bethesdalily's Full Review: Jesse Lyman Hurlbut - Hurlbut's Story of the Bible
When "Crass" and "Caress" Sound Alike I sat on the velvet sectional that graced the large, toy-filled living room. Next to me sat my mother, a large stack of books beside her. We had spent the morning reading--everything from books by Mercer Mayer to treatises on morality from the likes of the Berenstain Bears. Lofty literature this was not, but what did that matter to a four-year-old? I was just happy not to be at pre-school. It was one of those lovely, mother-daughter moments that I always anticipated, for even then I found it impossible to separate the concept of pleasure from a book. To this day, my mother is convinced that I would easily have refused candy from a stranger, but would have jumped eagerly into the car of any man offering me story-books.
This day, however, I was to learn more than ordinary children's books could teach. When Little Critter's entertaining exploits had been exhausted, my mother took from the ever-decreasing pile a tiny, thin, paperback book that I recognized at once as one of the Jesus Pocket Books often displayed on rotating racks at the Christian bookstore. Oh, I thought with delight, time for a Bible lesson.
That morning's teaching was on the Ten Commandments. As my mother's small "children's" book did not bring the Commandments to a truly comprehensible level, however, she was forced to improvise. As I seem to recall, her words and my thoughts ran after this manner:
Mom: "... Number Four: Honor the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. That means we need to go to church on Sundays. Number five: Honor your father and mother--by doing what they tell you to do. Number Six: You shall not kill."
Nikki (Inwardly): "OK, I know I won't kill. I don't want to, and I'm not even old enough."
Mom: "Number Seven: You shall not commit adultery."
Nikki (Inwardly): "Adult-tree. Well, it must be something for grown-ups to worry about. But I wonder what adults can't do."
Mom: "You shall not commit adultery. No married people should kiss other married people."
Voilà! All was cleared up. Obviously, kissing of any kind was a sin--except, of course, when mommies kissed their children. I would be on the lookout for any transgressions on the part of adults in my life.
My opportunity came sooner than I had expected. That evening, my father came home from work. My parents exchanged a few pleasantries, embraced in the living-room doorway, and then--the unthinkable happened. My mother kissed my father!
"Mom," I cried in mingled shock and indignation. "You committed adultery!" It seemed perfectly logical to my four-year-old mind: no married people should kiss other married people, Mom and Dad were married, and they had kissed. Obviously, theirs had been a sinful sugar-smack.
Of course, my mother had some explaining to do. "If Mommy kisses Daddy, that's not committing adultery. If Mommy kissed the neighbor across the street, that would be wrong"...
Yet, I am left to wonder exactly how much confusion could have been eliminated if I had simply had proper instruction. On one hand, I am totally blind and coloring books with Biblical themes would not have been an option. On the other, my mother could not simply sit with a leather-bound King James Version in her arms, reading "thee's" and "thou's" from the Song of Solomon. What I needed was not a Bible storybook, not one or two parables with fancy-schmancy illustrations, but a children's Bible. As it was, I was forced to resort to reading the Revised Standard Version, a practice that caused me to ask baffling questions of my parents. "Jesus talked about new wine in new wineskins. What was He talking about?" Now, how do you possibly explain that parable to a kindergartener?
You don't. You allow Jesse Lyman Hurlbut to do it for you. Hurlbut's Story of the Bible is an invaluable resource for children, but mustn't be taken as an oversimplified soup concentrating primarily on "Noah's Arkie, Arkie". This version rings not of Sunday school songs, but of pure and joyous truths delivered in a sort of universal language. Hence, I shall no longer refer to it as a collection of Bible stories, but as a children's Bible and an historian's most beautiful commentary.
The Bible in Two Minutes! Yes, that's right. For a communications course, I was asked to present a two-minute, impromptu speech on my favorite book. How I managed it, I shall never know. I know only that, for 120seconds, I presented an outline of the Bible in as much detail as I could possibly muster.
Let me see if I can replicate this phenomenon. Ready? Here ‘goes.
Creation, Eden, fall of man, Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Red Sea, Ten Commandments, Joshua, Gideon, David, Solomon, Judah and Israel, Elijah, prophets, Jesus' ministry, His resurrection, Pentecost, church growth, Revelation.
