I’ve posted a short review of what I think is a good Bible overview at the TELOS Ministries website:
http://www.telosministries.com/review-of-telling-gods-story-by-preben-vang-terry-g-carter/
Book Review @ Telos: ‘Telling God’s Story’ by Preben Vang & Terry Carter
13 comments On Book Review @ Telos: ‘Telling God’s Story’ by Preben Vang & Terry Carter
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I wonder if you’ve read Chuck Missler’s “Learn the Bible in 24 Hours”. That book, in my opinion, is a tremendously excellent overview. It gives readers an overview of the Bible in 24 chapters (similar to the 14 “episodes” in this book that you referenced) as well as an appreciation for the intelligence of design behind God’s Word — in a way that only Chuck Missler can 😉
I have not read that book. Missler’s stuff is a bit too speculative for my tastes.
yes, I know what you mean. however, Missler was my “first love”, if you will, when it came to Bible teachers. my mom used to listen to his radio show when I was growing up, and his approach to scripture (although at times speculative, still taking the Bible very seriously) was something I didn’t find elsewhere in Southern California. His influence in my life encouraged me to have a high, high view of Scripture. But to be frank, my recent exposure to this blog and the Telos website has in some ways superseded Missler in my mind. your straight-and-narrow, no-wiggle-room, letting-the-text-say-what-it-has-to-say approach to hermeneutics (particularly with your view of types and the “analogy of faith”) has been even MORE helpful, and has given me an even HIGHER view of Scripture!!
that being said, I still highly recommend his book to any new Christian with a hunger similar to what you described in your review.
Thanks Alex, I appreciate your remarks,
P
I have Missler’s “Learn the Bible in 24 Hours” on CD. I came across it soon after I left the New Age and it did help me at the time. However, I have to agree with Paul’s assessment regarding Missler’s tendency to speculate. He has rightly come under a lot criticism for it.
he has, but i still regard him very highly. Missler likes to incorporate his technical knowledge into his teachings, which is something i very much appreciate. most Bible scholars are not engineers by training, they are bible scholars by training. but missler’s analytical mindset and technical prowess really brings something special to the text, in my opinion, and this i think overshadows his inclination to speculate. and believe me, i know all about Missler’s speculations. i also know that none of them are anti-Scriptural per se, but yes, they are just conjecture. and it’s probably a fair judgment to say that he spends a little too much focus on them. but on the whole, i’d say anyone with a feel for numbers/math/science could really gain a lot from his teachings. (and i may just be biased because i too am an engineer by training, not to mention Missler and i have a very similar early background, coincidentally).
I have a question that I could post on a more salient post, but I’ll ask it here if you can forgive me. I’m re-reading Ezekiel (again), and notice that circumcision of the heart AND flesh seems to be a big deal (Ezek 44). moreover, the covenant of circumcision is described as being everlasting back in Genesis. given what we know Paul says about circumcision in the NT, do you think that physical circumcision will be demanded for regenerated Israel — that is, Israel, once she passes under the New Covenant at the 2nd advent?
moreover, do you think the Jews of today still have a biblical injunction to get circumcised? what about ethnic and/or cultural Jews who put their faith in Christ? (I know these questions are a lot more risky, so if you don’t feel like dealing with those right now, I understand).
maybe you deal with this question elsewhere, but I haven’t found it.
Thanks for the recommendation. Fortunately now available in Spanish. Have you read Vaughan Roberts’s “God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible”? (I think it’s similar to Graeme Goldsworthy). Do you think it would be a counterpart of Vang & Carter?
Sadly both Roberts and Goldsworthy spiritualize the Bible to a large degree, and though this is not as noteworthy in the former, it is a major part of the latter (in the guise of finding fulfillment in the first advent of Christ. Vang & Carter is far more balanced in that area.
Thanks, I’ll will going to get and read Vang’s book
Going over to check out the review!