St John's Library Book Review

The Eerdmans Handbook to the Bible  -- reviewed by John Bowen

There are not many books of which our library can boast four copies, but The Eerdmans Handbook to the Bible is one. Anglicans often apologize (or complain) that they don’t know much about the Bible, for reasons that bear thinking about. If that is true for you, The Eerdmans Handbook to the Bible is a painless and even fun way to begin. It’s not a book to start at the beginning and plough through to the end. You can dip into it and discover (to take a random example) who Nehemiah was and what his book is all about. (It’s a good story.) Or read a one-page helpful article about those Psalms that modern readers find objectionable. Personally, I also like the fact that the book is packed with colour photos, helpful timelines, diagrams, and maps which makes it easier to digest. A great way to make the Bible accessible and less intimidating!