This isn’t witnessing, or anything, so I hope CS is the right place for it.
So I was thinking yesterday what could be removed from the Bible that no one would miss very much. Probably all of Leviticus and Numbers. Not sure if there’s much in Kings or Chronicles either. Not that I’ve actually read much of them, but they’re probably my least favourite parts anyway.
But lots of the Old Testament I love, particularly the Psalms, and the story of Esther is quite good fun, and I find Ruth and Boaz really quite romantic.
And in the New I’m very fond of Acts, with its hair-raising escapes and slightly sinister miracles, and St Paul’s letters, especially when he appears to be in a bad mood, and although I like the gospel of John I think Luke is a better storyteller.
Ecclesiastes is probably my favourite book overall, because the poetry is gorgeous IMHO and I love the whole bloody-minded bugger all you lot then type attitude. Rendered slightly more elegantly in the original text.
Having people read that is even more fun than pointing out the two versions of the Ten Commandments, or G-d’s rather odd requirements as to building Him a no-peeking-up-the-skirt altar.
I have to disagree about Kings & Chronicles. Lots of good stories in there. But you’re right that Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy kinda drag. It picks up noticeably in Joshua & Judges though. Lots of gratuitous violence.
I guess I’ll have to pick my favorite part of each broad category:
OT History: Judges, Ruth
Wisdom literature: Ecclesiastes, Psalms
Major Prophets: Isaiah
Minor Prophets: Jonah, Hosea
Gospels: Mark, Luke/Acts
Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon (I hate leaving out Romans, I Peter and I John, but I have to draw the line somewhere).
Apocalypse: I’m not a big fan of the apolalyptic books, but I think I would go with Daniel over Revelation.
I’ve always had the impression that Revelation was a bit dull, kind of like reading a madman’s webpage, but probably I should take a look at it.
Job – who was it said ‘I’ve read Job. God doesn’t come too well out of it.’? I’ve always been a bit worried about reading it in case I end up rather pissed off with the old fellow.
We were singing (in suitably dirgy fashion) psalms 13/14 at church last Sunday:
I like how it kind of changes tack half way through – moves from despair to hope to bitter jubilation to a kind of righteous indignation back to hope again. I always find it easier to connect with these ancient types, and their idea of God, when they wear their hearts on their sleeves.
And that’s exactly the attitude the book is protesting. I’ve always been fascinated by how Job and Ecclesiastes, two books that pile scorn on the idea that God rewards the good and punishes the bad, made their way into the Canon, and how few people realize how subversive they are.
You owe my university library a new monitor and keyboard.
The Gospels, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Genesis, Revelations… pretty much the same tastes as everyone else, really. Does anyone out there like Numbers or Deuteronomy?
I agree with the Song of Solomon- both because it is beautiful poetry (that stands up suprisingly well in translation) and because it always gives me the giggles when I see stuffy pastors trying to rationalize it as an analogy for love of God.
As for least favourite- well, I just don’t much like Genesis. I find both the style and the content (the supra-misogynistic bits) to be pretty unpleasent and dull.
