Book Review: The Literary Study Bible, ESV

Leland Ryken and Philip Graham Ryken, General Editors

This Bible is different than any of the other Bibles you own. It is, to use the words of the editors, “a literary guide to the entire Bible,” using the English Standard Version. This means that the purpose of The Literary Study Bible is to explain the literary forms used by the biblical authors so the reader can get a better handle on what is being said.

I’ve been reading from this new study Bible and carrying it to church and Bible study with me since November, and I like it. (Except for the cover. The book jacket and the book cover look the same, and I prefer plain covers on my Bibles so I don’t look so much like I’m packing a children’s Bible.)

I’ve had a nagging feeling that I haven’t been paying enough attention to the literary features of the Bible. The Literary Study Bible has proven to be an excellent way for me to start giving literary form it’s rightful place in my Bible study. Here are some of the features in this Bible that make it useful for this purpose:

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Weather Reporting: January 22

What’s up today in the world of weather?

• Carla had an Ontario winter driving adventure (or two). I’m pretty sure she was driving slow, but the ice and snow tried it’s best to do her in anyway. Never fear, like all really good adventure stories, her tale ends happily for all.
  
• Rosemary shows us her Colorado hoarfrosty trees. Says she, “The skiers are loving all the fresh snow, but personally, I have a big hankering for some milder weather and snow-free roads. “
• Violet, crack investigative reporter, has stunning photo proof that it isn’t always rainy during the winter on the lower mainland of British Coumbia.
• Kim from Illinois has directions (with photos) for a cold weather project: An energy saving draft blocker for your doors.

Me? I thought I’d show you what an an aurora forecast looks like. Our aurora borealis activity is currently moderate to low. “Weather permitting, northern lights displays will be visible directly overhead from Dawson City to Watson Lake and visible to the north from Whitehorse.”

 

In general,

In northern regions like the Yukon, the best time to view the aurora is from late August to mid-April. During the summer months the night skies are not dark enough to see the aurora borealis even at times when the solar wind activity is strong. In midwinter the temperatures may fall to the minus 40 degree range and it is important to wear appropriate winter clothing…to enjoy the displays.  

The best time of day for viewing the northern lights is around astronomical midnight, which is about 12:58 AM local time. See these FAQ for more information.

 

You can be a weather geek, too. You’ll find the details for participating here. If you send me a link to your weather related post before tomorrow (Wednesday) noon, I’ll add your link to this post. If you send it after that, expect to see your post linked in this coming Friday’s weather report. If you sent me a link to a weather post and it is not included with these, chalk it up to my malfunctioning mailbox and give it to me once more in the comments of this post. I’ll add your link up here in the regular post, I promise.

Theological Term of the Week

 

For two more weeks, the theological terms will be the names of some traditional arguments used to justify belief in the existence of God. As you might imagine, there is disagreement about the validity and usefulness of these proofs.

 

Ontological Argument

An argument for the existence of God that, unlike the teleological and cosmological arguments, does not start with evidence from the natural world, but rather, begins with a definition of God and tries to deduce from that definition the existence of God.

 

• From Anselm of Canterbury, who first developed the ontological argument, in Prosologium (and nabbed by me from here):

  God is that, than which nothing greater can be conceived.… And [God] assuredly exists so truly, that it cannot be conceived not to exist. For, it is possible to conceive of a being which cannot be conceived not to exist; and this is greater than one which can be conceived not to exist. Hence, if that, than which nothing greater can be conceived, can be conceived not to exist, it is not that, than which nothing greater can be conceived. But this is an irreconcilable contradiction. There is, then, so truly a being than which nothing greater can be conceived to exist, that it cannot even be conceived not to exist; and this being thou art, O Lord, our God.    

Learn more

1. The Ontological Argument from The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
   
2. The 4 Primary Arguments for God’s Existence from TheologicalStudies.org.
   

This series of theological terms was suggested by Kim of Hiraeth. The graphic at the beginning of the post was also done by Kim. See more of her work at Bookworm Bookmarks.

 

Have you come across a theological term that you don’t understand and you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.