The Bible for Grown-Ups

February 13, 2017
After first setting aside belief, the late Loveday intelligently and successfully assesses the Bible in ways that are accessible and useful for those with open, inquiring minds. Sections that cover the Old and New Testaments address similar issues: historical context, structure, purpose, history, and morality. Loveday begins by asking (and attempting to answer) who actually wrote each section of the Bible, and investigating the core messages that inspired its original creation. Both parts evince the lack of correspondence between the Bible and historical reality. Loveday’s declarations underscore his research; he writes, “The only authority in the Old Testament is what we give it” and “The writers of the Synoptic Gospels were wrong. And if they were wrong—so was Jesus.” In part three, “A Vision of Freedom,” Loveday approaches the Bible as unified, like a cathedral. His rhetoric beautifies his arguments, especially when he explores the lyrical quality of a passage such as Luke’s Nativity. Quotes from scholars, especially Reza Aslan and Paula Friedricksen, confirm Loveday’s stands as his humor lifts his prose. This 12-year project is a book to read for pleasure and to study for enhancement.