Not helpful, eh? Perhaps my little endeavor has failed. I shall never get back those two minutes of Bible-summarizing greatness. Let us start over, for it is imperative that you know a bit about the Bible before diving into this children's version by the noble Hurlbut. Those with a deeper knowledge of the Bible may wish to skim... Oh, my! Did I actually tell you to abridge my writing? Whatever is the world coming to? In all seriousness, though, if you already have a basic idea of Biblical content, please skip to the next section and pretend that this review consists of a respectable thousand words. Those in search of a longer overview of the Bible should go find a Bible, then read a review of my favorite version of the Scriptures.
The Christian Bible is divided into two sections, labeled the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each testament is divided into sections (the Law, books of history, books of wisdom, etc.), and each section contains several books. Books are divided into chapters, and chapters into verses. For the mathematophiles out there, the Old Testament consists of thirty-nine books, while the New Testament contains twenty-seven. No, I shan't cramp my brain to count the number of chapters and verses in the Word!
The Old Testament opens with five books known commonly as the Law, the Torah, or the Pentateuch. Genesis chronicles the creation of the world in six days; the beauty of the Garden of Eden; Adam's temptation and his eating from a forbidden tree; the murder of Abel, Cain's righteous brother; the Deluge and God's protection of Noah and all land-dwelling animals; and the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Exodus finds the Israelites--descendents of the Patriarchs--in Egypt. This book recounts the Israelites' escape from Egypt through a series of miraculous signs that God performed on the Israelites' behalf. Here are discussed the parting of the Red Sea, the Ten Commandments, and the creation of the tabernacle. Leviticus provides God's laws concerning sacrifices, diet, and other aspects of Jewish living. Numbers details the Israelites' sojourn in the wilderness before reaching the land of Israel, a large and fertile land that God had long promised to give to His people. Deuteronomy relates the laws of God once more, providing information on temple worship and righteous lifestyles.
Next, we have an entire section known as the books of history. If you truly want an entire history of the Israelites, E-mail me and I'll send you a five-hundred-page document, prettified using Framemaker and expounding upon Biblical truths. Better yet, just find a copy of the Scriptures and read Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings, I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. This is history as you have never before encountered it--beautiful, glorious, miraculous accounts of God's power in the lives of His people. In essence: Once the people reached Israel, they were ruled by judges for several generations. (If you're reading Judges now, as I'm sure you are, be sure to pay special attention to God's mercy in the life of Gideon.) Upon requesting that a king rule over them, the Israelites were governed for a time by King Saul, a man who proved to be wicked and most displeasing to the Lord. God chose David, a man after His own heart, to lead His people. Beginning with Solomon, David's descendants continued to rule many of the tribes of Israel. However, idolatry and disobedience on the part of ten tribes led to a division among the Jewish people. Ten tribes formed the Northern Kingdom, known as Israel and having as its capital Samaria. This kingdom was ruled by several men, most of whom were considered evil and belonged to a line unrelated to David. The Southern Kingdom, consisting of the tribe of Judah, was governed by David's descendants until this tribe was carried away captive. Along the way, God spoke powerfully through such prophets as Elijah, Elisha, and even Isaiah. There are so many spiritual lessons within the history of the Israelite kingdoms that I shan't attempt to explore them. I'll let Matthew Henry's commentary compensate for my failure to be informative.
The books of wisdom, or Writings, consist of poetic psalms, songs, and wise words--the essence of praise and worship. Among these beautiful books is Job (pronounced "Jobe", not "Job"!)--a work which details the trials and victory of a man who was tested by God. Although Psalms and Proverbs are perhaps the best-known of the Wisdom books, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon are equally inspired and provide insights into life, love, and the fear of the Lord.
The Major and Minor Prophets contain... prophecies! Here are words of love for Israel and Judah, condemnation of idolatry in its various forms, prophecies foretelling the Israelites' captivity, and even inspired truths concerning the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah, Jeremiah and Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah... Perhaps I should refrain from naming each of the prophets or the books bearing their names. Perhaps I shouldn't explain Isaiah's prophecy concerning "gladness and joy" (Isaiah 51:11), and I certainly shouldn't speak of the glory of the Lord as portrayed in Ezekiel. I shall leave this to Hurlbut's excellent pen.
