Genesis for Normal People

A Guide to the Most Controversial, Misunderstood, and Abused Book of the Bible (Second Edition w/ Study Guide) (The Bible for Normal People)

By: Peter Enns, Jared Byas

Narrated by: Peter Enns, Jared Byas

Given the fever-pitched controversies about evolution, Adam and Eve, and scientific evidence for the Flood, the average person might feel intimidated by the book of Genesis. But behind the heady debates is a terrific story—one that anyone can understand, and one that has gripped people for ages. If you are not a Bible scholar but want to be able to listen to Genesis and understand its big picture, this brief, witty book is the guide you've been waiting for. Clear summaries and thought-provoking questions provide direction for personal reflection and group discussion. Peter Enns, a Biblical Studies professor, and Jared Byas, an Old Testament professor, summarize the book's key themes and help us see Genesis as an ancient story, one with continued relevance for human experience today.

Genesis for Normal People illuminates the characters that fill the book of Genesis, causing us to resonate with their choices and struggles even as we marvel at their distant world. And that's what you'll find here—not scientific proof texts or simple moral tales, but a distant world made available, and a story that is often strange, sometimes dangerous, and always filled with rich possibilities.

“This book is a welcome antidote to the mystification about the book of Genesis that goes around. It is accessible for readers who want to take the plunge into this old text. It is gentle in leading readers to a critical sense of the text in response to a 'late' trauma in Israel. It is imaginative in its articulation of a book that might otherwise be off-putting. The convergence of accessibility, gentleness, and imagination make this a very fine read.” (Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus, Columbia Theological Seminary)

©2020 The Bible for Normal People (P)2021 The Bible for Normal People

Mind= blown

Incredible! I suggest reading/listening to each chapter twice to truly process all the insights. This was the most helpful book I’ve read so far in order to understand the Bible.

Seeing Genesis through Ancient Eyes

Wonderful exploration of Genesis as a set of stories of Israel's beginnings to the people of God in exile.

Pete and Jared are so good

These fellas have a good grasp on the world of the ancient near east. There are a few instances I wish they would have uncovered a little more for us, and I would like to have seen more Jed&p type stuff but overall, like everything they do, this was great!

Love the book-where's the study guide?

I've read multiple books by Pete Enns and/or Jared Byas-learned from and enjoyed every single one, including this one. But after downloading on my phone and listening to it on a couple of LONG driving days, I wanted to go back and listen again with my bible open and the "study guide" mentioned in the title. So here I am in my library on Audible.com to discover there is no downloadable PDF for this book. There is NO study guide if you buy the Audible version. Would it really be that hard to include what is touted as the feature of this edition for those who, by preference or by need, do a lot of our "reading" by lilstening? Yes, there is certainly much to be learned by simply listening to the book. Yes, both Pete and Jared are easy to listen to. But I bought this book for the book AND the study guide. Very disappointed.

A compelling story

It just makes more sense than the traditional understanding of the book of Genesis.