to race onto Numbers rather than look more at some of the issues we discussed last night more deeply.

I mentioned Dame Mary Douglas last night whose work on Leviticus was apparently quite groundbreaking. There are a few obituaries at The Guardian and The Times. You can also read summaries of her work by David Biale or this unnamed author.

Better still, some of her work is available on Google Books, so you can read bits for yourself of her main works "Leviticus as Literature", and "Purity and Danger".

Edit: Finally, anyone wanting to read or find Steve Chalke's thoughts about atonement should read the article he wrote for Christianity and Renewal Magazine. He says far more here than he does in the "Lost Message of Jesus" book

Month 3 - Leviticus

2007-05-22T12:42:00.000Z

Session 3 of "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years" - Leviticus - is taking place on Monday 28th May at 7:30. The venue (as always) is 5 Meadow Lane.

Resources for Leviticus are a lot harder to come by than for Genesis and Exodus. There are obviously the usual recommended reading (see right), and of course the best place to start is the book of Leviticus.

In terms of print resources, a few years ago I found work by Rene Girard and Gil Baille useful. They are anthropologists with particular interest in sacrifice. As for dedicated commentaries, Martin Goldsmith's Leviticus to Numbers turned out to be a disappointment, The Daily Study Bible one might be worth a look.

Online resources are a little easier to come by. Wikipedia's article is a good starting point, although as ever you need to take what you read there with a pinch of salt. Leviticus has been in the news more recently because of the discovery of an old fragment of text from the book. You can read more about it at the Codex blog, although much of the discussion revolves around the subsequent alleged mistreatment of one of the professors involved. Tyler also surveys commentaries on Levitcus for anyone interested in buying one.

Sadly also, films are none too plentiful. The best place to look is films about Judaism rather than Biblical epics, such as The Ten Commandments. I hope to use a clip from Ushpizin on Monday, one of the best films I've seen in recent years looking at faith. I imagine there are a number of others that would also relate to Leviticus such as Trembling Before G-d.

Month 2 - Exodus

2007-04-24T14:45:00.000Z

This month's Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years is looking at Exodus. The session is actually going to run twice with the first presentation Monday 30th April being repeated on Wednesday 2nd May. Both will take place at at 5 Meadow Lane and start at 7:30pm.

In addition to the book of Exodus itself and the general recommended reading (see side panel), here are a few resources you might like to check out:

There are numerous commentaries on Exodus, but one book that really challenged my thinking was Jonathan Kirsch's Moses: A Life. Tyler Williams' Codex site lots of useful information about commentaries on Exodus.

Last month I mentioned the Bible Dudes website, and it's relevant once again. Bible Dudes is a fantastic site, funny and light-hearted, whilst giving a solid introduction to certain aspects of the bible. The Biblical Studies pages will be particularly relevant for "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years". Picture Bill and Ted doing Biblical Studies rather than basic history, and then imagine someone parodying that but making the information reliable and informative and you're about there. Easily the most interesting and readable introduction ever crafted.

In terms of film resources, there are a number on the subject that are worth getting hold of. The classic is Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 classic The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston. At least half of it is pure fiction, but, strangely, it still informs how most of us think about these stories even if we haven't seen it. There's an amusing film at YouTube which turns footage from this film into a spoof trailer for a high school drama - Ten Things I Hate About Commandments.

The story has also been revisited three times in the last decade or so. The Bible collection kicked it all off in 1996 in Moses starring Ben Kingsley. Two years later Dreamworks released the animated The Prince of Egypt, and then last year a US TV mini-series was released also called The Ten Commandments. For an alternative approach, each of Kieslowski's ten Dekalog films deals with a different one of the commandments. There are two articles about Moses in film at the Journal of Religion and Film.

Month 2 - Exodus - Dates

2007-03-30T09:31:00.000Z

Due to popular demand we're going to experiment with running the same session twice for a while. The first time through will continue to be on Mondays, the second will start on Wednesdays.

So we’ll be looking at Exodus on Monday 30th April and Wednesday 2nd May. It would be great to see you at one of the sessions. I’ll update this site shortly with some more information, as well as posting some reflections / notes from Monday's session.

Frequently Asked Questions

2007-03-19T09:15:00.000Z

I've missed all the sessions so far is it too late to join in?
No, each session is designed to stand alone, so you can come to as many, or as few as works for you. Notes are available for the previous sessions if you want to read about sessions you've missed, but there's no need to "catch up" if you've missed earlier sessions.

