Bible version for non-Christiain family

[Beans]

Any suggestions for a version of the Bible for a non Christian family (dc ages 5 -13)? I am incorporating Bible study at all levels, starting with stories for the youngest children, a graphic novel version for my middle boys, and an overview for my 13 yo and beginning an in depth study in 9th grade Ancients.

 

I'm looking for opinions on what version maybe best suited for us to refer to in studies, as well as reading through in sequence.

 

 

[Ellie]

There are several good translations; my favorite is the New American Standard. It has good scholarship without being overly King James-ish.

[blondchen]

It depends on what characteristics you're looking for. Bible translations run the gamut in terms of how readable they are, and how closely the translation reflects the language and concepts of the original manuscripts.

 

If you're wanting something that balances readability with faithfulness to the intent of the original manuscripts (which is what I'd personally recommend) I'd suggest either the New International Version or the New Living Translation. I find both of these translations to be very readable, and the method is called "dynamic equivalence" - which not an attempt at word-for-word translation, but a thought-for-thought translation that seeks to use contemporary language and idioms wherever possible to reflect Ancient Near East concepts that are otherwise confusing to modern readers.

 

I use both the NIV and NLT for my kids' scripture memory, and for my own reading.

 

Definitely avoid the King James Version for your purposes.

 

The New American Standard Version is probably the closest word-for-word translation available in English, but I find the syntax to be very awkward for reading (simply because word-for-word translation of anything, in any language, would be awkward). I often get to the end of a sentence in the NASB and say - huh? I doubt you want that for your younger ones especially.

 

If you want something to look up the meanings of specific words you come across (more of a reference book), bypass the English translation and get an Interlinear Bible (or better, use an online version), which goes straight to the original Greek and Hebrew words and translates them directly. And then do your reading-through from a very readable translation.

 

All that said, if you want only one Bible version to deal with, I'd use the New Living Translation for your purposes. As much as I like the NIV (it's my favorite translation for most things) I think the NLT is best if you've got young children in the mix and want them to understand the readings.

[Laura Corin]

We used a DK family bible. It was good for giving context as well as text. I keep a King James Version to hand to read as well, to hear the rhythm of language.

 

ETA: DK is a good publisher to look at, as it's not a Christian publisher per se: it's a company that publishes many books, including many informative ones for children.

 

Laura

[momma2three]

We have the Children's Illustrated Bible. It has the different stories on each 2 page spread. It's not really a version of the Bible, but it has all of the important stories told in a pretty even handed and age appropriate way, as well as a little bit of geography.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Illustrated-Bible-Selina-Hastings/dp/0756609356/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362684301&sr=1-3&keywords=dk+bible

[blondchen]

All that said, if you want only one Bible version to deal with, I'd use the New Living Translation for your purposes. As much as I like the NIV (it's my favorite translation for most things) I think the NLT is best if you've got young children in the mix and want them to understand the readings.

 

I should clarify that I'm recommending the NLT if you want to read to young children directly from the Biblical text, which was my assumption based on your OP. If you're open to using a children's Bible for the younger ones, then we're in different territory, and I'd probably recommend the NIV instead for the older ones (though the NLT would still work well). I don't have much familiarity with children's Bibles - we love the Jesus Storybook Bible, but that would not fit the bill for a non-Christian family. :-)

[Spy Car]

The one I would strongly recommend for it's literary value (assuming one is not using the KJV) is the New Jerusalem Bible.

 

This Bible is rather obscure in the Untited States, but is/was (I believe) the default translation for English speaking Roman Catholics elsewhere. I like it not due to any parochial concerns (I'm neither Roman Catholic specifically or a Christian generally) but because the language is so rich without being archaic. It is the most enjoyably readable translation I've ever encountered, and I've encountered many.

 

In the NJB the stories sweep along, so the Bible become a pleasurable read, but while retaining literary standards in vocabulary and syntax. It is really an achievement IMO.

