Orange Proverbs and Purple Parables

In the words of Saint Augustine, the Bible is long, complicated, and difficult to read. Orange Proverbs & Purple Parables is a book about reading the Bible. How does one become a more spiritually discerning and critically appreciative reader of the Holy Scriptures? What does it take to become a better interpreter of biblical texts? This book explores wide-ranging approaches and considerations germane to the enterprise of reading. The catch phrase used throughout the book is that of reading the Holy Scriptures as scripture. What goes into reading the Bible as scripture? What are some of the major elements inherent in this endeavor that should be of concern to the one who aspires to become a deep, thoughtful reader and an effective interpreter? This book weaves through a labyrinth of characters and disciplines as it explores this enterprise of reading the Holy Scriptures. The likes of Chomsky, Augustine, neuroscience, Barth, linguistics, theological interpretation, Origen, metaphor theory, devotional reading, and Jerome, along with many more people and fields of inquiry, are all garnered to encourage the reader in an exploration of the enterprise of reading the Holy Scriptures. ""In this invitation to encounter the personal and living voice of God in Scripture, Brookman draws from the rich stores of both ancient and modern scholarship as he orients and guides readers to open the Bible's pages with humility and readiness to listen and be changed by the work of God's Spirit. Accessible for non-specialists and yet satisfyingly well-documented for those more experienced in the art of spiritual reading."" --Bob Stallman, Professor of Bible and Hebrew, Northwest University ""Winsomely written and delightfully entertaining, Brookman is prepared to launch you on a quest, a journey to cultivate reading the Holy Scriptures as just that: Scripture. Expect no laborious lists of how-to rules. Rather, what awaits you is thought-invoking contemplation to start you on your voyage."" --Gary Long, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies, Bethel University ""Most books about interpreting the Bible fall into a rather strange trap: while the writers [try] to make the nature of Scripture clear, the writing . . . is often ironically obscure. Brookman cuts through all that. What he writes about interpreting the Scripture encompasses a remarkable array of concepts from a variety of academic disciplines, but what is truly remarkable is the clarity of his exposition. He writes with colorful prose and illuminating illustrations. This book is a must-read."" --Jerry Camery-Hoggatt, Professor of Narrative Theology and New Testament, Vanguard University W. R. Brookman is Professor of Biblical Studies at North Central in Minneapolis where he teaches courses in Old Testament, Hebrew, and archaeology. He is a former Andrew Mellon Faculty Fellow at Harvard University where he taught in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. He has wide-ranging interests in antiquity, culture, and languages.