Bible study for non-Christians?

[Wabi Sabi]

We are not a Christian family, however, I'd like my kids to be familiar with the major stories of the Bible. It's important, IMO, from a cultural literacy standpoint; a basic familiarity is required to understand art, politics, history, etc. With that in mind, how would you approach it? Simply read stories from a children's Bible straight through in order? Would it be too confusing to jump around out of order? Would you use any guides, maps, coloring pages, curricula and so forth or just use the Bible as a read aloud and discuss the stories?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.

[Thia]

Veritas Press might be good for you. There are cards that have a summary of the related Bible chapter(s) as well as suggestions for further study. The teacher's guide has questions, tests, and activities. It would be easy for you to only use what you feel is necessary. While nothing replaces just reading through the Bible, you might find it easier if you have some resources to help explain difficult part etc. There are many good books out there, I just think the cards might be best in allowing you to tweak it to your purpose.

[chicagoshannon]

If you just want the basic Bible stories I'd go with a Children's Bible. I would stick with reading them in order.

[MeghanL]

I second the VP suggestion. They present the stories without adding in theology, which my family has greatly appreciated!

[Wabi Sabi]

I'm having trouble finding the cards on the VP website. Everything is arranged by grade level. Any idea where to find them?

[SilverMoon]

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Edited July 12, 2022 by SilverMoon

[Alessandra]

I'd go with picture books. Some of my favorite writers/illustrators are Brian Wildsmith, Jane Ray, Tomie dePaola, Mary Auld. There are lots more, of course -- those are just some of the authors who have written multiple books. Some libraries separate bible story books into Jewish & Christian sections -- be sure to check both!

 

Jim Weiss also has an excellent recording, Tales from the Old Testament

 

http://www.greathall...dtestament.html

 

You might also like the DK Children's Illustrated Bible. It has sidebars that place the stories in historical & geographic context. Be advised -- this comes in two sizes. The small has tiny type; get the larger size. I couldn't tell which this links to -- from the price it might be the smaller one. Only Amazon link I could find.

 

http://www.amazon.co...childrens bible

 

While I was searching, I saw this - DK Illustrated Bible Story by Story.

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Illustrated-Bible-Story/dp/0756689627/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361892712&sr=8-1&keywords=dk+illustrated+bible+story

 

Yikes, why did I look at this thread? The above book is now in my shopping cart, lol.

[Wabi Sabi]

Thanks, everyone. I already have these two Bibles and would ideally love to just use what we have:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Illustrated-Bible-Selina-Hastings/dp/0756609356/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361892347&sr=8-1&keywords=selena+hastings

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tomie-DePaolas-Book-Bible-Stories/dp/0698119231/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361892394&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=tomi+de+paola+bible

 

So, if I'm understanding this correctly, the VP cards would take a full 5 years to get through? Hmm. I'm wondering if there's a way to somehow tie our Bible studies into SOTW? For example, we're doing ancients right now and learning about Egypt which naturally makes me think of baby Moses floating away in his basket . I do think that Moses could be a stand-alone story, but we'd be skipping so much if that's where we started- the creation, Cain and Able, Noah's ark, the story of Abraham, etc.

[Alessandra]

Thanks, everyone. I already have these two Bibles and would ideally love to just use what we have:

 

http://www.amazon.co...selena hastings

 

http://www.amazon.co... de paola bible

 

So, if I'm understanding this correctly, the VP cards would take a full 5 years to get through? Hmm. I'm wondering if there's a way to somehow tie our Bible studies into SOTW? For example, we're doing ancients right now and learning about Egypt which naturally makes me think of baby Moses floating away in his basket . I do think that Moses could be a stand-alone story, but we'd be skipping so much if that's where we started- the creation, Cain and Able, Noah's ark, the story of Abraham, etc.

 

 

Oh, I am glad you have the Selena Hastings DK one -- we love this edition. Wouldn't that be enough?

[SilverMoon]

I think Moses is in SOTW a little further on. It's been awhile and I could easily be wrong.

 

In light of your last post, perhaps the schedules at Paula's Archives would help you out more than another curriculum.

[SilverMoon]

 

This one in particular has the story titles instead of chapter numbers.

[Wabi Sabi]

This one in particular has the story titles instead of chapter numbers.

 

 

Thank you! That's perfect for what we want, I think.

[chepyl]

Abraham and Moses were in SOTW.

 

We are using the R&S ABC series with my prek dd. Book B is Bible. The set came with a story book and a coloring book. It goes through about 60 major stories.

 

With my DS we use Studying God's Word Book A in kindergarten. It is a series of stories from.creation on, they are in order. It has review questions at the end, or the are short enough to narrate.

 

Both were very cheap.

[Laura Corin]

When the children were your children's age, we just read bible stories - mostly in order. We also read One World, Many Religions. We would go back over the Easter and Christmas stories each year too.

