How to Read the Bible

21 Ways to Enjoy and Understand Scripture

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Pub Date Nov 21 2024 | Archive Date Mar 26 2025
John Murray Press | Hodder & Stoughton

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Description

'A fiercely intelligent theologian and historian' - The Independent

'Miranda gives us the confidence to sit and taste the Bible's profound and life-changing goodness.' - Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York

As a vicar, Miranda Threlfall-Holmes is used to being asked to recommend a book on how and why to read the Bible. Filling the gap between popular Bible reading notes and more academic books, How to Read the Bible is the book she'd give to anyone wanting to explore the Bible as part of their faith. Its three main sections delve into the rich heritage of how Christians have read the Bible down the ages:

Part 1 - ways that scripture itself uses other parts of scripture, or models and demonstrates different ways of reading
Part 2 - historical methods of biblical interpretation
Part 3 - the insights and methods of modern theological hermeneutics

Encouraging readers to try out a variety of tried and tested ways of Bible reading How Read the Bible is a refreshingly hands-on approach to understanding this ancient library of texts.

'Exhilarating and hands-on ... Miranda Threlfall-Holmes provides a fantastic guide' - Fergus Butler-Gallie

Please note: this book was previously published under the title How to Eat Bread: 21 Nourishing Ways to Read the Bible in 2021.

'A fiercely intelligent theologian and historian' - The Independent

'Miranda gives us the confidence to sit and taste the Bible's profound and life-changing goodness.' - Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781399820790
PRICE £10.99 (GBP)
PAGES 192

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Featured Reviews

Miranda is clearly an academic of some note but this is readable. I read it in one session. Now that is me - and this is why...
1. It was laid out like a map that kept on stretching the corner so you wanted to see what was next.
2. She dangled the carrot of experimental before me and I wanted to get to that chapter (near the end)
The carrot dangling made me plough on through the book because I cannot skip to the end/ the good bit/ the bit that I thought was most interesting. Miranda made the whole thing interesting. She spoke of thing s that I knew, had experienced (I am Methodist so lived experience is equal in the Methodist quadrilateral with tradition and reason. Scripture always takes first place..) She spoke of things I was not aware of and of things I am too aware of. For example how scripture has been used to cosh people over the head.
Her simple introduction - Why read the Bible? was quite poetic in its rhetoric and I appreciated it.
Her questions are at human level rather than academic -
For example who hasn't asked in some form or other at some point in their lives - Why not just follow Jesus and try and be a good person?
Read the book - its a good one!

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"How to Read the Bible: 21 Ways to Enjoy and Understand Scripture" by Miranda Threlfall-Holmes offers readers an engaging and accessible guide to exploring the Bible in new ways. The book is divided into three sections: "From the Larder," which explores how scripture interacts with other parts of scripture; "Grandma’s Recipe Book," which delves into historical methods of biblical interpretation; and "Molecular Gastronomy," which focuses on modern theological approaches. Through these sections, Threlfall-Holmes invites readers to experiment with different methods of reading the Bible, making the experience both enriching and enjoyable.

Threlfall-Holmes’s approach is hands-on, encouraging readers to try various techniques, much like experimenting with ingredients in a kitchen. This exploration aims to make the Bible more accessible, whether readers are new to scripture or well-versed in its teachings. Praised by figures like Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the book empowers individuals to confidently engage with the Bible’s profound messages, offering both historical insight and modern interpretation methods to enhance understanding.

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