The Bible

A Biography: Books That Changed the World

By: Karen Armstrong

Narrated by: Josephine Bailey

Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

As the work at the heart of Christianity, the Bible is the spiritual guide for one out of every three people in the world. It is also the world's most widely distributed book, having been translated into over 2,000 languages, as well as the world's best-selling book, year after year. But the Bible is a complex work with a complicated and obscure history. Made up of 66 "books" written by various authors and divided into two testaments, its contents have changed over the centuries. The Bible has been transformed by translation and, through interpretation, has developed manifold meanings to various religions, denominations, and sects.

In this seminal account, acclaimed historian Karen Armstrong discusses the conception, gestation, and life of history's most powerful book. Armstrong analyzes the social and political situation in which oral history turned into written scripture, how this all-pervasive scripture was collected into one work, and how it became accepted as Christianity's sacred text. She explores how scripture came to be read for information and how, in the 19th century, historical criticism of the Bible caused greater fear than Darwinism.

The Bible: A Biography is a brilliant, captivating book, crucial in an age of declining faith and rising fundamentalism.

Listen to more Books That Changed the World.

©2007 Karen Armstrong (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"Who better [than Armstrong] to recount the history of the Bible?...Intriguing." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Groundbreaking....Armstrong shows a depth of insight and transparent understanding of complex theological issues....[She is] simply one of the best writers ever on religion." ( Library Journal)

A MUST read

Chapter 8 and 9 are essential reads.
I would only hope that more people would not only read these chapters, but also take time to contemplate and promulgate the message

Expanded my perspective and compassion

Any additional comments?

Having grown up in a secular household which merely went through the motions of Christian holidays, I have only exposed myself to the Bible in small ways over the years, reading passages here and there and treating it like any other sacred text - a book that has more significance for other people than myself.

I assumed that the Bible had a rich and complex history, but I was not prepared for what I read in this book, and I emerged from it with a new perspective, and perhaps most importantly, a new found compassion and respect for Christianity.

Modern Christianity's focus on the literal interpretation of the Bible as a historical, factual document has always been one of my main reasons for avoiding that faith and its most ardent followers.

I did not know that the literal interpretation was a relatively recent phenomenon, and read with great interest the passages about mystical and allegorical traditions and how they changed over time. I have found inspiration in Bible stories - as allegories - over the years, and was pleased to read that some still consider the text useful to that end.

Enlightening

I was drawn to this book after hearing an interview with Karen Armstrong on a radio show. The book she was interviewed was not available but I decided to listen to this one instead. I took concentration and a few rewinds but I got through it. I found it to be a mix in Theology, archology, philosophy, history and more fact than I will ever remember. But above all, I found it hugely enlightening. I am better informed afterwards but I am also in awe of the vast amount of work that must have been put into this book not just by Karen Armstrong but hundreds if not thousands of people over many generations.

Well researched, well narrated

The book contains a wealth of historical information, and is well written. Like any book of its kind, it needs to read more than once. I plan on getting either printed or a digital version so I can fully absorb and highlight it, and make notes, as is my habit when reading a text, which is as thought provoking as this. But first I want to read more of this author. I believe her books should be read by anyone who is searching for the meaning of religion in today's turbulent times, where religion is once again used as a basis to condemn people for their proclaimed beliefs, behaviors and traditions.

Brisk and informative

In its general scope, this book resembles John Barton’s recent History of the Bible. Both are readable and richly detailed. But where Barton’s book adopts a more analytical tone, Armstrong focuses on the story: she has a flair for compressed dramatic narrative. Her first chapter in particular gives a fast-moving account that combines the history of the early Hebrews with the story of how the scriptures came to be.

Some of the details are surprising, but the account is engaging and persuasive. Her description of the context and reasoning that led from Torah to Talmud is fascinating. A particularly effective section traces the effect of the Enlightenment on Bible study for both Jewish and Christians, and the counter-currents of Hasidism, Christian fundamentalism, and the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. (That last is, as Armstrong correctly points out, a relatively new development.) In the wake of these changes, yeshivas and Christian Bible colleges began spreading; Zionism paradoxically joined hands with an antisemitic form of Christianity that sees the state of Israel as a key moment leading to the Rapture and the Tribulation.

There is an ongoing struggle, she says, between faith in the Book and the “nihilistic ruthlessness at the heart of modern culture.” Human beings have finally developed the technology to bring about the Apocalypse so many fundamentalists expect.

I wouldn't suggest this as an alternative to Barton’s book, which is fuller and more carefully reasoned. But it could jump-start someone’s interest in the subject.

Josephine Bailey gives a lively reading of the book.

Very interesting history

Would you consider the audio edition of The Bible to be better than the print version?

No

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I don't think this book would make a movie.

Any additional comments?

The audio was very good. The book has many details that I think would be worth reading, but I learned a lot from this oral presentation. I think Karen Armstrong is a great historian, a great writer and great thinker. I've read some of her books and I think they open many doors to important knowledge that all human beings should have in order to have a better understanding of the meaning of religion and God that we are in urgency to posses to reevaluate our realtionship as human beings. I very much recomend this and all of Armstrong's books.

loved it

a detailed and accurate account of the birth and the journey of the biggest text of our time

Tiresome performance great book

What did you love best about The Bible?

I was surprised about how little I knew about the origins of the bible

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Bible?

How the threads of the story got weaved

What didn’t you like about Josephine Bailey’s performance?

Too fast for listening to an audiobook. Could hardly follow it.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The name Yaweh... Made me jump every time. Unbeatable. Loved it.

Good Stuff

This is the 7th book that I've read by Armstrong. It happens to be my least favorite so far, but her genius is evident and consistent. Most of her work stands firmly on its own, but "The Bible: a Biography" is best understood collectively with the whole of her publications. There is simply too much to cover and this book is shorter than most of her other stuff by a third. That said I understand lower ratings by people who aren't familiar with her. It's both too detailed and yet too brief. My advice is to first read any of her other work before you tackle this one. You will find some of that connective tissue in place that will help you navigate the details and connect the dots to a larger, global perspective.

The Formation of the Bible

This short book provides excellent informations about the Bible, its formation process and its diverse exegesis. Karen Armstrong tells the history behind the cannon of the Scripture and the judaic tradition in interpreting the Hebrew Bible. Advancing a pluralistic (liberal) approach of the sacred texts, the author makes a strong case for a biblical understanding that considers both its historical context and modern claims of relevance. One will profit immensely reading (or listening to) this work.