 

When Calvin was about twelve, we did Galore Park's RE programme, which is entirely doable by those who don't have a faith.

 

Laura

[Musicmom]

I'd suggest using a children's Bible and going through the stories, discussing them and looking at maps, etc. I don't think you really need a curriculum. Going in order is probably best as often stories refer to events in earlier stories. Here are a couple of suggestions based on the ages of your children:

 

1) The Beginner's Bible (ZonderKids)--this is a good place to start, especially for your younger child. It focuses on the stories, presents them clearly, and has pictures that are engaging and memorable. You can read it aloud, but also it's also one your children can pull off the shelf and read themselves again and again. This was my kids' first introduction to Bible stories and they really remembered them from this.

 

2) The NIV Adventure Bible (published by Zondervan)--this is a great Bible for kids and could be very helpful, esp for your older child if The Beginner's Bible seems too young, and for both as they get older. Both my kids used it and really enjoyed it. It has the actual NIV text (a popular and very understandable translation), so your kids can see how the stories are actually presented in the Bible (vs. an author's re-telling of them, if that makes sense.) But what makes the Adventure Bible so good is it has many many side notes and introductions that help elementary age kids (and adults too!) with understanding of the stories. It also has maps, etc. You could easily use this as a read aloud and discuss the stories, and you would have a lot of additional information right there at your fingertips.

 

Hope this helps!

[Wabi Sabi]

When the children were your children's age, we just read bible stories - mostly in order. We also read One World, Many Religions. We would go back over the Easter and Christmas stories each year too.

 

When Calvin was about twelve, we did Galore Park's RE programme, which is entirely doable by those who don't have a faith.

 

Laura

 

Another book I already happen to own, LOL! I'm overthinking this, it seems. We just need to start reading!

[EppieJ]

Another resource you might like is called The Story. It follows the main thread of Scripture chronologically and in story form. There's an adult version, a youth version, and a children's version. This would be a good read to give you valuable insight into the Christian faith and way of life. Click on the links below and you can find a link to the first chapter(s).

 

http://www.thestory....7C3CF6559A79FDF (children's)

http://www.thestory....15A4E01AEA041AC (adult's)

[kiwik]

The beginners Bible is good as a reader as well so you can combine religious studies with LA.

[Saddlemomma]

If you're looking at to teach the Bible from a historical/cultural standpoint, I would first invest in a good chronological Bible for yourself. Since I knew we would be studying Ancients through MOH this year, I purchased the Thomas Nelson NKJ Chronological Study Bible. Your child could have whatever children's Bible you choose, but I would want a complete Bible - not just famous "stories". After all, one of the greatest mistakes people make is to call the Bible a book of "stories". The Bible is a set of 66 actual historical documents collected into a book - called the Bible - whether someone believes what they say or not.

 

In this way, you can arrange which stories your child reads from his or her Bible in chronological order. Within the chronological Bible I suggested for you, there are historical snippets of information for each culture/civilization that you will encounter. There are full-color illustrations of places, maps, artifacts and cultural phenomena that coincide with the time period. There is even a running timeline box called "Time Capsule". Therefore, as your child reads, you can fill in historical information and share the illustrations with him/her. This will make the Bible come alive from a historical standpoint.

 

I have found this chronological Bible invaluable during our Ancient History study. We are reading 3 chapters each evening after dinner and then discuss what's read. I have an audio Kindle HD Bible application that reads the passages we want. DH & DD follow along in their Bibles and I follow along in my Chronological Bible. Between each chapter, I'll share whatever historical notes/artifacts/time line info/maps/ tidbits from that chapter and then we move onto the next chapter. We have gleaned a lot of insight into the culture and thinking of the people during time period.

[Cosmos]

I have several times thought of starting a thread on this topic, so I am reading the replies eagerly. We have done Bible stories, as people have suggested for younger children. But now that my son is older, I would like to revisit the Bible with more depth and perspective.

 

When Calvin was about twelve, we did Galore Park's RE programme, which is entirely doable by those who don't have a faith.

 

 

This looks very interesting. It might be a good fit for us.

 

If you're looking at to teach the Bible from a historical/cultural standpoint, I would first invest in a good chronological Bible for yourself. Since I knew we would be studying Ancients through MOH this year, I purchased the Thomas Nelson NKJ Chronological Study Bible. Your child could have whatever children's Bible you choose, but I would want a complete Bible - not just famous "stories". After all, one of the greatest mistakes people make is to call the Bible a book of "stories". The Bible is a set of 66 actual historical documents collected into a book - called the Bible - whether someone believes what they say or not.

