An Introduction to the Bible, 8th edition

A Literary, Historical, and Contemporary Perspective of the Bible

Introduction to the Bible approaches the Bible by considering it from three different viewpoints: literary, historical, and contemporary. This unique approach underscores the dynamics of each view and the methods scholars have developed to study them. 

Additionally, the authors are especially careful to distinguish the historical and literary 'viewpoints' for students new to the discipline; encouraging them to consider and discuss the contemporary significance of the Bible.

Teaching and Learning Experience

Improve Critical Thinking - Introduction to the Bible provides an analysis of the role of the Bible in contemporary American culture; stimulates students' awareness of Biblical thought through suggested readings related to contemporary ethical issues; shows the relevance of religious thought; and helps students examine their assumptions, discern hidden values, evaluate evidence, assess their conclusions, and more!

Engage Students - Introduction to the Bible encourages thoughtful discussion and reflection of contents — including biblical controversies — through chapter summaries, case studies, maps and charts.

Support Instructors - Teaching your course just got easier!  You can create a Customized Text or use our Instructor’s Manual, or PowerPoint Presentation Slides.  Plus, Introduction to the Bible provides an annotated list of movies and documentary films related to the Bible, and information on how to obtain them for classroom use.

A LITERARY, HISTORICAL, AND CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE OF THE BIBLE

• The “three worlds” (literary, historical, and contemporary) approach to studying the Bible provide a helpful framework for organizing the course, and draws on the most recent trends in biblical scholarship. It gives introductory students a clear, easy-to-grasp framework for studying the Bible.

IMPROVE CRITICAL THINKING

Introduction to the Bible:

• Provides an analysis of the role of the Bible in contemporary American culture—e.g., it discusses recent controversies over interpretation of the Bible by modern artists (p. 337-339), and the growing influence of the Bible in American popular culture, including television (p. 340-342).
• Stimulates students' awareness of the ways in which the Bible is influencing their lives.
• Includes suggested readings from the Bible and discussion questions related to contemporary ethical issues, such as homosexuality (p. 303-304).
• Shows the relevance of religious thought for vexing moral issues.

ENGAGE STUDENTS

Introduction to the Bible:

• Encourages thoughtful reflection and discussion on some of the most important and provocative questions in relation to the Bible and contemporary concerns though questions for discussion and reflection and chapter summaries (ex. p. 69).
• Provides realistic and engaging reflection and discussion on how the Bible is understood in the twenty-first century via through-provoking case studies. (ex. p. 94)
• Helps students visualize the lands and sites to which the Bible refers through maps and charts that show major periods, events, leaders, types of literature, etc (ex. p. 181-182). 
• Engages students with biblical controversies of which they may not be aware.

SUPPORT INSTRUCTORS

• Introduction to the Bible provides an annotated list of movies and documentary films related to the Bible, and information on how to obtain them for classroom use (p. 356-361).
• Instructor’s Manual with Tests (020505174X): For each chapter in the text, this resource provides a detailed outline, list of objectives, discussion questions, and suggested readings. In addition, test questions in multiple-choice, true/ false, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer formats are available for each chapter; the answers are page-referenced to the text. For easy access, this manual is available  at www.pearsonhighered.com/irc.
• PowerPoint Presentation Slides for Introduction to the Bible, 8/e (0205051758): These PowerPoint slides help you convey anthropology principles in a clear and engaging way. For easy access, they are available  at www.pearsonhighered.com/irc.