 

The NJB does make the controversial decision to accurately translate the personal name of God from the Hebrew as Yahweh. Most Christian Bibles use a eumpamism to avoid writing out the Tetragrammaton.

 

The one I would avoid as unreadable is the New International Version (NIV).

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Beans]

blondchen- the New Living Translation sounds like something along the lines of what I'm thinking.

 

momma2three- I like the looks of this for my littles, the visual aspects are appealing as always with DK books. I'm currently comparing it to the one Laura reccomended.

 

Spy Car- thanks for giving me something to think about and delve into here. Knowing my oldest, she'll want to explore all of the options out there and hear some opinions on them.

 

Thank you all for the suggestions. I am, of course, open to more.

 

 

[Spy Car]

Spy Car- thanks for giving me something to think about and delve into here. Knowing my oldest, she'll want to explore all of the options out there and hear some opinions on them.

 

If you search I know there is an "on-line" version of the New Jerusalem Bible. I don't think reading extended portions online would be enjoyable (relative to a hard copy) but you and your daughter could at least preview the translation and see if it to your taste.

 

For a good scholarly (liberal) "study Bible" the Oxford Annotated New Revised Standard Version has a wealth of notes and commentary. I don't think the translation has the same beauty of the NJB, but it is not bad.

 

Bill

 

 

[UrbanSue]

The one I would strongly recommend for it's literary value (assuming one is not using the KJV) is the New Jerusalem Bible.

 

This Bible is rather obscure in the Untited States, but is/was (I believe) the default translation for English speaking Roman Catholics elsewhere. I like it not due to any parochial concerns (I'm neither Roman Catholic specifically or a Christian generally) but because the language is so rich without being archaic. It is the most enjoyably readable translation I've ever encountered, and I've encountered many.

 

In the NJB the stories sweep along, so the Bible become a pleasurable read, but while retaining literary standards in vocabulary and syntax. It is really an achievement IMO.

 

The NJB does make the controversial decision to accurately translate the personal name of God from the Hebrew as Yahweh. Most Christian Bibles use a eumpamism to avoid writing out the Tetragrammaton.

 

The one I would avoid as unreadable is the New International Version (NIV).

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

 

I agree with this. The NJB is definitely an underappreciated version.

 

For a well-respected (from a scholar's point-of-view) and straight ahead version I personally like the Revised Standard Version. This is different from the New Revised Standard Version and I am not fully versed on the differences so I can't comment there.

 

ETA: I elaborated below but just wanted to add a couple of things against the RSV (which I happen to love). 1) many find it hard to read and 2) there is no study version available. So maybe not a good option after all :)

[MFA323]

I like the ESV. It's the best combination of readiblity and accurate translation. My DD (6) has a kids' ESV (same text but with some pictures and notes aimed at kids) that she reads pretty easily on her own. I'm not sure what her reading level is. She reads Magic Treehouse books pretty easily but isn't bored with them yet.

[WishboneDawn]

If you search I know there is an "on-line" version of the New Jerusalem Bible. I don't think reading extended portions online would be enjoyable (relative to a hard copy) but you and your daughter could at least preview the translation and see if it to your taste.

 

For a good scholarly (liberal) "study Bible" the Oxford Annotated New Revised Standard Version has a wealth of notes and commentary. I don't think the translation has the same beauty of the NJB, but it is not bad.

 

Bill

 

I agree on the Oxford. The footnotes are excellent and will give you a good sense of what most secular and moderate Christian Biblical scholars tend to agree on in terms of textual criticism. A bit dry but very accurate.

[Hunter]

The NIrV (easier than the NIV) is the easiest to understand translation. The sentences are shorter than any other translation. It is marketed for children and ESL students. It can be a little graphic in it's simplicity.

 

The Good News Bible often comes with the nicest illustrations. Lots and lots and lots of very simple line drawings. The language is a little more advanced than the NIrV and about equal--maybe a little easier--than the NLT, and definately easier than the others mentioned.

[UrbanSue]

A few more points for your consideration after a dinnertime conversation with DH-The-Theology-Professor.

