Reading The Bible With The Dead

Many Christians would describe themselves as serious and regular readers of the Bible. Yet, if we are honest, we have a tendency to stick with the parts of the Bible that we understand, leaving vast tracts of Scripture unexplored. Even when following a guide, we may never reach into the Bible’s less-traveled regions, passages marked by violence, tragedy, offense, or obscurity. Where our modern minds shy away from, however, ancient, medieval, and Reformation commentators dove into. In fact, they often displayed strikingly contemporary interests and sensitivities to the difficulties, meaning, and moral implications of the Bible’s most difficult narratives. Reading the Bible with the Dead presents a remarkably engrossing exploration of these passages through the eyes of those who came before. In doing so, readers will be left with a conviction that the legacy of the faithful interpreters of the past can guide and challenge readers and hearers today.