A wonderful resource to have on hand. This handbook is very in depth in it's presentation of the bible. Opening up the meaning and providing great insight for the scholar, student, or individual seeking to better understand and study the word of God. I will be adding this to our resource books and referring to it for homeschool work. I believe it will be an excellent resource for my children as they write history reports and such for their school work.
Thank you Tyndale House for providing this free review copy. ( )

I had trouble deciding how to review this book, since it's not necessarily meant to be read cover-to-cover, but used alongside the Bible as a study guide. Flipping through the pages, it's apparent that nearly every aspect that I can think of regarding the Bible is addressed in the text, such as format, author, audience, theme, writing style, timeline, purpose, cast of characters, both general and specific topics highlighted in the Bible, flow, places, definitions, historical references, and even tips for reading and studying the Bible. Each book is addressed separately, quotes from other sources are scattered across the pages, and interesting factoids are made mention of in the margins. A One Year Bible Reading Plan is also found at the end of the handbook, followed by multiple maps and charts that correspond to information addressed in the handbook.
It is important to note that the Bible version that the writers use when quoting scripture is the English Standard Version (ESV), which I think is poor form. Bible versions now adays are a dime-a-dozen, and everyone thinks that their version is the best and easiest to understand. If a person is going to put out something of this nature, that claims a certain authority in the interpretation of Biblical scripture, they should either be willing to use a wide variety of Bible versions or stick with the version that servived centuries before this modern era of multiple Bible versions - the King James Version (KJV). Bible versions is a hot topic, so I'm not going to dwell on this.
I have been studying the Bible for most of my life, so anything that puts a fresh perspective on the text, I appreciate. I especially like the quotes and fact tidbits, since these are things that I won't get from the Bible alone. I will definitely be using this handbook alongside my Bible reading and study, as well as taking advantage of the One Year Bible Reading Plan, though I won't consider this my only source of Bible reference.

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Resources for studying the Bible are a dime a dozen, today. Every popular pastor or gifted teacher has his own study Bible or commentary set. Teacher’s handbooks, small group study guides, commentaries of all kinds, and big thick dictionaries abound. Many of these resource tools aren’t all that helpful, and some are outdated. Others are too bulky to be accessible, or too compact to be worth one’s time.

Enter, Ryken’s Bible Handbook (Tyndale). This handy, manageable volume stands apart in both its convenience and its worth. A wide variety of helpful material is arranged and presented in an attractive and accessible format.

Following the Bible handbook pattern, the information is arranged book by book through all 66 books of the Bible. The stress is on how best to read and understand the content of each particular book. Articles on Bible narratives, wisdom literature, prophecy, parables and more are placed at important positions throughout the handbook. And the book also cross-references these helpful articles often enough to ensure they remain useful (and not forgotten).

A fact sheet with information about the author, audience and special features of each book sets the stage. This is followed by an outline and a discussion of literary forms, key characters, doctrines and themes, and tips for reading or teaching the book. Next the flow of the book is traced so one can catch a sense of the whole. Interspersed throughout are helpful charts and a collection of quotes from Bible teachers and pastors. A discussion of the challenges to reading the book, and a guide to applying it are also included.

The handbook excels at keeping things simple yet providing real help. It manages to remain neutral on most theological controversies, aiming to equip one to read the Biblical book rather than actually teaching a theological position drawn from specific passages.

I found the article on parables to be particularly well done. That section makes the point that parables hint at something “alongside”. “It is untrue that you can find only one theme or ‘point’ in a parable. Most parables employ multiple themes or ideas.” (pg. 447) This emphasis for me is especially important as I’ve seen other books on reading the Bible stress the opposite, which seems to contradict Christ’s own interpretation of parables and leans to heavily on rationalistic scholarship.

Even if you disagree in a few places with the book, that won’t take away from it’s overall usefulness. Sunday school teachers, Bible students of all ages, pastors and parents will find this book very helpful. I heartily recommend it.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Tyndale House for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

An expanded version of this review is available at CrossFocusedReviews.com, where you can find book excerpts, giveaways, promotional offers, audio reviews and more. ( )

While there are plenty of people who do not know about the Bible and do not care to know, there are many who really want to read the Bible and understand what it is saying. Many such persons experience difficulty when trying to make sense of the Bible-- it seems to be a foreign book to people in the twenty-first century. Many others labor under misunderstandings and misapprehensions about the nature of the Bible and the various books contained therein.

There is value, therefore, in having resources available that are easily accessible and yet clear about the nature of the Bible and the individual books that comprise it. Ryken's Bible Handbook, written by Leland Ryken, Philip Ryken, and James Wilhoit, is one such resource. The work presents an introduction to the Bible, a discussion of each individual book of the Bible, articles on issues related to the message of the Bible, a one year Bible reading plan, and many helpful maps.

Bible handbooks are nothing new, but Ryken's Bible Handbook is especially valuable because it focuses on the literary aspects of the Bible. The introduction explores how we got the Bible, why it was written, its form, its characters, and its overarching story. The discussion of each book features a general outline of the book, a fact sheet about the book, points of overview of the book, a short description of the substance or events of the book and how they flow and work together, suggestions on how to read, apply, and teach the book, and "perspectives" on the book-- quotes from various people regarding the book.

Thus, Ryken's Bible Handbook is a helpful accessory for Bible study-- it does present historical and contextual material, like other Bible handbooks, but the literary analysis and approach is rather unique and extremely beneficial for proper understanding of the various books of the Bible, how they are to be understood, and how they all work together.

The book suffers from some challenges. The authors promote Protestant and Calvinistic doctrines-- faith only, Augustinian-Calvinist views on predestination and election, and a lack of clarity about covenant distinction. Leland Ryken worked on the translation of the English Standard Version (ESV), and it is quoted in many places, but the main translation that is used is the New Living Translation because it is published by Tyndale. The ESV is preferable for its greater fidelity to the original Hebrew and Greek.

Yet there are other praiseworthy elements of the book. The authors recognize the dual nature of fulfillment of prophecies in the Old Testament, and advocate and practice contextual interpretation before finding Christological or soteriological interpretations of passages. The Psalms are recognized as presenting a range of human emotions that may go beyond what God specifically wills. While the authors promote the "Olivet Discourse" of Matthew 24-25/Mark 13/Luke 21 as referring to the "end times," their discussion of Revelation is bereft of dispensational premillenialism, instead focusing on the symbolic nature of the work and the use of the symbols therein, and declaring that at least part if not most of what John saw in the vision has taken place and/or continues to take place in cyclical patterns.

Ryken's Bible Handbook is a useful resource in working to interpret the Bible, and has value for students, teachers, and preachers. As long as one is mindful of the Protestant perspective of the authors, one can find a lot of structures and ideas that make the message of the Bible make sense. If you have found it challenging to understand the nature, purpose, structure, and literary methods of the Bible, or find it challenging to teach regarding such matters, Ryken's Bible Handbook will be of great value to you!

*- book received from Tyndale as part of an early review program. ( )