Tag Archives: Bible

The Gospel of Mark: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on July 17, 2026 by smellincoffee

The Gospel of Mark: A Beginner’s Guide  to the Good News is an informal introduction to the first of the synoptic Gospels.   It’s markedly different from the other Gospels in its spareness and pace. Mark moves,  and everything is … Continue reading →

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The Jewish Annotated New Testament

Posted on September 14, 2023 by smellincoffee

(Yes, this book is why I’ve been so quiet the last two weeks.) The relationship between Christianity and Judaism has fascinated me ever since I bolted from the Pentecostalism in which I was raised, and began rebuilding my worldview from … Continue reading →

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Paul Among the People

Posted on March 14, 2023 by smellincoffee

Paul Among the People: The Apostle Reinterpreted and Reimagined in his Own Time© 2010 Sarah Ruden240 pages Although liberal Quaker Sarah Ruden had heard criticisms of Paul all her life,  after becoming familiar with the culture of the Greco-Roman world … Continue reading →

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March 2022 in review

Posted on April 1, 2022 by smellincoffee

March started strong and abruptly crashed, as I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump the last week — dragging through two e-books, making steady progress on Cancer Ward, and distracting myself by working in the garden or enjoying … Continue reading →

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Rebekah

Posted on March 11, 2021 by smellincoffee

Rebekah© 2001 Orson Scott Card416 pages When I stumbled upon Orson Scott Card’s ‘women of the bible’ series, I knew I had to try it just out of curiosity. The idea of a science fiction writer turning his hand to … Continue reading →

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East of Eden

Posted on July 6, 2017 by smellincoffee

East of Eden© 1952 John Steinbeck580 pages Why did Cain kill Abel?  East of Eden explores that question via a family saga, one that stretches across North America, spanning the continent as well as the generations;  a story that begins at … Continue reading →

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The Way

Posted on October 31, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Way: What Every Protestant Needs to Know About Orthodoxy© 2007 Clark Carlton222 pages   If Protestantism is a willful child of the Catholic church, what is it to the Orthodox?  What is the Orthodox faith for that matter, Catholicism … Continue reading →

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Misquoting Jesus

Posted on October 18, 2013 by smellincoffee

Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why© 2005 Bart Ehrman256 pages Contrary to popular belief, the King James Bible did not fall out of the sky, a gift from a loving deity to his people below. … Continue reading →

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The Rapture Exposed

Posted on October 31, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Rapture Exposed: the Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation© 2004 Barbara R. Rossing224 pages “When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men … Continue reading →

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Ecclesiasticus

Posted on April 26, 2011 by smellincoffee

Ecclesiasticus or The Wisdom of Jesus, Son of SirachFrom The New English Bible, pp. 158 -251© Oxford and Cambridge Universities 1970 Last week I read the Book of Wisdom, a title within the original Jewish and Christian bibles, but one discarded by Protestants. … Continue reading →

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