# Looking for a Biblical guide approved by religious leaders **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606 "2026-04-27T22:27:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/1 "2026-04-27T22:27:40Z")
Are there any Biblical guides out there approved by religious leaders that tell us which Biblical claims and/or stories are factual and which are parables/lessons? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/2 "2026-04-27T22:42:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are there any Biblical guides out there approved by religious leaders that tell us which Biblical claims and/or stories are factual and which are parables/lessons?. Yes. And depending on which “religious leaders” you ask you can probably find someone who will say that any given story is factual and someone else who says it’s a parable, became e there’s no universally agreed upon set of “religious leaders”. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/3 "2026-04-27T22:51:53Z")
Universally agreed upon is, of course, impossible…which is why I never used the term. Are there any written guides pertaining to the Bible as a whole and not just specific individual stories, that a good number of religious leaders agree works as a basic guideline for the purpose I described? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/4 "2026-04-27T22:55:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are there any written guides pertaining to the Bible as a whole and not just specific individual stories, that a good number of religious leaders agree works as a basic guideline for the purpose I described? Can you define “a good number of religious leaders”? There are any number of such documents but you aren’t going to have one that’s agreed on by “religious leaders” of varying denominations. Which specific sect are you asking about? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/5 "2026-04-27T22:58:42Z")
I. AM. _NOT_. Do you have any specific books in mind that you would like to mention? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/6 "2026-04-27T23:01:48Z")
_Which_ religious leaders? I’m sure you are aware it is impossible to get any significant percentage of religious leaders to agree about _anything_. You could start with the classic Asimov books if you haven’t already read those. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/7 "2026-04-27T23:06:34Z")
I have read those (along with just about everything else he has written). Are there a fair number of theologians that use his books on the subject as guides? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/8 "2026-04-27T23:22:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Do you have any specific books in mind that you would like to mention? Books that are used by “religious leaders” as a _general category_? No, of course not. No one does. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/9 "2026-04-27T23:25:34Z")
You could just read the Bible. Maybe one in modern language styles. It’s pretty clear what is a “story” and what are “tenets”. Ain’t no leaders gonna agree in any way, that I can see. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/10 "2026-04-27T23:27:21Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > It’s pretty clear what is a “story” and what are “tenets”. If it was “pretty clear” there wouldn’t be literally thousands of sects. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/11 "2026-04-27T23:31:09Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Books that are used by “religious leaders” as a _general category_? No, of course not. No one does. Right. Taking his question at face value, then a simple “no” is the right answer. Beyond that you will have to pick and choose which sects you want to hear from. For instance, bibical literalist sects sure as Hell aren’t going to recommend books that claim things in the Bible are “just stories”. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/12 "2026-04-27T23:40:24Z")
You do realize that your last two sentences contradict each other? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/13 "2026-04-27T23:42:48Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > If it was “pretty clear” there wouldn’t be literally thousands of sects. The difference between story and tenets _is_ pretty clear. Abraham and Isaac is a story, the Ten Commandments are tenets. Now what tenets can be _derived_ from a particular story, that’s another story. Lots of argument there. Ditto which stories are (a) factual or (b) myth. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/14 "2026-04-27T23:57:43Z")
“No” is certainly a reasonable answer. It is not as if I had any specific point to make (or refute, for that matter). ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/15 "2026-04-28T00:18:18Z")
