Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible

by James B. Bell Jr., Stan Campbell

Book by Bell Jr., James Stuart, Campbell, Stan, Bell, James S.

Genres: Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to get a quick review of the Bible since I'm too lazy and uninspired to read it myself. And now I realize that I should probably just read it myself. Sigh.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a clear, easy-to-read, and concise description of each book of the Bible. It really helped my understanding of the bible and even more sermons at church.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's alot of info here, but it's hard to make sense of it in a bigger picture context. Plus the stories don't really make alot of sense, especially when communicated in the style of "she did this, he did that," pretty basic stuff. I liked the first few chapters of Genesis, but after that I lost interest and it was a bit of a chore to slog thru... I didn't even make it to the New Testament. I guess the reader is supposed to accept the stories hook, line & sinker, however, I never knew the Bible was so fantastica.... "a thousand arrows of fire fell from the sky". Just like that. The Israelites were chased into and out of Judea/Canaan so many times I never knew exactly where the were, not to mention the books of the Bible cross over in time so its hard to keep track of what's happening when. Hopefully the Bible itself is a little more clear.

I'm still interested in being educated in biblical lore. I just think maybe a book with a little more substance and thought as to what it all means would be better for me.

[Rachael Mcclain · Rating 5 out of 5]

That is right, I actually bought this book, read it, loved it, and am not ashamed to admit it. I have never really had a good grasp on religion and found myself taking a World religions class in college. In the middle of my panic attack, over the class, I ran to the book store for help. I laughed at myself for grabbing this book off the shelf but promptly read it when I got home. The book explains the bible in a way that made sense to me, so much that I finished my class with an "A" and have been able to hold my own in bible conversations among friends.

[Javier]

Let's face it with out this book The Bible wouldn't make sense to me.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

i thoroughly enjoyed reading this and getting a quick idea of everything in the bible. it was great to familiarize myself with this guide so i can now dive into my bible.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading the entire Bible, and this was an invaluable resource. The authors have a good sense of humor. Even though they admit they come from a more conservative background, they say they also had input from more progressive Christians and Jews. I'm more progressive, and I can say they achieved the inclusiveness they sought. If you aren't ready to tackle the Bible yet, reading this book on its own is a great education. It's very readable and not at all intimidating. I also appreciated the list of other resources at the end, and some of them are going on my to-read list.

[Tina Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a fan of the title but this is just what I was hoping for. Great at explaining the different versions of the bible and the history of the bible. Then tells the stories of the bible in a very fun and readable way. It recommends reading the guide then reading the bible along with the guide. Definitely makes reading the bible not such a daunting task.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book for use as assistance with working your way through the Bible. I used it for working my way through the Book of Revelation and it helped me to understand that book much better. It breaks the Bible down into sections and paraphrases the books for better understanding.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really liked this book. It was a Reader' Digest-esque summary of the Old and New Testament, as well as the Apocrypha. It made the chronology of events easier for me to understand. Also, the different familial relationships were easier to understand.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview.

[Tim Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every person should read this cliff notes version of the good book. It's a great summary with reasonable explanations.

[De · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to learn these stories sometime. It's pretty interesting and gives some new insight in the old stories you've heard time and time again. Alternating between this and The Bean Trees.

[Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource while reading the Bible.

[Dame · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book -it was more like a textbook than a casual read as I am in the process of reading about God and Jesus.
This broke down all the stories and characters for me

[Jayme · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good review of the Bible, but there were a few ideas/thoughts that I didn't agree with.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the whole Bible.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Biblical reference!

[Mayra Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to The Bible. This book is incredibly informative and well-written, making it easy for readers of all levels to understand and engage with the material. The author does a fantastic job of breaking down complex religious concepts and presenting them in an accessible and relatable way. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the Bible and its teachings.

[Lisa P Sams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy reference book for personal use and as a teacher, especially for children/teens or new to the Bible students.

[Scott Torok · Rating 1 out of 5]

This Book is Horrible!!!! It is written by a Hipster. The writing style is Extremely Disrespectful to the Subject matter. It is Biblically inaccurate.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[Anna Sholtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this as a guide while I spent the year reading the Bible. I followed its instructions at the end of the book for “Reading the Bible in One Year,” and corresponded each chapter with its section in the guide.
Overall, I felt it was a huge help in not only understanding, but gaining much more information on the people, places, and events that make up the Bible. My complaint about this guide though, is that a lot of chapters, and in some cases entire books, of the Bible were left out. I’m eager to learn, so I wanted it to be a lot more thorough than it was.