Eighty-two unusual features of the Bible are used to launch a discussion of important truths about the Word of God.

The Old Testament can seem strange and disturbing to contemporary readers. What should Christians make of Genesis 1-3, seemingly at odds with modern scientific accounts? Why does the Old Testament contain so much violence? How should Christians handle texts that give women a second-class status? Does the Old Testament contradict itself? Why are so many Psalms filled with anger and sorrow? What should we make of texts that portray God as filled with wrath? Combining pastoral insight, biblical scholarship, and a healthy dose of humility, gifted teacher and communicator Matthew Schlimm explores perennial theological questions raised by the Old Testament. He provides strategies for reading and appropriating these sacred texts, showing how the Old Testament can shape the lives of Christians today and helping them appreciate the Old Testament as a friend in faith.

What do you get when you mix a Bible encyclopedia with Ripley's Believe It or Not? Find out here, with dozens of intriguing readings on the strange and obscure people and events of scripture, as well as a fresh and fascinating take on some of the more familiar passages.

[A] symbol for the evolving spirit in man which recurs frequently in the Bible is that of the Builder. It is mind that moulds matter on every plane of existence. From the womb of Infinite Mind issues the creative thought or word (Logos) which fashions the universe. The Great Architect conceives the plan, and through the operation of his will, his wisdom, his activity, it ultimately takes form and substance. -from "Chapter III: The Builder" This "inner interpretation" of the Christian Bible, first published in 1925, looks at Scripture through a theosophical eye, shifting the mystical meaning of one of the world's great works of classical literature through the pan-religious philosophy that was immensely popular in the early 20th century. From the occult meaning of numbers, sacred nomenclature, and symbology of women in the Bible to their connection to Hinduism, Buddhism, and the religion of ancient Egyptian, this unusual work of comparative mythology will intrigue those seeking an uncommon spiritual path. DAISY E. GROVE is also the author of The Apocalypse and Initiation (1926).

The Bible, we are constantly reminded, is the best-selling book of all time. It is read with intense devotion by hundreds of millions of people, stands as authoritative for Judaism and Christianity, and informs and affects the politics and lives of the religious and non-religious around the world. But how well do we really know it? The Bible is so familiar, so ubiquitous that we have begun to take our knowledge of it for granted. The Bible many of us think we know is a pale imitation of the real thing. In A Most Peculiar Book, Kristin Swenson addresses the dirty little secret of biblical studies that the Bible is a weird book. It is full of surprises and contradictions, unexplained impossibilities, intriguing supernatural creatures, and heroes doing horrible deeds. It does not provide a simple worldview: what "the Bible says" on a given topic is multi-faceted, sometimes even contradictory. Yet, Swenson argues, we have a tendency to reduce the complexities of the Bible to aphorisms, bumper stickers, and slogans. Swenson helps readers look at the text with fresh eyes. A collection of ancient stories and poetry written by multiple authors, held together by the tenuous string of tradition, the Bible often undermines our modern assumptions. And is all the more marvelous and powerful for it. Rather than dismiss the Bible as an outlandish or irrelevant relic of antiquity, Swenson leans into the messiness full-throttle. Making ample room for discomfort, wonder, and weirdness, A Most Peculiar Book guides readers through a Bible that will feel, to many, brand new.

Bible Oddities gives readers a plethora of unusual gems about persons, places, and events-all of which are found between the covers of the world's greatest best seller. And it does it in quiz form. It is a rich compilation of out-of-the-ordinary facts gleaned from the pages of this inspired work. For example, do you know the apostles were once accused of being drunk? Look in Acts 2:13. It happened at Pentecost! "Others mocking said, these men are full of new wine." Do you know about the man who diligently worked for seven long years in order to earn a wife? Look in Genesis 29:20. It was Jacob. "And Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days..." Bible Oddities will expand your knowledge of the Bible. Yet it is a fun book, as well as an educational volume. It asks questions about unusual and out of the ordinary scriptural subjects, and gives answers to them from the Bible. And for each question and answer the appropriate book, chapter and verse of Bible is provided. Thus, you can reader further in the Bible and learn even more about the person, place, thing or event associated with any question and answer in Bible Oddities.

Live the Gospel from a disciple’s point of view! Inspired by the words of the Gospels, and updated and arranged for daily reading, Christ in the Gospel is an indispensable pocket devotional. Designed specifically to bring Christ into your busy life, each day features Our Lord’s words as well as a how to incorporate them into your daily life.