Malachi concludes the Old Testament on a profound, prophetic note. The New Testament begins four hundred years later and opens with the four Gospels. These cohesive accounts comprise Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth: his magnificent teachings and parables, the healings He provided, many of His greatest miracles, and--best of all--his status as the Messiah. Each Gospel describes Jesus' death on a cross and His physical and spiritual resurrection. After showing Himself to His disciples and proving for forty days that He was alive, Jesus ascended into heaven. The book of Acts describes the coming of the Holy Spirit and the subsequent growth of the Christian Church. Jesus' disciples traveled throughout the known world, preaching the wonderful news of Jesus to all whom they encountered. I shan't shout, "marvelous!"; these books merit something more. The Gospels and the book of Acts: a whispered, awe-filled "unspeakable."
Next, we have a series of letters written to various churches and prominent Christians. While many were penned by the apostle Paul, some were composed by John, Peter, James, Jude, and Barnabas. (Yes, I believe that Barnabas wrote the book of Hebrews; what is Epinions without a bit of controversy?) These letters reiterate Jesus' purpose: that He was sent by God to die for the sins of the world, and that belief in Him leads to salvation. So very, very edifying.
Revelation is one of those books that always seems to baffle its readers. Replete with symbolism and cloaked in mercy and grace, Revelation is a glorious portrait of judgment and victory. If the book of Revelation and the Left Behind series are synonymous to you, you may want to read Chapter XXII of the former, for Revelation is truly comparable to nothing ever written before or since. In perfect and powerful detail, this book describes heaven and the infinite beauty of our holy God Who dwells there.
The end. Now, if you read that summary using a screen-reader whose voice rate was set to 100%, you might have been able to squeeze that Biblical summary into two minutes--mightn't you?
You Would Know It as a Park
So, What, you might ask, does our brilliant Hurlbut do with this wealth of information? More important, how does he bring all of this intensity to the level of a young child?
In extraordinary, nineteenth-century prose--that's how. Jesse Lyman Hurlbut was an American Methodist minister who dedicated his life to serving God through in-depth Bible commentaries for both children and adults. It seems that he founded an association for the improvement of Sunday schools--a noble endeavor, considering that much of the moral landscape was dotted with hideous didactic works.
Hurlbut's Story of the Bible begins with an introduction in which the author emphasizes the unsurpassed importance of the Bible. Apparently, one hundred of Great Britain's most acclaimed writers and other public figures were asked which books they would take with them if imprisoned for several years. Ninety-eight of these men immediately listed the Bible as being among their choices. Hurlbut aptly points out that the popularity of most best-sellers fades after five years--a truth that seems relevant even to modern readers. Yet, the Bible has sold millions of copies annually. Still relevant? Check!
Many parents--particularly during the nineteenth century--treated children as fully-formed adults. Hurlbut to the rescue! Within his introduction, Hurlbut explains that his purpose is to create a children's Bible--a version of interconnected stories that could be understood by a child as young as ten. To this end, Hurlbut created 168 stories accurately depicting Biblical events. To avoid confusing his audience, Hurlbut decided to eliminate events that nineteenth-century readers would have found distasteful. No, you shan't find discussions of Noah and his errant son here. Neither are Lot and his daughters discussed in any detail. And, if you're looking for a children's version of the Song of Solomon, you may have to purchase a copy of the International Children's Bible.
For all else, however, Hurlbut remains so very true to the Word of God that the stories he recounts are nearly indistinguishable from the Scriptures. Nearly identical, I say, save for the excellent historical background he provides. For example:
When you hear the word "garden", what image first develops before you? You likely imagine a flower bed, rows of peas and tomato vines, or a plot of land that the dog must never bury bones in. Hurlbut, understanding this, finds an exemplary way of explaining the Garden of Eden to children. "This beautiful land was called a garden, but you would probably think of it as a park." Understandable, indeed!
Hurlbut goes on after this manner, devoting each story to a crucial event and placing all things in proper Biblical context. However, I see that I am doing a rather feeble job in this section. You know only that Hurlbut presents some extensive Bible stories, that these resemble the closest thing to a children's Bible, and that much of Hurlbut's language is effective in conveying principles in a tender, childlike manner. Yet, these ideas might be better developed if presented by way of punctuation. Remember my review's title? Refresher: My title was, "Like a Bed of Flowers! ... ?". Let us examine this mark by mark, treating our beloved yet flawed ellipsis as a single entity.
!