 

The bolded is the sort of thing that I would like to get into more. The history and authorship of the Bible, starting with the basic question of what IS the Bible anyway. I would also love to see a resource that walked us through the Bible and its major themes, but ALSO covered how different theologies have interpreted it. How do Jews, for example, interpret Genesis differently from Catholics or Muslims or protestant Christians?

 

We have the Rose Book of Bible Charts and What the Bible is All About, as well as numerous Bibles, including a chronological one. So I guess we have plenty of resources. I just don't know how to put them together! My own Bible knowledge is quite poor, so I don't really know where to start. I don't want to just read through the entire Bible.

 

I keep thinking surely somebody out there has created a secular Bible study, but I haven't found one yet. I should have taken the Bible classes at college when I had the chance. Hmm . . . I wonder if they use a textbook of some sort. That might be a place to look.

[mom31257]

I highly recommend this bible, The Action Bible. It is a graphic novel of the entire bible and has many stories that are not in most children's bibles. We are Christians, but I think anyone would enjoy this book. When ds has taken it to church, all the teens want to take it and look at it.

[Heathermomster]

I've seen the following text recommended:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Bible-Influence-Student-Literacy-Project/dp/0977030202/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2UIQR8SU0BTJ0&coliid=I1T8RUUBMNTG9M

 

 

[pitterpatter]

I'm not fond of graphic novels, but this is pretty cool. I like that there are so many pictures and short snippets that could be read here and there. I read the first story via Amazon's preview. Overall, though, do you think it would be appropriate for a soon-to-be six-year-old? I would read it to her. How are topics like sex, pregnancy and circumcision addressed?

 

I highly recommend this bible, The Action Bible. It is a graphic novel of the entire bible and has many stories that are not in most children's bibles. We are Christians, but I think anyone would enjoy this book. When ds has taken it to church, all the teens want to take it and look at it.

 

[mom31257]

I'm not fond of graphic novels, but this is pretty cool. I like that there are so many pictures and short snippets that could be read here and there. I read the first story via Amazon's preview. Overall, though, do you think it would be appropriate for a soon-to-be six-year-old? I would read it to her. How are topics like sex, pregnancy and circumcision addressed?

 

I think it does a good job of covering those kinds of topics. Here are some examples. Nothing is said of what happened with Noah's sons or Lot's daughters. David and Bathsheba marry after her time of mourning, but it does show how David has her husband killed so he can marry her.

 

The pictures are graphic and could be scary to some children, but I think it depends on the child. The faces are very expressive. It does show fighting. It shows blood coming out of Jesus' hands. Revalation is included and shows the red dragon with several heads.

[Cosmos]

I've seen the following text recommended:

 

http://www.amazon.co...=I1T8RUUBMNTG9M

 

This looks like it might be just about exactly what I've been looking for. Thank you! There's a big preview for it available on google books for anyone else who might be interested.

[Saddlemomma]

I have several times thought of starting a thread on this topic, so I am reading the replies eagerly. We have done Bible stories, as people have suggested for younger children. But now that my son is older, I would like to revisit the Bible with more depth and perspective.

 

 

 

This looks very interesting. It might be a good fit for us.

 

 

 

The bolded is the sort of thing that I would like to get into more. The history and authorship of the Bible, starting with the basic question of what IS the Bible anyway. I would also love to see a resource that walked us through the Bible and its major themes, but ALSO covered how different theologies have interpreted it. How do Jews, for example, interpret Genesis differently from Catholics or Muslims or protestant Christians?

 

We have the Rose Book of Bible Charts and What the Bible is All About, as well as numerous Bibles, including a chronological one. So I guess we have plenty of resources. I just don't know how to put them together! My own Bible knowledge is quite poor, so I don't really know where to start. I don't want to just read through the entire Bible.

 

I keep thinking surely somebody out there has created a secular Bible study, but I haven't found one yet. I should have taken the Bible classes at college when I had the chance. Hmm . . . I wonder if they use a textbook of some sort. That might be a place to look.

 

Cosmos - I've been a Christian now for only 13 years (I'm 49), and I've been seeking "true" Christianity which is quite different from how it is today. What I've been doing is going back to the early church fathers to see how they interpreted scripture. People like Polycarp (a disciple of John, the Apostle), Eusebius (a disciple of Polycarp), Origen, Martin Luther, etc... There is a huge difference between how they interpreted scripture and how it is interpreted today.

 

Another thing is to read scripture in CONTEXT! This is the most important advice I have ever been given. So often people will just pick a verse and run with it; interpreting its merits on its own. However, the context of that verse is found within the verses before and after it. In other words, never read just one Bible verse. Always read a chapter to get the overall context of what is going on and being said as a whole.

 

But, you must also read the Bible. The Bible is a collection of historical events recorded by men inspired by God to write His story and the events as they happened, so that we may avoid the pitfalls of the past. Unfortunately, we don't ever seem to be able to learn from our mistakes.