Cultural Perspectives on the Bible: a Beginner's Guide

In this book, Dr. Smith introduces readers of the English Bible to the linguistic, cultural, and historical backdrop of the biblical texts. The chapters grow out of his own university classroom where students face, for the first time, the cultural divide that separates our modern assumptions from the realities of the ancient Near East. While based on serious scholarship, Cultural Perspectives on the Bible: A Beginner's Guide is written in a non-technical style that will allow the beginner to experience some of the intricacies of understanding these texts that are held sacred by Judaism and Christianity. Rob Smith is both an ordained Presbyterian minister and a college Instructor. He is the author of several books of fiction as well as a volume of literary criticism entitled, Hogwarts, Narnia, and Middle Earth: Places Upon a Time. In 2006, the Frost Foundation of Lawrence, Massachusetts honored him with its annual Robert Frost Poetry Award. He holds a bachelor's degree from Westminster College in Pennsylvania and master and doctoral degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary.