Bible study for the non-Christian? The Bible as literature?

[Wabi Sabi]

We are not a religious family and that suits us just fine. However, I'm beginning to feel as though my children (still young- preK and 2nd grader) need some sort of Bible study. I grew up attending church and have a decent basic familiarity with Biblical themes.

 

I'm not interested in having my children attend religious services on any sort of regular basis, from a cultural literacy standpoint it's becoming clear that it would greatly benefit us to study the Bible. Literature, art, conversations with friends and family, music- even for a non-believer I really do think it's important to have a rudimentary grasp on the Bible. In particular my kids are young budding art historians and I find myself struggling to explain the religious themes in much of the art that they bring to me.

 

Are there any resources or appropriate curricula available for people like us who are interested in studying the Bible as an important piece of historical literature? I don't want something that assumes we are Christians or anything that will attempt to prosthelytize to us.

[lewelma]

I found a list somewhere of the most famous 100 stories of the old and new testament. I read to my children from the bible (not using an interpretation/curriculum/retelling), and we discuss the importance of each story to society and to our family.

 

Easy to do and completely adaptable to your own beliefs.

 

Ruth in NZ

[redsquirrel]

We are in the same boat. When my kids were that age, I used The Children's Bible by Golden Books. When we were doing our SOTW 1 year I added in the occasional bible story. I told them it was Christian mythology, just like we also used D'aulaire's book of Greek Myths. I am moderately familiar with common bible stories and I figured if I had heard of it, it must be a good one to know.

 

There might be better Children's bibles out there, this met our needs and the price was right.

[duckens]

We're in the same boat.

 

You are soooo right about being familiar with bible themes, and as your kids age, you will see references to biblical stories EVERYWHERE in art and literature.

 

I would really like for dd to know these stories as well as I did growing up (Evangelical Christian, church 3X/week), but I do not plan to take her to church. Plus, some of them are really cool stories! A boat with all the animals; Joshua and the battle of Jericho; David and Goliath; Jesus feeds the 5000!

 

A couple of months ago, we read through one of the children's versions of bible stories; NOT the bible. We used a version that I had gotten second-hand, and although it was the right level for dd5 and it had both Old and New Testament stories, it spoke of God literally, and as if the stories were true through and through. (No intended offense to those who believe differently than I). As a result, we had several conversations about how to tell if a story is true or not.

 

If I had to choose again, I would have chosen a version that was not so literal. Perhaps others have good suggestions for this.

 

In a perfect world, if we have time and are still homeschooling when dd reaches high school, we will read together through the actual bible and discuss it. Our reference material will be Asimov's Guide to the Bible

[Chrysalis Academy]

I have a Selena Hastings children's Bible, and it is lovely. When we go back through the Ancients (3rd and 7th grade) we will read through it, but the way I use it now is that I pull it out every time we hear or read an expression that comes from a bible story - "the handwriting on the wall" for example - and I read them the story that goes with the saying.

 

I'm waiting till then partly because it fits our history cycle, and partly because there is a lot in that there book that I wouldn't want to read to a little kid - capricious dieties, questionable morality, and very risque stories. Kinda like the Greek myths, I guess . . . :D