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The Bible (TV Series)

tsywake

tsywake

Sheikh of Smoke
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Anyone watching this on the History Channel? Its been averaging 10 million+ viewers each week so far. The show is much more ruthless and gory than I envisioned the Bible being, but from what I've read, that is how things were back then. Its interesting to see all of the major stories that I learned growing up in church presented in chronological order, and which ones they've chosen to leave out. It really helps illustrate how it all ties together. Of course my wife, who went to Christian School through middle school is nitpicking some discrepancies, but overall it seems to be acclaimed.
 
tsywake said:
Anyone watching this on the History Channel? Its been averaging 10 million+ viewers each week so far. The show is much more ruthless and gory than I envisioned the Bible being, but from what I've read, that is how things were back then. Its interesting to see all of the major stories that I learned growing up in church presented in chronological order, and which ones they've chosen to leave out. It really helps illustrate how it all ties together. Of course my wife, who went to Christian School through middle school is nitpicking some discrepancies, but overall it seems to be acclaimed.
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A disclaimer- I haven't watched any of it. That being said, I've heard from several seminary classmates who have watched it that it's full of holes. Also, let us not forget that anytime we approach the Bible, it is translated and translation carries the biases of the translator. So even though it purports to just dramatize the stories, they are also being interpreted in many ways. Glad it's getting good press though, perhaps it will inspire folks to pick up a copy and read it. And towards that end, we're doing a Bible Challenge (reading the Bible in a year) at my church. If you're interested in that, let me know and I can get you a reading guide/schedule.
 
As an atheist who has read the bible cover to cover more than once, if you read it as a work of fiction or at least a dramatization of real life events, it's one of the best books ever written. If you read it as inerrant truth, it's fucking terrifying.
 
RevDeac06 said:
A disclaimer- I haven't watched any of it. That being said, I've heard from several seminary classmates who have watched it that it's full of holes. Also, let us not forget that anytime we approach the Bible, it is translated and translation carries the biases of the translator. So even though it purports to just dramatize the stories, they are also being interpreted in many ways. Glad it's getting good press though, perhaps it will inspire folks to pick up a copy and read it. And towards that end, we're doing a Bible Challenge (reading the Bible in a year) at my church. If you're interested in that, let me know and I can get you a reading guide/schedule.
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That is what my wife also said. I think in order to move the story along, they have to skip some stories, or else it'd be a 60 hour long series and people would lose interest. Which stories they chose to skip, I believe came from the book A Story of God and All of Us, which the series is based.

Do you intend to eventually watch the series? I know I've heard of a few different Bible studies that are arising out of it. I'd welcome you sending the reading guide/schedule to me. I've wanted to read it from cover to cover, but have never been able to get into it with the version of the Bible I currently own. Any contemporary versions you'd suggest?
 
I respect everyone's views about the Bible. I have read it from the beginning to the end a couple of times. I just can't find any religion in it.
 
What is your favorite bible story?

I think mine would be the story of Sharch, Meshach and Abednego. Followed closely by most of the crazy shit in Revelations.
 
2 Kings 2:23-24

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
 
1 Kings 18:25-27

[25] And Saul said: Speak thus to David: The king desireth not any dowry, but only a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies. Now Saul thought to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines.

[26] And when his servants had told David the words that Saul had said, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David to be the king's son in law. [27] And after a few days David rose up, and went with the men that were under him, and he slew of the Philistines two hundred men, and brought their foreskins and numbered them out to the king, that he might be his son in law. Saul therefore gave him Michol his daughter to wife.
 
We've been DVRing it and have watched the first 2 episodes. Will probably watch episode 3 from last night in the next couple of days.

Yes, there are holes, but I've been impressed with the production of the show. It is definitely showing the Old Testament God as an angry God who doesn't have much patience when his people ignore his instructions.

I've considered taking Disciple 1 through my church as a full-Bible study, but haven't been able to get my arms around the 36 week commitment and the associated reading.
 
As much as I love poking fun at all the weird, wild, vindictive stuff in the Bible, Hebrews is a work of masterful genius. One of my favorite pieces of world literature.
 
I've been watching it off and on. The story of Abraham and Isaac just about had me in tears, even knowing the outcome. Abraham knowing what he had to do, and keeping the truth from Isaac until the end, and the realization and wailing of Sarah, was all heartwrenching.

Jesus' interaction with Satan during the 40 days in the wilderness during last nights episode was awesome as well.
 
tsywake said:
That is what my wife also said. I think in order to move the story along, they have to skip some stories, or else it'd be a 60 hour long series and people would lose interest. Which stories they chose to skip, I believe came from the book A Story of God and All of Us, which the series is based.

Do you intend to eventually watch the series? I know I've heard of a few different Bible studies that are arising out of it. I'd welcome you sending the reading guide/schedule to me. I've wanted to read it from cover to cover, but have never been able to get into it with the version of the Bible I currently own. Any contemporary versions you'd suggest?
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No, don't plan to watch it. While I'm sure it would be entertaining, I've got a stack of books that I'd much rather read. I agree that you'd have to skip a lot to keep it on the manageable end, but what you skip can color a lot. We've got over 60 people doing the Bible Challenge here and it's been great, even had a few open-topic Bible studies to answer questions and discuss stories.

The translation that I'm using now is the standard academic NRSV-New Revised Standard Version. The contemporary version that I'm liking right now is the Common English Bible. It's quite new (2011) and is different from other modern translations in that has some really solid background/research from an ecumenical and scholarly field of translators.

As far as a reading plan- here is a PDF. It started on Ash Wednesday, but you can easily adapt it to any 365 day period. Or PM me your email address and I can send you the Excel template and you can then very easily change the dates yourself and use that.
 
I'm a graduate student in Biblical Studies. This show is horrendous.

Edited to add: RevDeac, out of the modern translations, the Common English Bible is actually pretty good. I know several of the translators and they are top notch. The NRSV is the main translation we use in non Hebrew/Greek classes.
 
Bronson Pinchot said:
2 Kings 2:23-24

23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
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heavy shit, dude.
 
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