Found in this section:

1. Overview of Changes
2. Chapter-by-Chapter Changes

1. Overview of changes

• Discussions of recent developments in biblical scholarship — e.g., the Dead Sea Scrolls (p. 210), archaeology and the Bible, Noah's flood, and the historical Jesus (p. 218)— ensure that readers are kept abreast of current research and scholarship.
• Clarifying comments and insights throughout are based on contemporary research — e.g., the recent work of the controversial “Jesus Seminar” on the life and sayings of Jesus Ch. 11 (p. 217); a discussion of the role of the Bible in the modern environmental crisis (p. 335), and the concern about the future of Native American and other indigenous cultures Ch. 16 (p. 337).
• Coverage of the importance of interpretation of the Bible in the contemporary world is highlighted with discussion of the ongoing controversy surrounding same-sex marriage and the dispute as to whether Islam and the Qur’an (Koran) are compatible with religions based on the Bible (p. 331-332).
• Revised and updated content on the descriptions of the Pharisees and the relationship between the Essenes and the community that produced the Dead Sea Scrolls (p. 210); as well as within its Bibliography.
• Important Developments in archaeological research related to the Bible are discussed, such as whether archaeology helps answer the question, “Did God have a wife?” and the continuing controversy over the “James Ossuary,” an ancient burial box alleged to contain the bones of a brother of Jesus (p. 219-221).
• Several topics related to the study of Jesus and the New Testament gospels (p. 215-238) are given new attention, among them the importance of understanding Jesus of Nazareth as a first-century Jew, the meanings of the titles associated with Jesus, and the stereotypes of Judaism found in recent biblical scholarship.

• New! Examples enhance discussion of the impact of the Bible in contemporary American culture, including; the dispute regarding the teaching of Intelligent Design alongside the theory of Evolution, and various perspectives on the Bible and climate change.  

• New! Illustrations and maps throughout the 8th edition provide engaging pedagogical aids for instructors and students.
• New! Efforts to encourage the study of the Bible and its influence on Western culture in public schools, with interpretations of the Bible in the blockbuster movie Avatar (2009) and the hit animated series “The Simpsons.”

SUPPORT INSTRUCTORS

• Updated! The list of movie and documentary films related to the Bible, as well as a list of Internet gateway sites for serious study of the Bible.
• New! Create a Custom Text: For enrollments of at least 25, create your own textbook by combining chapters from best-selling Pearson textbooks and/or reading selections in the sequence you want.  To begin building your custom text, visit www.pearsoncustomlibrary.com. You may also work with a dedicated Pearson Custom editor to create your ideal text–publishing your own original content or mixing and matching Pearson content. Contact your Pearson Publisher’s Representative to get started

2. Chapter-by-Chapter Changes
Chapters 1 & 2

Chapter 1:     The Three Worlds of the Bible: An Orientation

• New! Introduction citing of the Bible on American culture in recent years.

Chapter 2:      Preparing for the Journey: An Orientation to the Methods of Biblical Study

• Restructured! The discussion of methods appropriate to studying the literary, historical, worlds of the Bible.
• Reviewed! The latest developments in the controversy surrounding the “James Ossurary”.
• Discussed! The theories of the origins of the alphabets of the languages in which the Bible was originally written and whether “God had a wife”.

Chapter 10:      Jewish Life and Literature (200 B.C.E - 100 C.E.) 

• Clarified! The interpretation of the relationship between the Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
• Updated! The description of the Pharisees.

Chapter 11:     Jesus of Nazereth

• Enhanced! The discussion of the importance of understanding Jesus of Nazareth as a first-century Jew.
• Developed! The discussion of the ideological context of Jesus and the titles applied to Jesus in the gospels
• New! A brief summary of the life of Jesus based on our sifting of the available historical evidence.

Chapter 12:     The Four Gospels: Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John

• Clarified! The dominant hypothesis developed to resolve the “synoptic problem”

Chapter 16:     Journey On!

• More Examples! Of the impact of the Bible on Western law and government by adding discussions of the ongoing dispute regarding the teaching of “Intelligent Design” alongside the theory of Evolution in public classrooms.
• Added! A discussion of the Biblical Literacy Project, a group that is seeking to foster and encourage the study of the Bible and its influence on Western culture in public schools.
• Analyzed! The interpretations of the Bible in the blockbuster move Avatar (2009) and the hit animated series “The Simpsons”, in order to demonstrate the influence of the Bible in twenty-first century popular culture.