Some books on how to read the Bible are academically informative, but their rationality can make God seem distant. Other books are spiritually vibrant but provide few tools that truly help God's people read the Bible better. Readers need a guide that combines the academic with the spiritual--that integrates textual analysis with the illuminating and transformational work of the Holy Spirit.

Drawing from his experience training students to study the Bible, Andrew Abernethy provides a holistic method that helps readers listen carefully to what God was saying to the original audience and what God is saying to us today. Using clear examples, he lays out six steps:

• Posture
• Flow
• Context
• Whole Bible
• Savor God
• Faithful response

Chapters provide guidance on interpreting biblical genres, factoring in historical backgrounds, reading each passage in context, tracing the redemptive storyline of Scripture, and more. Then, building on a strong grasp of Scripture's meaning, readers engage the traditional practice of lectio divina and consider how to respond faithfully to the text. The goal, Abernethy says, is to encounter God and to be shaped by the Word as we savor its richness.

Filled with practical features such as illustrations, maps, timelines, and discussion questions, Savoring Scripture is a valuable guide for students and anyone who wants to study the Bible more effectively. God has given us a Bible that is for the hungry--for those willing both to depend on God for provision and to put in the mental effort to enjoy the feast.

Abernethy, Andrew

Andrew Abernethy (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He is the author of Eating in Isaiah, The Book of Isaiah and God's Kingdom, God's Messiah in the Old Testament, and Discovering Isaiah.