 

First, his top recommendation is, as I said, echoing SpyCar, The Jerusalem Bible, or The New Jerusalem Bible. As far as we know there is not a great deal of difference between the two. The version we have is old but is a large, hard-cover, with lots of great notes, introductions, section headings, maps, etc. It is very readable and literary and it was translated from the original languages.

 

Second, be aware that several of the versions/translations out there are pushing an agenda. You may or may not care about this depending on your worldview and your reasons for reading the Bible. But if you are looking for history/cultural literacy, I would encourage you to find the least agenda-pushing Bible you can and you can add in your own opinions later. At one end of the spectrum is the "liberal" NRSV which, for example, uses inclusive language. You may be a fan of inclusive language but it simply isn't what the authors wrote. At the other end of the spectrum is the NIV which is overly-dumbed down, in our opinion and is generally seen as the "conservative" translation. Of course--of course--translation is an art, not a science. I'm not looking to start a fight, here, just to point out a few of the issues at stake with all these translations.

 

Third, I would try to find a Bible with the "apocrypha" which is to say a Catholic bible. Those books were there for most of church history and most Christians accept them as part of the Bible.

 

Based on your stated intent of wanting something for study as well as just to read through, I think getting a study version of the Jerusalem (or New Jerusalem) will probably be a really good fit for you.

[throughpagesandfields]

You might look at the New Interpreter's Study Bible. I've done some work in religious studies... and I have to say editions are so very different. If you're looking at it for literature/historical value... you might really want to get at least 2 different versions. Looking at how they're different is very interesting and I personally think actually helps with the study...

 

eta: I have my family's catholic bible - I believe Jerusalem edition... and I agree I think the language might be the most... I don't know... evocative. It's an old copy without the cover any more... So I can't be certain which it is.

[HS Mom in NC]

There are paperback chronological Bibles available in NIV. I think mine was about $13 at a Christian bookstore. It's very readable and divided up into daily readings over a year. You may not want to do it for a whole year, but you can adapt it to suit whatever pace you choose. Parallel passages are listed together, I usually just select the most detailed account rather than read all of them.

[throughpagesandfields]

If you have Salvation Army's near you sometimes they'll give away the ones they have in the books in their thrift stores. You might want to read a few different options to see what kind of language you like or fits...

[Beans]

Reading the online New Jerusalem, I like this, as well as the Oxford. I think this will suit our study needs, as we are approaching this from a historical/cultural standpoint, but I also like the NLT. I may revisit what I had planned to do (one year of ancients and incorporating the Bible as part of our "works") and instead do a Bible study over two or four years, both of us.

 

I am looking for the least "agenda-pushing" version, but i an okay with something with more "inclusive language" (as UrbanSue put it) because we will be discussing this subject together. We will be sitting down tomorrow to read thru these versions together, and I will take in her opinion as well. (I'm pretty settled on choices for younger ones). We will probably choose more than one, which may be the better choice for what we'd like to get out of it.

 

Thank you all again for your thoughtful responses, as I had NO idea of where to start with this.

[mommaduck]

The one I would strongly recommend for it's literary value (assuming one is not using the KJV) is the New Jerusalem Bible.

 

This Bible is rather obscure in the Untited States, but is/was (I believe) the default translation for English speaking Roman Catholics elsewhere. I like it not due to any parochial concerns (I'm neither Roman Catholic specifically or a Christian generally) but because the language is so rich without being archaic. It is the most enjoyably readable translation I've ever encountered, and I've encountered many.

 

In the NJB the stories sweep along, so the Bible become a pleasurable read, but while retaining literary standards in vocabulary and syntax. It is really an achievement IMO.

 

The NJB does make the controversial decision to accurately translate the personal name of God from the Hebrew as Yahweh. Most Christian Bibles use a eumpamism to avoid writing out the Tetragrammaton.

 

The one I would avoid as unreadable is the New International Version (NIV).

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

 

I agree for different reasons. I would suggest a Catholic (New Jerusalem) or Orthodox (the Orthodox Study Bible) because they include books that other bibles leave out.

 

Another possibility would be a parallel bible...one that has at least four different versions. This offers side by side comparisons.

[UrbanSue]

 

I am looking for the least "agenda-pushing" version, but i an okay with something with more "inclusive language" (as UrbanSue put it) because we will be discussing this subject together.

 

 

If you decide you'd like an inclusive language translation but want a study bible that is, perhaps, a bit less "liberal", Harper-Collins also publishes an NRSV study Bible.

 

Oxford is the gold standard so you might, perhaps, just go that way and know where it is coming from.

 

By the way, J.R.R. Tolkien is listed as one of the main contributors to the Jerusalem Bible. I thought that was kind of fun :)

[PeterPan]

Don't know if this already got recommended, as I only skimmed your thread, but the NIV or ESV would both be easily readable versions. Btw, there are digital versions of them available for free. OliveTree has probably the nicest interface right now, and with that you get the ESV (and totally searchable, handy!) for free.

[JFJ in IL]

I would suggest NIV or NLT versions and if you really want to hear the bible presented in modern day language you could use The Message for comparison reading.

[Carol in Cal.]

I would have recommended the NIV as well, as easy (a translation, but done more or less at the 8th grade level, language wise) and also as a fairly accurate, though not perfect, translation. However, the 1984 version is the one that is like that. There are later versions with the same name but newer copyright dates that have been taken over by agendas and are less true to the original text.

 

If you can find a 1984 NIV, I think that that would be best for your purposes.

 

If not, the ESV (English Standard Version) is quite accurate, and pretty much agenda free.

 

Additionally, you might want to read some passages first in one of the modern English translations and then in the King James Version. English language literature is absolutely sopping with direct quotes from the KJV Bible, which was the only common translation for hundreds of years of memorization. These allusions are never fully footnoted, so it is extremely helpful to be familiar with the KJV Bible.

[Walking-Iris]

I'm going to second (or third) what pp have said. Look for something with the Apocrypha. (not to push a Catholic agenda but to just get a scholarly idea of the whole---some what). I prefer to read the NAB for my personal reading, but for students I would go with the NRSV or the Oxford. Having an NIV is helpful as well. I'd have a few different translations. I suppose you have plenty of ideas for Bible study with the youngest ones, but I wanted to throw it out there that we love the Brian Wildsmith Bible Stories (if not just for the artwork).

 

I had not heard about the Jerusalem and Tolkien connection and now I'm seriously interested!!

 

A friend had recently found bibleliteracy.org. It's high school age curriculum. I don't know enough about it to say anything about it's use secularly etc, but it looks slightly interesting.

[...................]

Go to biblegateway.com and read Romans 8 from a few different versions and pick the one that reads best!

 

I would start out with trying:

New Living

ENglish Standard

New King James

[Spy Car]

A few more points for your consideration after a dinnertime conversation with DH-The-Theology-Professor.

 

First, his top recommendation is, as I said, echoing SpyCar, The Jerusalem Bible, or The New Jerusalem Bible. As far as we know there is not a great deal of difference between the two. The version we have is old but is a large, hard-cover, with lots of great notes, introductions, section headings, maps, etc. It is very readable and literary and it was translated from the original languages.

 

Second, be aware that several of the versions/translations out there are pushing an agenda. You may or may not care about this depending on your worldview and your reasons for reading the Bible. But if you are looking for history/cultural literacy, I would encourage you to find the least agenda-pushing Bible you can and you can add in your own opinions later. At one end of the spectrum is the "liberal" NRSV which, for example, uses inclusive language. You may be a fan of inclusive language but it simply isn't what the authors wrote. At the other end of the spectrum is the NIV which is overly-dumbed down, in our opinion and is generally seen as the "conservative" translation. Of course--of course--translation is an art, not a science. I'm not looking to start a fight, here, just to point out a few of the issues at stake with all these translations.

