The Rational Bible: Exodus

By: Dennis Prager

Narrated by: Tom Parks

Length: 17 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Why do so many people think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is outdated? Why do our friends and neighbors - and sometimes we ourselves - dismiss the Bible as irrelevant, irrational, immoral, or all of these things? This explanation of the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, will demonstrate that the Bible is not only powerfully relevant to today’s issues, but completely consistent with rational thought.

Do you think the Bible permitted the trans-Atlantic slave trade? You won’t after reading this book.

Do you struggle to love your parents? If you do, you need this book.

Do you doubt the existence of God because belief in God is “irrational?” This book will give you reason after reason to rethink your doubts.

The title of this commentary is, “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. As Prager says, “If something I write does not make rational sense, I have not done my job.”

The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager’s forty years of teaching the Bible to people of every faith, and no faith. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world and to your life.

His goal: to change your mind - and then change your life.

©2018 Dennis Prager (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved

Great listening so far!!

Great book Dennis! This is the best commentary on the Bible I have ever read. 10/10, would definitely recommend.
Also, first review :)

Audible was a great experience.

The audible format was a great way to bring this to life. The historical background and essays really tie everything together. Dennis does a great job quenching my thirst for what has typically been a dry read. I can’t wait for the next book.

Rational Bible? No. Informed Personal Opinion? Yes

What disappointed you about The Rational Bible: Exodus?

The book failed to live up to its promise. I was expecting a book that demonstrated more reverence for the sacred. What I got was an expanded secular book review with personal, though wise, opinion.

Has The Rational Bible: Exodus turned you off from other books in this genre?

No. I've listened to several other books on the same subject that have kept their promise.

Have you listened to any of Tom Parks’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Rational Bible: Exodus?

I would cut all the author's subjective explanations of God's motives and actions and his low opinion of God's sovereignty. For example, the author suggested that God needed Moses, or a man like him, to accomplish His purposes. Really? The Bible says that God uses the weak and foolish to confound the wise and strong. The author suggested that God needed three creations to get things right. Really? The only creation in the Bible is reported in the first few chapters of Genesis. The Great Flood and the Exodus don't qualify.

Any additional comments?

I will finish the book. But it won't be to gain any spiritual insights.

largely fallacious, but works to a good end

I dropped my skepticism and biases to listen to this book and saw the old text in a new light. The scholarly review applied by Dennis to each verse (and at times a scholarly review down to a single word) provided commentary that was able to answer deep, troubling philosophical questions left unanswered by parents and pastors. Had I known about this book just 8 years prior, I might've been "saved".

Anyway, the main idea is that if God exists and the Bible (and therefore the book of Exodus) is literally true (I think this detail is actually irrelevant) Dennis through the narrator will try his very best to convince you that God is fair and just.

However, another less-than-convinced person might say: "The Rational Bible"is an ill-suited title to what is actually going on here, the title ought to be "Rationalizing the Bible". There is some truth to this viewpoint, but whether you are more like the former or latter is dependent on whether or not you have faith that if such a god exists, then that god also wants what is good for humanity, or at least his followers.

Deeper understanding of God.

I really enjoyed getting in the back story to how God set up his covenant with the Hebrews. What I really took away was how God was trying to set himself apart from the small G gods that have been worship throughout history. To get people to worship the creator instead of the creation. As we in the west have become more secular weare once again worshipping the gods of the past. Thanks for writing such an interesting look at what God wants from us individually and as a society.

Never learned or enjoyed the Bible this much

It was very enlightening learning about exodus in such a rational and facts based way.

I listened, debated, agree and disagree with it

Disclaimer: I'm not a jew and I come from a catholic background even though I'm not a religious person.

This book gave me insight of the exodus; personally I never read it myself so now I can say that I listened to the history first hand. I was interested in an analysis of such story and the book delivered outstandingly. The author goes deep into moral thoughts that are relatable to the story, providing well thoughts arguments providing some (not overwhelming) evidence to back their claims. Even though I did not agree with some arguments, I welcome the analysis nonetheless and considered each of them as a new valuable insight.

Even though you may find some political opinions, there is no partisan politics and kindness is never lost. I found every opinion respectful and related to the topic being discussed.

In conclusion, I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in reading the exodus. At least to me, the analysis enhanced my perspective on the book and without it I would have missed some topics that might not be visible at first glance. Think of it as the exodus on steroids.

Stupendous!

I wanted to get a firm Jewish understanding on Exodus. Continually do I praise the Lord for Dennis Prager’s clarity. We disagree basically on DP’s definition of taking the Lord’s name in vain. And I cringe each time DP flippantly tosses it out (I.e. OMG). Other than this hardest point of exception, this book is unparalleled for a Christian to get a play-by-play on the Torah from a conservative Jew. Kudos DP! We like what you are doing here.

I love to listen to this as I drift off to sleep.

I learn something new each time I listen. It's a new journey each time I go through. Dennis Prager has a way of teaching about the Torah that makes my Christian walk different in good ways that I never thought imaginable. Struggle with God is normal. Just because I have no money does not mean that God is not in my life or that He is not using me for a purpose.

A great and valued addition to my library!

Tom Parks did a fine job narrating “The Rational Bible: Genesis” by Dennis Prager. As usual, Dennis does not disappoint! I especially value Dennis’ knowledge of Biblical Hebrew and, inspired by this, I now write the Ten Commandments every day and go over them with my son. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Interesting but sadly lacking insight

While I absolutely loved 'The Rational Bible: Genesis', I cannot say the same for this one. As we know, the author follows the tradition of judeism which does not accept the New Testament books as a natural sequel to the Old Testament Books and neither Jesus as God who has come in flesh to save the world from its sins. Although this book would be very appreciated by the adherents of judeic traditions, anyone of christian faith will be disappointed with the commentary as Jesus is literally wiped out from the OT. As we know, in the Gospel according to John, Jesus claims that the books of the Old Testament are written about him and are a prophesy of his coming and his mission: "For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me" - John 5:46 NKJV. Furthermore, every Christian is familiar with the hundreds of verses in the OT books that prophetically speak about Jesus or build a type/shadow of his person, identity and mission as a messiah. Therefore, if you are seeking deeper understanding from a jewish perspective of the prophetic meaning in the OT books covered D. Prager in this volume, you should be very aware that any interpretation given is to the exclusion of Jesus and will benefit you with no 'christian perspective' insight. However, you may still find this volume useful if you want to understand how judeism interprets those scriptures. D. Prager is a brilliant speaker and his thought is very logical and methodical, so if one does not seek to find out Jesus revealed in the Old Testament, then I would recommend this book as a good read.

clarifies some aspects but only to Exodus

it clarifies some aspects of the Bible to Exodus from the perspective of an observant jew or Christian and so a non believer might see how certain things (ritual observance, annihilation of Amelikites etc) make sense and or are morally reasonable from that perspective.

Howver it's nowhere near as successful as Jordan Peterson's free Biblical series on YouTube which does rationally explain at a very deep level - using Jungian pyschoanalysis and modern empirical research based pyschology - how the Bible rationally encodes indispensable transcendental truths about living successfully and sustainably in this or any other time and place; without requiring any metaphysical belief or apology for superficially questionable (to an anachronistic modern atheist looking to score points) slaying of first borns etc