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Using modern illustrations from Bart Simpson to fortune cookies, and discussing texts from Genesis to Jonah to Ecclesiastes, Bridge succeeds in making difficult texts come alive for the reader as applying practically to modern life. Each chapter begins with a story, event, or illustration that draws the reader into the point which Bridge wishes to make with regard to the clearest understanding of a particular text or given group of texts. The most poignant of these illustrations is found at the beginning of his chapter on the book of Job, in which he starts with the story of Lou Gehrig and the disease that took his life, ALS (known more commonly as Lou Gehrig's Disease) and which ends with his own father's death from ALS.
An annotated list of suggested readings as well as subject and scripture indexes make this a practical book for college classes.
Introduction Overhearing the Old Testament 1
Ch. 1 The first creation story - is it true? 11
Ch. 2 The second creation story - internal contradictions? 27
Ch. 3 The Great Flood - revising history 37
Ch. 4 The Abraham narratives - Middle East implications 53
Ch. 5 The Torah - beyond the Ten Commandments 67
Ch. 6 The prophets - God's spokespersons 87
Ch. 7 The book of Jonah - prophecy parodied 101
Ch. 8 The book of Daniel - prophecy of the end 119
Suggested reading
Index of subjects
Overview