 

Third, I would try to find a Bible with the "apocrypha" which is to say a Catholic bible. Those books were there for most of church history and most Christians accept them as part of the Bible.

 

Based on your stated intent of wanting something for study as well as just to read through, I think getting a study version of the Jerusalem (or New Jerusalem) will probably be a really good fit for you.

 

I'm glad to be in such good company as a Theology professor. I don't know anybody with a New Jerusalem translation, but I just think this is the version where the literary value matches the cultural importance of the work. The King James, of course, has an unparalleled place in English literature. But for a more modern translation the NJB has its own place as a work of writing.

 

Another version (Torah/Pentateuch only) is the Everett Fox translation of "The Five Books of Moses." Fox attempts to bring the sense of word-play in the original Hebrew into English, and retains the Hebrew names of characters. So it has a very different (and more Jewish) feel that most other English translations. It is very well done.

 

Bill

[anabelneri]

More random info/thoughts in case they're useful:

 

The RSV (Revised Standard Version) is considered to be the most accurate translation. The NRSV is like the RSV, but they tried to use more inclusive language where they felt they had reason to do so (apparently the Hebrew or Greek can be gender neutral but English doesn't have that option; the RSV would translate that as masculine, the NRSV will try to represent that gender neutrality). Most biblical scholars I've been in class with (undergraduate & graduate courses, mix of Christian traditions represented) choose the NRSV.

 

"Catholic Editions" of the Bible will have more books than standard (in the U.S.; if it's not labeled it's most likely Protestant here) editions, but those labeled "with Apocrypha" will have the additional books that the Catholics have in their Bibles as well as the additional books that different Orthodox churches have, and will be labeled to let you know which traditions use them. So if you want to see all of those books, you'll need one that says "with Apocrypha". You might also like to know that some of the Apocryphal texts are actually part of other books, so when they're separated into the Apocrypha in a bible they don't read like they would if they were in the "right" spot. For example, in the book of Daniel there are three young men who end up in a fiery furnace. In the Catholic version they have a really cool song that they sing in there, in the Protestant version they don't, and in a version with an Apocrypha the song is in there but it's not part of the book of Daniel, it's in the Apocrypha section & seems bizarre because it's out of context.

 

The King James Version is indeed harder to read, but it's useful to experience because a lot of people use it for its heritage and poetry. If there's a national event that merits reading from the Bible, often it's the KJV. It's handy to at least be exposed to at least to some degree. A kid who can handle Shakespeare can handle the KJV.

 

If you want a Jewish version, my understanding is that you'd look for the book called "The Tanakh".

 

I have a friend who works for the company that runs bibleliteracy.org. I haven't talked to her about it much, but I've asked her if she has anything she can share for homeschoolers. I'll share what she says.

 

As far as children's Bibles go, there are issues (IMO). We work hard to make sure there are accurate translations for adults, but most kids' Bibles are rewritten versions of the Bible stories, and you're entirely dependent on the storyteller to be accurate rather than a biblical scholar. On the other hand they're useful, because they just tell the interesting bits of the Bible, leaving out the parts that most adults skip (and would be way over a kids' head). The one children's Bible I like is this one, which just tells the interesting stories but it uses the NRSV text to do so. There may be others out there, but it's the only one I've found that uses a good translation. My kids do fine with the NRSV (ages 4 & 9).

 

:)

[mommymilkies]

 

As far as children's Bibles go, there are issues (IMO). We work hard to make sure there are accurate translations for adults, but most kids' Bibles are rewritten versions of the Bible stories, and you're entirely dependent on the storyteller to be accurate rather than a biblical scholar. On the other hand they're useful, because they just tell the interesting bits of the Bible, leaving out the parts that most adults skip (and would be way over a kids' head). The one children's Bible I like is this one, which just tells the interesting stories but it uses the NRSV text to do so. There may be others out there, but it's the only one I've found that uses a good translation. My kids do fine with the NRSV (ages 4 & 9).