This mark, so replete with social significance, represents the glorious elements in Hurlbut's Story of the Bible. Let us begin with Biblicality--that all-encompassing concept of accuracy so essential to any Christian work. With the exception of stories that I shall describe momentarily, Hurlbut remains so true to the original text that it is as if readers are being introduced to a slightly-abridged New King James Version of the actual Bible. Neither does Hurlbut wish to establish his as the authoritative text--a version that all children must follow "or else". Rather, each story is introduced by Scripture references so that children can find the original stories in the Bible if they so choose.
And the way in which these stories are delivered! How he does it, I shall never be able to understand. Yet, Hurlbut has managed to infuse most of his Biblical accounts with a passionate intensity present in no other children's work. Rather than relating facts with a sense of blandness or a strict, staunch form of morality more comprehensive of Victorianism than true Christianity, Hurlbut truly describes the greatness of God and the love of Jesus. Not once does he avoid glorious passages. During a section devoted to the Law, for example, Hurlbut describes the tabernacle and all that it represented. The altars of incense and of burnt offering are portrayed and explained. The showbread placed on the tabernacle's golden table is described as representing the Bread of Life, while sacrifices are defined as atoning for sin. All of this, in relatively simple language not overrun with "adult" theological jargon! I am thoroughly impressed.
After the same manner, Hurlbut explains the book of Leviticus. Using a gentle, non-threatening tone that must be experienced to be appreciated, Hurlbut describes temple worship and the glory of God, even touching on feast days and the Day of Atonement.
Similar intensity is present throughout the New Testament. Although Jesus' miracles are described as the great wonders that they are, Hurlbut consistently reiterates His message as being of greater importance than His miraculous works. Jesus' healing of a man born blind is carefully linked to His being the Light of the World--in keeping with the actual account in the Gospel of John. The story of Jesus' radiance upon the Mount of Transfiguration loses almost none of its splendor when read in Hurlbut's Story of the Bible, much to my wonder and delight. If you are a woman; if you know that you have ever done wrong; if you are drawn to tender passages in the Gospels; if you know that you have been forgiven much; if you have proverbially knelt at the feet of Jesus; if, in short, your name happens to be Nicole Brunswycke--then you will be brought to tears by the story of a woman who used costly ointment to anoint Jesus' feet, drying them with her hair. Oh, yes, this is simply beautiful--but then, the story in question always was one of my favorites.
Even in matters of Revelation, Hurlbut remains gifted and used by the Lord in such a precious way. Revelation is a difficult book to interpret--even for the best of scholars. Yet, Hurlbut paints a marvelous, theologically sound picture of heaven that easily made my heart rejoice. Jesse Lyman Hurlbut has officially usurped John Bunyan.
Aside from providing a journey from beauty to more beauty, Hurlbut's work gives children--and, might I add, adults?--historical context that I have found nowhere else. Rather than telling Job's story immediately before relating some of the Psalms, as the English Bible seems to insist upon doing, Hurlbut recounts Job's trials immediately following the story of Moses' death. This is certainly a bit more historically accurate. Next, Hurlbut discusses historical events as they pertained to both Judah and Israel. This in itself would simply be a straightforward narration of the Word, but when you consider that Hurlbut goes so far as to link prophecies with their fulfillment in history--well, that frames things from a different perspective! All prophecies are carefully connected with relevant historical events--the birth of King Josiah, Judah's captivity in Babylon and their return--it's all present, accounted for, and interrelated. If you are not impressed by this time, your name is Matthew Henry VII, and you've likely attended seminary for more years than I've been alive. May I join you at your prestigious Bible college?
Hurlbut makes very little attempt to interpret Bible stories from a theological point of view save to clarify widely-accepted Protestant doctrines. While he includes almost all of Jesus' words and uses these to explain salvation through faith in Christ, for example, he does little to interpret Paul's epistles. In fact, no story references any of the New Testament letters.
Even the structure of this work is nearly perfect. The book is divided into seven sections, each portraying a separate period of Biblical history. Sections may contain from eighteen to thirty-eight stories--as many as necessary to define the Biblical age. C'est magnifique!