Why five and a half years?
Well there are 66 books in the bible (at least according to protestants), and we're going to do a book a month in order. 66 months equals 5½ years.

Do you really expect people to commit to five years?
No. I'm anticipating that people will dip in and out depending on what they are interested in, what else they have on, how much they have enjoyed the sessions they have been to so far, and also whether or not they are in a busy period. The advantage of going through book by book is that we can also re-launch when we get to the start of the New Testament. But it's also about putting something on for those who are in for the long haul.

Can anyone come?
Theoretically yes, although it'll probably be most helpful for those who have been Christians for quite a while. Conversely, it may not be the most helpful thing in the world for those who have only become Christians fairly recently.

Do we have to have read the whole book before we come?
No, but this is probably the best way to get the most out of a session. I do recognise, though, that people have busy lives and that some of the books are very long. In any case even taking a cursory glance through the book in question, to get a feel for its flow and remind you of its content would be helpful.

Are you really going to spend as long on Nahum as on Genesis?
Bizarrely yes. The thing is that although everyone says all the books of the Bible are important, most people's practice demonstrates that they don't really believe it. But I'm struck by the fact that someone, somewhere thought the more ignored books were important, and I'm keen to find out why, and what that says about our faith today. Besides when was the last time you heard anyone discuss Obadiah?

Will all the sessions follow the same format?
Yes and no. Whilst my interests and patterns will inevitably mean that many things are approached the same way, the variation in the books themselves will lead to differences in how each session is presented. For example, with the smaller books we'll be able to go into more detail than we would for the longer books. In so doing, a method will be demonstrated that people can take away and apply to any of the longer books they wish to study in more depth. In addition, there are some books where one of the Old Testament's main themes is particularly dominant. On reaching these we'll look at that theme in detail including looking at other relevant texts.

Month 1 - Genesis

2007-03-12T13:04:00.000Z

The first session of Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years takes place on the 26th March at 5 Meadow Lane, Loughborough. We'll start at 7:30pm.

In addition to the book of Genesis and the general recommended reading (see side panel), here are a few resources you might like to check out:

John L Gibson's 2 bible commentaries in the Daily Study Bible series are a great introduction to looking at Genesis. There's a brief introduction followed by a few verses and some commentary on each day. I own both volumes, and Open Heaven owns volume one.

In terms of online resources, Tyler Williams' Codex site has all kinds of useful information. In addition to his Genesis commentary survey, he has also started a series on his blog on Creation in Ancient Mesopotamia and how that links to the biblical accounts of creation. Lastly there is a brilliant 10 verse Genesis Limerick where each line. All these posts are bunched together under the heading "Genesis".

Two other web sites worth checking, although perhaps afterwards rather than before are the Bible Dudes site, and the Just So Stories. The "Just So Stories" are the nearest modern day parallel to one of the types of literature we find behind Genesis. Bible Dudes is a fantastic site, funny and light-hearted, whilst giving a solid introduction to certain aspects of the bible. The Biblical Studies pages will be particularly relevant for "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years". Picture Bill and Ted doing Biblical Studies rather than basic history, and then picture someone parodying that but making the information sound and informative and you're about there. Easily the most interesting and readable introduction ever crafted.

Finally, I wrote an article for Open Heaven a couple of years ago looking at films based on the stories from Genesis, which I deftly named Genesis Films.

Welcome

2007-03-06T15:14:00.000Z

Hi and welcome to the "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years" blog.

The catchily titled "Through the Bible in Five and a Half Years" is a monthly get together looking at a different book of the bible each month. It's best to think of it as a series of one off events rather than a course you have to commit to. So people can just pick and choose which sessions to come to depending on which books appeal, or which nights they are free.

The idea is to take one book of the bible each month and look at the stories they contain, how and why they were written, issues of interpretation, theology, and that sort of thing. It'll be delivered in a mix of styles including discussion, group work, reading, short talks interactive exercises and of course film.

You'll get the most out of the sessions if you have read the relevant book of the bible beforehand, but it's not compulsory. Updates, resources and a few relevant links and bits and pieces will appear on this site every so often.

Each session will take place on Monday nights at 5 Meadow Lane, Loughborough, starting at 7:30pm

If you've arrived at these ages by chance, hello, and I hope you find something useful.