 

:)

 

We use this one, it is good. A TON better than the Golden Bible or whatever it's called. I seriously dislike that one. We have a JPS Illustrated Jewish Bible that is wonderful for Old Testament stories. For adults, the Women's Torah Commentary is fabulous.

 

Galore Park also has a Religious Studies book that is less pushy and doesn't have am offending agenda for non-Christians.

 

The Bible and It's Influence by Bibleliteracy.org looks great, but $200 for the teacher/student set? Oh my.

[Spy Car]

More random info/thoughts in case they're useful:

 

The RSV (Revised Standard Version) is considered to be the most accurate translation. The NRSV is like the RSV, but they tried to use more inclusive language where they felt they had reason to do so (apparently the Hebrew or Greek can be gender neutral but English doesn't have that option; the RSV would translate that as masculine, the NRSV will try to represent that gender neutrality). Most biblical scholars I've been in class with (undergraduate & graduate courses, mix of Christian traditions represented) choose the NRSV.

 

"Catholic Editions" of the Bible will have more books than standard (in the U.S.; if it's not labeled it's most likely Protestant here) editions, but those labeled "with Apocrypha" will have the additional books that the Catholics have in their Bibles as well as the additional books that different Orthodox churches have, and will be labeled to let you know which traditions use them. So if you want to see all of those books, you'll need one that says "with Apocrypha". You might also like to know that some of the Apocryphal texts are actually part of other books, so when they're separated into the Apocrypha in a bible they don't read like they would if they were in the "right" spot. For example, in the book of Daniel there are three young men who end up in a fiery furnace. In the Catholic version they have a really cool song that they sing in there, in the Protestant version they don't, and in a version with an Apocrypha the song is in there but it's not part of the book of Daniel, it's in the Apocrypha section & seems bizarre because it's out of context.

 

The King James Version is indeed harder to read, but it's useful to experience because a lot of people use it for its heritage and poetry. If there's a national event that merits reading from the Bible, often it's the KJV. It's handy to at least be exposed to at least to some degree. A kid who can handle Shakespeare can handle the KJV.

 

If you want a Jewish version, my understanding is that you'd look for the book called "The Tanakh"

 

I have a friend who works for the company that runs bibleliteracy.org. I haven't talked to her about it much, but I've asked her if she has anything she can share for homeschoolers. I'll share what she says.

 

As far as children's Bibles go, there are issues (IMO). We work hard to make sure there are accurate translations for adults, but most kids' Bibles are rewritten versions of the Bible stories, and you're entirely dependent on the storyteller to be accurate rather than a biblical scholar. On the other hand they're useful, because they just tell the interesting bits of the Bible, leaving out the parts that most adults skip (and would be way over a kids' head). The one children's Bible I like is this one, which just tells the interesting stories but it uses the NRSV text to do so. There may be others out there, but it's the only one I've found that uses a good translation. My kids do fine with the NRSV (ages 4 & 9).

 

:)

 

Yes, Tanakh would be the whole of the Hebrew Bible. If it is just the 5 Books of Moses (aka written Torah) Orthodox Jewish publishers will call the printed-in-book-form-version the "Chumash," because "Torah" is reserved for the same content written in scroll form that is certified by authorties as beng free of error under halakha (Jewish law).

 

Reform publishers publish versions such as "Torah with Commentary."

 

What are you going to do? :D

 

Bill

[KarenNC]

I used the DK Illustrated Children's Bible when my daughter was younger. I'm looking at The Bible and Its Influence curriculum for next year. We have several different translations (including the JPS Tanakh and ones with the Apocrypha, but not a Catholic version...yet ;) ), but I haven't decided which one to use yet. Something to consider if you want to use the curriculum---it appears to be in the order of the Christian Bible rather than the Jewish Tanakh (the books are arranged differently), and it appears that it does treat the Apocrypha as separate (so may not line up exactly with a Catholic translation), though it's hard to tell without having the book in my hand.