What would a children's Bible be without the occasional illustration? Although my audio copy contained no pictures and I am unable to see them for myself, I requested that my father describe some of Hurlbut's drawings for purposes of this review. A work this important deserves careful attention to detail. According to my father, the illustrations are classic yet tasteful, archaic yet clean and accurate. Each black-and-white illustration portrays a relevant event in a manner that would certainly have interested nineteenth-century youth. An illustration of the Israelite camp, for example, "looks like... a military camp--or like a Western..." Ah, the idea of American expansionism as expressed in Hurlbut's freedom-seeking era! Pictures of Adam and Eve are traditional and tasteful--and, no, Eve is not portrayed eating an apple! Jesus is portrayed as having long hair and wearing a robe of sorts--true to form, with no effort to place Biblical events in "modern circumstances". The relief of it!
Other illustrations focus on the Holy Land as it appeared during the nineteenth century--modern for the time, though perhaps not terribly relevant to twenty-first-century youngsters. One illustration shows the Pool of Siloam emptied of water. Although my father did not say as much, I can imagine that the scene was rather barren when compared with the flourishing, flowing state of that pool during Jesus' ministry.
Will the illustrations please modern children who enjoy cartoons created with Adobe Illustrator or jazzed up and thoroughly animated using Macromedia Flash? Well, this book is not a screen, and it does not require dancing characters singing high-pitched songs. So, perhaps if the youngster in question has been spoiled on such entertainment, this set of illustrations will be disappointing. But--may I hope?--perhaps there exist some parents and children who would find these an appropriate complement to the subject matter. Yes, I am old-school. Whatever can be done about the problem?
...
According to my sister, "dot, dot, dot" is an interjection. Yes, she texts too much. Unlike me, she is most certainly not old-school. However, I do believe I shall use her interjection to convey the notion that not all is perfect in the land of Hurlbut. There do exist a number of small discrepancies that render this work somewhat less than perfect.
Hurlbut seems to treasure Mephibosheth, yet he is indifferent to Miriam. Most of his stories center around events both celebrated and obscure, with little left out. Yet, certain stories are eliminated for no apparent reason. Where are the stories of Aaron's rod that produced almond buds? What of Miriam's punishment for envy, and her healing from a temporary case of leprosy? Whyever are accounts of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram missing? Certainly, it was not because Hurlbut feared frightening his audience: for many other stories of God's judgment are included in full detail. I do believe that Hurlbut simply forgot to include several Old Testament stories.
While many stories are extraordinary in their communication of deep, theological truths, others simply lack something. As my mother so aptly put it, the story of Noah's ark "is not meaty enough". It's not that the discussion of Noah's ark is bad, per se, but that it is unimpassioned. So, too, with Hurlbut's account of the sun standing still for an entire day and night. Hurlbut scarcely glosses the surface of this miracle, then takes a detour into deep yet unrelated theological territory: "what would have happened if the Gospel had never come to man?" he inquires. Off-topic! At least, for this time and place.
Daniel, too, is treated with uncharacteristic fervor. According to the Scriptural accounts, Daniel's persecutors were thrown to the lions after Daniel was saved from the beasts' mouths. Yet, must ten-year-olds truly be informed that, for the sins of their fathers, infants and toddlers were thrown into the lion's den with Daniel's tormentors? I think not.
Next, we have a series of discrepancies that might have worked in a nineteenth-century Bible for upper-class, well-educated children. The words of God, but not the words of Jesus, are provided in King James English--rather a difficult dialect for youngsters to comprehend. Likewise, the Psalms are not placed on a child's level. Although not all 150 poetic songs are produced, enough Psalms and prophecies are included to render the problem a great one. Hurlbut could have removed many of the "-eth" suffixes without destroying the Psalms' lyrical qualities.
Similarly, geographic locations are described in inordinate amounts of detail. For nineteenth-century boys, this might well have been fascinating--particularly if presented with a map of the Holy Land. For twenty-first-century children, this could be rather dry.
Although challenging scenes of lust are simply described as "wickedness", Hurlbut makes no attempt to censor the violence so prevalent in many of the wars fought in the Old Testament. Here, we have statistics as to how many men were killed and even the ways in which they died. Sensitive readers may wish to take note.
And--my, oh, my!--the language used! For the nineteenth century, the dialect was actually quite relatable. However, my question must never be, "Was it good then?" I must ask, "Is this good now?"