The short answer is “Yes”. Many, many Bible scholars all recommend the **[New Oxford Annotated Study Bible, Revised Standard Version.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Annotated_Bible)** These scholars are, almost to a man, not Fundamentalist or Evangelical, but more of the academic and analytical schools. The annotations do not go into a lot of commentary, but do discuss historical and cultural backgrounds, rhetorical types, and, to a lesser extent, history of interpretation of each passage. One of the editors of the work was Bruce M. Metzger, who was widely regarded as the foremost New Testament scholar of the 20th Century. Bart Ehrman, noted atheist New Testament scholar and author recommends it. The work is being revised to accompany the New Revised Standard Bible: Updated Edition which came out a couple of years ago. There’s also a Catholic version. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/16 "2026-04-28T00:23:57Z")
Your gonna need to narrow that down 😉 Which specific religious leaders are we talking about here? The Pope? Archbishop of Canterbury? Archbishop of Axum? Prophet of LDS? … ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/17 "2026-04-28T00:26:05Z")
Okay, not so much the leaders of particular denominations Let me quote the Google AI: > The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NOAB) is highly recommended by academic scholars, university professors, seminary students, and clergy, particularly for its objective, non-sectarian approach. It is widely considered a premier study Bible for academic study and is often used in college and seminary settings due to its high-quality scholarly footnotes, essays, and critical approach to the text. > > **Key Experts and Groups Recommending the NOAB:** > > - **Scholars and Editors:** Edited by renowned scholars like [Michael Coogan](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Michael+Coogan&mstk=AUtExfDizOd-6xDMfLJh1xZVh6ombcHGuPbxrGN6B20KuyVS6qRmHLcXtaQiABYPlwLeTM1KmcmEE7HpI1KAyB8saboOWlinKVp0RwlzU_Fb-p1q6qB9u1NHEfNkA8Inl2qDwY5wjaCl-IwwIa0q0DUnnTzw2STO0B1EEe2B6rWrmWFjesKduLPhpVpwHu10tDW1p-LY8du5SlzhrOqoOzFlx57MA9MoAqK3ig0Rd7tX1tLHJA&csui=3&ved=2ahUKEwjjpfeZpI-UAxUlrYkEHXJ4PR4QgK4QegQIAxAC), [Bruce Metzger](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Bruce+Metzger&mstk=AUtExfDizOd-6xDMfLJh1xZVh6ombcHGuPbxrGN6B20KuyVS6qRmHLcXtaQiABYPlwLeTM1KmcmEE7HpI1KAyB8saboOWlinKVp0RwlzU_Fb-p1q6qB9u1NHEfNkA8Inl2qDwY5wjaCl-IwwIa0q0DUnnTzw2STO0B1EEe2B6rWrmWFjesKduLPhpVpwHu10tDW1p-LY8du5SlzhrOqoOzFlx57MA9MoAqK3ig0Rd7tX1tLHJA&csui=3&ved=2ahUKEwjjpfeZpI-UAxUlrYkEHXJ4PR4QgK4QegQIAxAD), [Carol Newsom](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Carol+Newsom&mstk=AUtExfDizOd-6xDMfLJh1xZVh6ombcHGuPbxrGN6B20KuyVS6qRmHLcXtaQiABYPlwLeTM1KmcmEE7HpI1KAyB8saboOWlinKVp0RwlzU_Fb-p1q6qB9u1NHEfNkA8Inl2qDwY5wjaCl-IwwIa0q0DUnnTzw2STO0B1EEe2B6rWrmWFjesKduLPhpVpwHu10tDW1p-LY8du5SlzhrOqoOzFlx57MA9MoAqK3ig0Rd7tX1tLHJA&csui=3&ved=2ahUKEwjjpfeZpI-UAxUlrYkEHXJ4PR4QgK4QegQIAxAE), and [Marc Brettler](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Marc+Brettler&mstk=AUtExfDizOd-6xDMfLJh1xZVh6ombcHGuPbxrGN6B20KuyVS6qRmHLcXtaQiABYPlwLeTM1KmcmEE7HpI1KAyB8saboOWlinKVp0RwlzU_Fb-p1q6qB9u1NHEfNkA8Inl2qDwY5wjaCl-IwwIa0q0DUnnTzw2STO0B1EEe2B6rWrmWFjesKduLPhpVpwHu10tDW1p-LY8du5SlzhrOqoOzFlx57MA9MoAqK3ig0Rd7tX1tLHJA&csui=3&ved=2ahUKEwjjpfeZpI-UAxUlrYkEHXJ4PR4QgK4QegQIAxAF). > - **Academic Institutions:** It is commonly used as a standard textbook in university religious studies departments. > - **Ecumenical Users:** Because it features a neutral, critical academic approach, it is recommended for readers seeking a scholarly understanding of the Bible, bridging different denominations. > - **Bible Scholars/Bloggers:** Biblical studies experts, such as Dr. James Tabor, recommend the [New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha](https://jamestabor.com/why-i-like-this-new-oxford-annotated-bible-revised-standard-version/) for its quality, notes, and academic translation. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/18 "2026-04-28T00:30:53Z")
Interesting Note on Parables- Plato’s story about Atlantis is a parable. He wasnt recounting history. There never was Atlantis, they can thus never find Atlantis as it is fictional. This is just to show other cultures have their parables which the credulous have taken as fact. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/19 "2026-04-28T00:31:32Z")
Will narrowing it down to a few specific leaders of different sects provide me with a book/guideline they all agree with? Rather than me playing the “No, _that’s_ not it!” game, why don’t you just tell me the name of the book and the various religious leaders that follow it? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2026, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606/20 "2026-04-28T00:34:13Z")
Still, it is widely followed by many serious theologians, it seems. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-biblical-guide-approved-by-religious-leaders/1029606.md?page=2)