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Question for atheists and pantheists


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I want to read the Bible for cultural literacy purposes. I have read parts of it but never the whole book.

 

Does anyone have an edition/version of the Bible they prefer?

 

I saw the thread on reading the Bible in one year, but don't know if those editions are what I'm looking for as far as cultural literacy. I'm not looking for a Bible study for faith.

 

I'd also like to expand to other major religions as well. So recommendations there would great as well. I'll start with the Bible though based on the fact that it is most relevant in my culture. :)

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I want to read the Bible for cultural literacy purposes. I have read parts of it but never the whole book.

 

Does anyone have an edition/version of the Bible they prefer?

 

I saw the thread on reading the Bible in one year, but don't know if those editions are what I'm looking for as far as cultural literacy. I'm not looking for a Bible study for faith.

 

I'd also like to expand to other major religions as well. So recommendations there would great as well. I'll start with the Bible though based on the fact that it is most relevant in my culture. :)

 

King James is certainly readable for most people. It's beautiful and many of the literary devices and terms you her in literature are often quoted from KJV. You might also consider NASB if you find the KJV difficult.

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"Cultural literacy" to me would be understanding the content. I would suggest The Message, which is a version that is very easy to read. It's not dumbed down, it doesn't leave anything out; it reads like a book. Here's a sample, and you can change versions in the box at the top to see how the same passage would read in other versions.

 

I know I'm not included in your atheist/pantheists, but this is a version that I would be highly reluctant to suggest to a Christian (never say, "Never!"). I would never consider this version to be "God's Word," but it may very well suit your purpose. :)

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Not an atheist or pantheist here, but I still have a suggestion! My favorite version of the Bible is the One Year Chronological Bible in the NIV. For the purposes of studying from a cultural perspective, I'd think this version would be terrific. You need not concern yourself with the "read it in a year" format (there for convenience), as it reads just as well straight through in your own time frame. I recommend it because it rearranges Bible passages based on when they actually occurred or are believed to have occurred, so you are reading in essentially chronological order. It is also in modern language, which I personally prefer to the KJV. The chronological order may make it easier to understand as a whole and understand in terms of the cultures of the time periods.

 

Good luck!

Edited by Twinmom
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For literary purposes the version typically listed is the King James. It has had the most influence from and on the English language. If you look at book lists it is the most commonly listed version. No it is not necessarily easy to read but the trade off is worth it in literary terms.

 

(Theologically there will be much dispute among versions and I'm not claiming superiority for the KJV in that arena-but for the English speaking world it is the version mostly commonly studied as literature.)

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I'm not an atheist or pantheist, so I hope you don't mind me butting into the conversation. I'm partial to the KJV because I think the language is beautiful. Here is an excerpt from an article on the Ambleside Online website that I agree with:

 

The KJV was penned at the pinnacle of English writing style, and it served as a common fount of influence for classic authors for over three hundred years. For this and other reasons we'll explore, the KJV stands alone as being uniquely suited to serve as our "prime spine" in a classic literary curriculum.

 

The way children encounter information today is changing. As image-based information becomes more prevalent, our cultural mastery of language is eroding. In response, modern schools move toward materials and methods that are more image-based, and less language-based, than those used in the past.

 

But the great teachers of the past knew something so simple it's profound: wrestling with rich language develops a strong, agile mind. Their master tool was a literary curriculum, which is inherently language-based. Studies now confirm what they knew by instinct: whereas images are largely passively received and require minimal exercise of the brain, grappling with language requires the mind to work, flex, expand, and make connections. (1)

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I'd also like to expand to other major religions as well. So recommendations there would great as well.

 

 

If you're interested in reading the Qur'an, I'd strongly suggest the Muhammad Asad translation. It has by far the most extensive and helpful commentary. Unfortunately, it's hard to find and will cost $40-$50 on Amazon. Your library might have it.

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I have a messianic jewish bible that I love for this reason. Culturally it does a great job of explaining the different hebrew words and names for God. In the text it will actually use the specific name instead of the abbreiviated "God."

 

For clarification...it doesn't use Yahweh, but names such as Adonai.

 

Here's a link...http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Jewish-Bible-OE-David-Stern/dp/1880226480/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294164880&sr=1-1

 

Hope that helps!!! ;)

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If you're interested in reading the Qur'an, I'd strongly suggest the Muhammad Asad translation. It has by far the most extensive and helpful commentary. Unfortunately, it's hard to find and will cost $40-$50 on Amazon. Your library might have it.

 

I very much enjoyed reading Muhammad Asad's biography "The Road to Mecca". Asad, who was born Leopold Weiss, came from a family of Jewish rabbis and was deeply learned in Judaism before he converted to Islam. I have never had the pleasure of reading his translation and commentary on the Qur'an. I'm sure it would be fascinating.

 

The one I've owned and read is Abdullah Yusuf Ali's version.

 

Bill

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Do you want to read the Bible for more literary purposes or for more understanding of the content?

 

If you want to read it for more literary purposes, I agree with those who recommended the KJV, as it is the translation from which many of the Biblical allusions stem. If you want to read it in order to find out what's in it, or to look more at the content, I would recommend a modern translation. The KJV can be quite difficult to understand at points.

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