I'd plead the Fifth, but doing so would be so very unhelpful. Throughout his work, Hurlbut consistently refers to donkeys by another term, so villainized by English speakers that I shall not print it. If you think about it, there is truly no filth in such a word save the vileness that we as a society have created. Yet, modern readers may wish to discuss such wording with their children: "This word used to mean "donkey", but we don't use it anymore."
One more comment from the Peanut Gallery: Young goats are frequently referred to as kids. Although purely accurate, this reference may frighten young children--particularly when Hurlbut discusses a kid being sacrificed on the altar of burnt offering. Yes, "young goat" would certainly have sufficed. If it is possible to revise Sir Oswald Chambers' work, why can't Hurlbut's book be updated also?
Despite a general attempt to refrain from personal interpretation, Hurlbut fails in one small point. While describing Jesus' miracle of feeding five thousand men with a tiny amount of food, Hurlbut explains that Jesus asked the people to sit upon the grass. So far, so good. "In their many-colored garments, they looked like a bed of flowers." What? Where is that in the Word--Fifth Corinthidicians? If such a book does not exist, neither does the reference to a bed of flowers--though I can imagine why a bit of license was taken. I'll bet that so many colors did appear rather floral, if you think about it...
Was Hurlbut British or American? Although many of my sources indicate that he was American, I can never be quite sure. You see, he provides measurements in feet and translates currency from talents to dollars--in most cases. Sometimes, however, the dollar becomes the pound in Hurlbut's shaky hands. I never knew that currency estimates could be so easily exchanged one for another!
?
There's the beautiful, the basic, and the downright base. While things common are relatively few and far between, I would be remiss if I did not examine them.
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ... And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:1, 1:3). Did you read anything about carbon, nitrogen, and potassium in that verse? Yet, Hurlbut dares to suggest that the earth contained all necessary elements before God created the light, the land, etc. This organic soup theory borders on heresy for some. It is very, very important because the verbs "to create" and "to make" are vastly different: "to create" suggests forming something from nothing, and "to make" suggests forming something new from something old. The Word says that God created, so I do believe that He produced elements and used them in His creation--not that all materials were quietly waiting in a heap on some dark and void planet. Organic Soup Theory as Propagated Here: 0 stars.
In the New Testament, Mary is described as a virgin--a crucial concept, since it was necessary that Mary be a virgin to fulfill prophecies about Jesus' birth. I neither venerate nor worship Mary, but her purity is essential to understanding the story of Jesus. Yet, Hurlbut makes no attempt to discuss Mary's virtue. I can understand this in part, but feel that the concept of virginity could have been covered quickly and tastefully: "According to ancient prophecies, Jesus would be born to a very pure woman who loved God. Mary was such a woman."
Much to my relief, Hurlbut does not suggest that the shepherds and the Magi converged simultaneously on the inn. He does, however, explain that Herod's attempts to murder Jesus resulted in a decree mandating that boys under the age of three be killed. The Bible actually states that children under the age of two--not three--were to be murdered. Perhaps--no, certainly--this is an extraordinarily small inaccuracy, but why must it be present at all?
;
Now, why must a semicolon represent recommendations? Because I love semicolons, and because they haven't enough acclaim! So, because I like semicolons and because I love this Bible story collection, I shall use this sadly unpopular mark to denote my enjoyment of Hurlbut's writing.
How did I obtain this work? Well, as I did not purchase a copy from Audible.com--although I certainly could have--as, I say, I never did purchase this book, I mustn't lie and say that I did. Yet, Epinions is a commercial Website. Therefore, I could never tell you that Hurlbut's Story of the Bible is available for free from Librivox.org. Never could I fathom explaining that myriad volunteers worked for over a year to produce this twenty-one-hour narration. At no time shall I encourage you to download Librivox' narration for free--if only to hear a Belgian woman read with such palpable joy in her voice that her work is unspeakable. No, I shan't discuss Librivox.
Who might benefit from this book? Anyone in search of a children's Bible more mature than Sunday school concepts, historians of the Word, adults who do not know how to contextualize Biblical history, and all who seek a deeper understanding of nineteenth-century Christianity must purchase this book. This would likely be most interesting to those seeking Protestant theology delivered in an accessible format. Yet, who am I to judge your reading preferences? Find a copy of this book--preferably including some vocal interpretations by a Belgian narrator!
Great Literature to Read While: Listening to instrumental versions of "Amazing Grace".
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