 

Has anyone asked them for the educator's discount for The Bible and Its Influence, btw? It would bring it down to $166. I'm also considering whether only the teacher's edition would be sufficient, since it contains the student text. I wonder if they'd consider offering something through the Homeschool Buyers Co-op. I think I'll email HSBC to suggest it.

[anabelneri]

The Bible and It's Influence by Bibleliteracy.org looks great, but $200 for the teacher/student set? Oh my.

 

Ok, my friend said that they offer the school price to homeschoolers, which she said cuts it back to $125. I haven't looked at the website to see what she's talking about. They don't have other specific outreach to homeschoolers. Does anyone have specific questions about it?

 

:)

[Laura Corin]

 

Galore Park also has a Religious Studies book that is less pushy and doesn't have am offending agenda for non-Christians.

 

 

Yes - I used this with Calvin and it led to a lot of interesting discussions.

 

Laura

[KarenNC]

Ok, my friend said that they offer the school price to homeschoolers, which she said cuts it back to $125. I haven't looked at the website to see what she's talking about. They don't have other specific outreach to homeschoolers. Does anyone have specific questions about it?

 

:)

 

Yes, actually.

 

Is it keyed to a particular version of the Bible (not translation---I mean Catholic, Protestant, one with Apocrypha, or does it just mention the Apocrypha)?

 

If one gets the teacher's guide (2nd edition) with the resource cd, does one need the test masters for $43 as well? The resource cd lists chapter and unit tests, but I'm not sure if they are the same as the test masters. It's also not clear if the test masters are the same as the online quizzes you need a passcode from the teacher's guide to access.

 

The web catalog for schools shows $68 for the second edition student book and $98 for the teacher guide (the one with the resource cd) under the "price break" listing, while the first edition set comes to $143. This is lower than the retail, so is there a better price break to get the $125 (fingers crossed)? The website seems to show inconsistent (or at least confusing) pricing.

[Walking-Iris]

I'm glad we're talking about BibleLiteracy.org. I first became aware of it when a friend (high school English teacher) was talking about trying to get it for use in his class. It treats the Bible as literature (similar to how it would be covered in university) and does not push a particular tradition, correct?

 

I studied comparative religions in college and I'm comfortable teaching my children about all faiths without a curriculum, but whew, I would love to be able to have something in my hand for when they are older without spending the time preparing detailed lesson plans on my own.

 

Too many Bible curriculum are faith based (and thus a bit biased) or just introductions rather than in depth. It's a personal goal of mine that my children will be literate of all holy texts. (as important literature).

 

So would just the teacher book or student text be enough on their own? Especially if a parent is confident in teaching this subject, one could skip all the extra stuff that seems more suited to a classroom, yeah?

 

ETA: Um sometimes the best way to know about a curriculum is to just have it in your hands. I just bought the student text used for 14.00 on Amazon. ;)

[KarenNC]

I'm glad we're talking about BibleLiteracy.org. I first became aware of it when a friend (high school English teacher) was talking about trying to get it for use in his class. It treats the Bible as literature (similar to how it would be covered in university) and does not push a particular tradition, correct?

 

I studied comparative religions in college and I'm comfortable teaching my children about all faiths without a curriculum, but whew, I would love to be able to have something in my hand for when they are older without spending the time preparing detailed lesson plans on my own.

 

Too many Bible curriculum are faith based (and thus a bit biased) or just introductions rather than in depth. It's a personal goal of mine that my children will be literate of all holy texts. (as important literature).

 

So would just the teacher book or student text be enough on their own? Especially if a parent is confident in teaching this subject, one could skip all the extra stuff that seems more suited to a classroom, yeah?

 

ETA: Um sometimes the best way to know about a curriculum is to just have it in your hands. I just bought the student text used for 14.00 on Amazon. ;)

 

Let me know what you think of it. That's the first edition, yes? I would be very interested if the poster who has a personal connection to the publisher would be willing to ask her friend to give us something that outlines the changes between the first and second editions.

 

I'm actually primarily attracted to what appears to be the extensive discussion of the influences in our culture rather than the Bible itself (I could pretty easily handle that if necessary). I'm doing this to help lay a foundation for doing Windows to the World for lit analysis in the second semester next year. Again, I am drawn to WttW because of the explicit study of Biblical allusions in literature. My daughter has a strong interest in art and the humanities and, because she isn't growing up as steeped in the Christian mythos as I did, I want to make sure she understands the references in art and literature.

 

Currently, we are doing a more in-depth study of Classical mythology (using the Vandiver lectures on Classical mythology, Iliad and Odyssey) for the same reason, along with a basic comparative mythology course from Georgia Virtual Learning (http://www.gavirtuallearning.org/Resources/SharedMythology.aspx). We'll use the Vandiver to go deeper into Greek and Roman than the basic course, as my daughter has a very thorough grounding in the basics of those (we are Hellenic Neopagan UUs ;) ). Later on, I may be looking for something that goes more in-depth on Japanese mythos (and possibly Korean), as she adores manga and anime :) , but I'll be happy if we cover the basics right now.

 

We've had a lot of fun setting up comparative religion field trips for our homeschool group. So far, we've visited two mosques, a Reform Jewish synagogue, the Hindu Center, the Unity church, our Unitarian Universalist church, the Quaker meeting house, a Greek Orthodox church and the Sikh gurdwara. I've got quite a laundry list of other houses of worship I'd like to visit.

[serendipitous journey]

I myself would recommend (haven't had time to read the other posts yet, hope this isn't repetitive or annoying :) )

 

core curriculum:

King James -- a work of art in itself.

New Revised Standard Version for a more academic read -- here is Oxford's annotated version.

Asimov's Guide to the Bible -- for the parent to self-educate and share; or for an advanced logic or a rhetoric child to read.

 

extras:

Teaching Company DVDs on the Old and New Testaments.

 

Finally, I think it's very helpful (esp. for a nonChristian) to know that the New Testament Gospels were written to provide information about Jesus' life and ministry to people who were already Christians -- they were not written in order to convert anyone, but in order to provide material for the converted. The (authentic) Pauline Letters predate the Gospels, and were written to new Christian communities -- they include more information about what the earliest Christians were taught, how they were converted, and what their challenges were. At any rate, viewing the Gospels as material for a faithful community to reflect on has been helpful to me.

 

Also, the Christian Bibles have arranged the order of the books in the Hebrew Bible so that they finish on the prophetic tone of Malachi, looking forward to the Messiah (this order is also found in Greek translations of the Septuagint, I believe), and then the first reading of the New Testament is the Gospel of Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. All this is designed to highlight the "continuity" of Biblical Christian history.

[Walking-Iris]

KarenNC--I hope the difference in editions is just cosmetic. I needed to go with the cheaper option. :) There's a pretty good preview of the book at books.google.com.

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=u58DyaEIZk4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Bible+and+Its+Influence+Second+Edition&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fM07UcDrE6bR2QWr6IGoAg&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20Bible%20and%20Its%20Influence%20Second%20Edition&f=false

[throughpagesandfields]

thanks for linking to bible literacy! I might have to get an old copy of that student text to check out. I think this is a great thread!

[mommymilkies]

I disagree. This thread is very bad for my bank account. ;)

[Walking-Iris]

I disagree. This thread is very bad for my bank account. ;)

 

well I ordered it and you can review it with me. I likely won't use it right away, so if you want to read it with your oldest next year we can share a copy. The second edition, even used, was way more that the used first edition I found. I bet the editions don't have any drastic differences.

[mommymilkies]

 

 

well I ordered it and you can review it with me. I likely won't use it right away, so if you want to read it with your oldest next year we can share a copy. The second edition, even used, was way more that the used first edition I found. I bet the editions don't have any drastic differences.

 

 

I already ordered it. But now we both can read it and discuss. :)

[Walking-Iris]

I already ordered it. But now we both can read it and discuss. :)

 

Book club!!! (I hope it's good).