I was told this book would be a circumspect and honest review of the Old Testament from a scholarly perspective. Instead, I found readings of the texts that clearly came from a religious interpretation that departs radically from the actual text . For example, in chapter 4 the author reads "satan" into the eden story when anyone with a passing familiarity with the text knows that there is no such reference and the insertion of satan is a pure interpretation . He immediately goes on to, without evidence, claim that the biblical phrase "image of god" is a reflection of "freedom of choice" - which is additionally unsourced in the text, dismissive of the incredibly widespread debate about how to interpret the phrase, and clearly a philosophical/religious reading of the text. This is amidst suspicious and mostly unsourced generalizations about biblical theology and the beliefs of ancient peoples.
I am …
Reviews and Comments
This link opens in a pop-up window
Jack rated The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: 5 stars
![N. K. Jemisin: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (2010, Orbit)](https://pub-1146fd6c5b9443ce8a2adde617e7847d.r2.dev/images/covers/39143614-60ab-48ec-83cb-9d39f35b0923.jpeg)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin (Inheritance Trilogy, #1)
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned …
Jack rated A Study in Scarlet: 3 stars
![Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: A Study in Scarlet (AudiobookFormat, 2008, Audible Studios)](https://pub-1146fd6c5b9443ce8a2adde617e7847d.r2.dev/images/covers/cb9a93d9-1ed5-422e-8382-ded4c7b9ca9e.jpeg)
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes, #1)
Originally named A Tangled Skein, this is the first Sherlock Holmes story. The real strength and the unique quality of …
![Terry Pratchett: Maskerade (Hardcover, 1995, Gollancz)](https://pub-1146fd6c5b9443ce8a2adde617e7847d.r2.dev/images/covers/0b373c18-b706-42c7-8306-d8e14297d431.jpeg)
Maskerade by Terry Pratchett
The story begins with Agnes Nitt leaving Lancre to seek a career at the Opera House in Ankh-Morpork. When Granny …
Jack rated Tress of the Emerald Sea: 4 stars
Jack rated Do Safety Differently: 4 stars
Jack reviewed Bible among the Myths by John N. Oswalt
Review of 'Bible among the Myths' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
I was told this book would be a circumspect and honest review of the Old Testament from a scholarly perspective. Instead, I found readings of the texts that clearly came from a religious interpretation that departs radically from the actual text . For example, in chapter 4 the author reads "satan" into the eden story when anyone with a passing familiarity with the text knows that there is no such reference and the insertion of satan is a pure interpretation . He immediately goes on to, without evidence, claim that the biblical phrase "image of god" is a reflection of "freedom of choice" - which is additionally unsourced in the text, dismissive of the incredibly widespread debate about how to interpret the phrase, and clearly a philosophical/religious reading of the text. This is amidst suspicious and mostly unsourced generalizations about biblical theology and the beliefs of ancient peoples.
I am sure this is a fine book if you want to learn about how christians read the bible, and I may yet finish it for that reason, but this is in not a scholarly work.
Jack rated Practical Monitoring: 5 stars
Jack rated The Wise Man’s Fear: 5 stars
![Patrick Rothfuss: The Wise Man’s Fear (Hardcover, 2011, Daw Books)](https://pub-1146fd6c5b9443ce8a2adde617e7847d.r2.dev/images/covers/885eff8c-1864-4437-a3e4-592634c40d84.jpeg)
The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day 2)
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger …
![Terry Pratchett: Snuff (Hardcover, 2011, Doubleday)](https://pub-1146fd6c5b9443ce8a2adde617e7847d.r2.dev/images/covers/38351edc-57ba-42cf-af18-51ce5bd9a473.jpeg)
Snuff by Terry Pratchett (A Discworld Novel)
"The 39th installment in the New York Times bestselling "Discworld" canon from Terry Pratchett, "the purely funniest English writer since …
Jack rated The Doll's House: 5 stars
![Neil Gaiman: The Doll's House (2010, Vertigo)](https://pub-1146fd6c5b9443ce8a2adde617e7847d.r2.dev/images/covers/f599a85b-08d9-4162-853f-908590bea16c.jpeg)
The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, Vol. 2)
Jack rated Season of storms: 3 stars
Jack rated Preludes and Nocturnes: 5 stars
![Neil Gaiman, Todd Klein, Robbie Busch, Mike Dringenberg, Sam Kieth, Malcolm Jones: Preludes and Nocturnes (Hardcover, 1998, DC Comics)](https://pub-1146fd6c5b9443ce8a2adde617e7847d.r2.dev/images/covers/f79e65e8-9ada-495d-8023-592b50d34bdc.jpeg)
Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, Todd Klein, Robbie Busch, and 3 others (The Sandman, #1)
Preludes and Nocturnes collects the first eight issues of The Sandman comic by Neil Gaiman published by DC Vertigo.
The …
![Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs: The Truth (2002, Methuen Drama)](https://pub-1146fd6c5b9443ce8a2adde617e7847d.r2.dev/images/covers/838d994e-a7d3-4893-83fe-8b7ebb673420.jpeg)
The Truth by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs
The Truth is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-fifth book in his Discworld series, published in …