Table of Contents
Maps and Timeline
A Divided Promised Land ix
Pete's Pretty Close Timeline of Biblical History xi
Route of the Babylonian Exile xii
1 The Bible's True Purpose
Oh Good. Another Book on the Bible 3
Three Surprising Things That Make the Bible Worth Reading 5
God's Plan A: Wisdom 9
God Is Not a Helicopter Parent 13
You Are Not Alone 15
2 The Bible Doesn't Really Tell Us What to Do-and That's a Good Thing
Screwing Up Your Kids Biblically 23
Fools and Finances 28
My Big Point, and Then an Even Bigger Point 35
And an Even Bigger (and Final) Point 38
The Little and Hidden Things 44
3 God's Laws: Evasive and Fidgety Little Buggers
Some Details Would Be Nice, O Lord 51
Maybe You Didn't Hear Me: I Want Clarity 56
Don't Forget Your PIN 59
Laws Don't Stand Still for Very Long 63
Not to Beat a Dead Lamb, but … 65
Transposing the Past 69
4 Wisdom = Time + Diversity
Changing the Script 75
The Most Important Part of the Book Thus Far 78
This Part Is So Exciting! 82
You Were There 86
Peel Me a Sour Grape of Wrath 89
5 When Everything Changes
Rachel Is Weeping for Her Children 97
Don't Put God in a Box, Unless You Want to Be Swallowed by a Fish 102
Rewriting History 107
6 What is God Like?
The Universe Freaks Me Out 117
The God of the Bible 120
The Wisdom Question for All of Us 123
We're Stuck Being Human 126
7 Imagining and Reimagining God
You Mean to Tell Me That Actually Worked? 135
Banking Options 136
What Does God Have to Be Jealous About? 139
Tiptoeing Around the Touchy Almighty 144
8 Interlude: Jesus and All That
God Is_(Fill in the Blank) 153
It's What Christians Do 155
Does Your God Recycle? 157
9 Seriously Updating the Ancient Faith
Adapting to Survive 163
Standing on a Table Covered in Syrup with My Hair on Fire 166
We Need to Get This in Writing 169
Dealing with an Inconsistent (and Somewhat Ridiculous) God 173
God's Honor Is at Stake 179
Angels and Demons 183
Not Your Father's Judaism 186
10 Treasures Old and New
German Christmases and French Drains 193
Something About Jesus That Doesn't Get the Attention It Deserves 197
Jesus, Wisdom from God 202
Think About It: Four Gospels 205
11 Reimagining God the Jesus Way
Just Hear Me Out 215
Paul Reimagines the God of Moses 218
Going Off Script 222
1 Temple Avenue, Back Room, Jerusalem 225
This Land Is My Land 230
Children of Abraham 234
12 Dying and Rising for Others
What Is God Up To? 241
No, Seriously, What Is God Up To? 246
13 Figuring It Out
Reading Someone Else's Mail 253
Does God Influence Elections? Dear Lord, I Hope Not 256
Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals: No Big Deal, Nothing to See Here 260
14 Grace and Peace to You
The God of the Here and Now 271
The Challenge of Wisdom 275
Acknowledgments 278
Scripture Index 281
Subject Index 284