Entering the… "Understanding the Bible as Story" Conversation

Today I want to simply create a list of resources that in my opinion, could help someone enter into the “understanding the Bible as Story” conversation.  Now I do not want to claim that this list is complete or as immaculate as the Virgin Mary, but I do want to suggest that these resources are the first on my list for being able to understand and discuss the Bible as story.  A couple of final thoughts.  1) I am presenting “intro” level books, so for all of my scholarly friends, you may be like… But what about this theologically dense (and important) book… well, not everyone who reads this blog is a nerd like us so; GET OVER IT 🙂  2) I am going to be somewhat (but admittedly loosely) intentional about the order of the books so that the understand is built in a coherent way… step by step.  So, here is my list…

UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLICAL STORY

1. God’s Shalom Project, Bernhard Ott (Best intro to the narrative of the Bible that no one has heard about.  Everyone that has ‘trusted me’ to read this has been glad they did!)

2. True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In, James Choung (A story about a college student who reframes his whole understanding of the ‘big story’ of the bible and the journey it takes to get him there.  Amazing!)

3. The Bible as Improv: Seeing and Living the Script in New Ways, Ron Martoia (Ron Martoia had an early influence on my Spritual journey.  He talks about his journey about reading the bible and utilizes the work of NT Wright.  This is great also!)

4. Embracing Grace, Scot McKnight (He begins in the garden and looks at humanity as the eikon of God.  This is our original design and this is our destiny.)

5. The Blue Parakeet, Scot McKnight (This book wrestles with how to read the bible and how to understand it as story.  Then it goes on to use a test case for interpretation, women in ministry.  Very helpful!)

6. Jesus for President, Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw (Need I say more than… wow?)

7. The Last Word, NT Wright (Lays a foundation for understanding why we have the interpretations that we do at the moment and what we ought to reconstruct for God’s mission today and tomorrow.)

8. Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, NT Wright (The hardest to read of the books I list here, thus it is at the end.  Still accessible and extremely important for the future of Christianity and the ultimate hope that the bible gives us!!!!!!!!)

9. The Story We Find Ourselves In, Brian McLaren (This is a great book that will help you explore and process the narrative of Scripture, well, within a narrative!  It can be read “on its own” but I highly recommend first reading, A New Kind of Christian, which is the first book in this dynamic trilogy.) [I originally left this book off of the list by accident, which is why it appears last.  It could be a very good intro book, but I would put it after God’s Shalom Project and True Story probably if I were to tweak with the order 🙂 ]

So, there is my list.  What would your list look like?