One Bible, Many Voices: Different Approaches to Biblical Studies

No single approach to reading the Bible can do justice to its complex history and content. There are as many different ways of understanding Scripture as there were people involved in its composition. Advocating a pluralistic reading that acknowledges the many voices speaking in the Bible, Susan Gillingham offers theological, historical, and literary insights into the compilation of Scripture and the development of biblical studies. Providing one of the most accessible and helpful introductions to the Bible available, this volume clearly outlines the main issues in understanding Scripture and demonstrates, using Psalm 8 as an example, the best method for reading the Bible today. "Not just another ephemeral book on postmodern theory. It is both a survey and an argument: she contends that the Bible itself is a complex book that can best be understood by the plurality of methods that are actually being used to read it. In engaging and practical terms she discusses historical, literary, and theological approaches to the Bible…. This is one of the first and best introductions to biblical interpretation that treats the postmodern situation of biblical studies seriously and constructively. It will make an excellent textbook in courses on exegesis and interpretation and for use in ecclesiastical study groups." – Religious Studies Review