Fortress Press

"Serving as an expert tour guide, Jerry Sumney provides informed, understandable, and interesting descriptions of the biblical terrain from Genesis to Revelation, calling attention both to prominent features and important particulars. 'Tourists' who have been this way before as well as those who have not will profit from the knowledge that Sumney shares on this enlightening journey through the Bible."

“The challenge many of my students have is first being willing to critique the Bible as a piece of literature. Many of them do not believe it is appropriate to do so. The Sumney volume helps them to realize they can still be faithful yet also think critically about their faith and Scripture.”

"This comprehensive guide to the Bible, full of helpful charts and illustrations, will prove a valuable resource both in the classroom and for personal study. Sumney keeps an excellent balance between the big picture—for those beginning to explore the Bible—and the more sophisticated details that will assist those who seek to expand their biblical knowledge."

“I selected Sumney for my class because, honestly, I thought my freshman students would be more likely to read it. It features type that's easy on the eyes and includes full-color photos on nearly every page. Sumney's text allows me to assign them manageable readings over the topics we'll be covering for the day. I've found Sumney to be a helpful summarizer of the biblical narratives we cover for each day.”

"Jerry Sumney's The Bible: An Introduction provides a clear, concise, and engaging invitation to the study of the most influential book on the history of Western civilization, without sacrificing either the complexities of academic approaches to biblical studies or the nuances of people's relationships with biblical texts within all kinds of communities of commitment. This book embodies such a delicate balance, struck so appropriately, and should not be overlooked!"

"What amazed me was how this textbook united [the class] in a quest for understanding the Bible and in an experience of being a community despite our differences. Here is a quote from one of the young men. 'In this class, we all pushed forward and studied biblical texts hand in hand, regardless of religious identification or beliefs. This was definitely something I thought was cool.'  What a testimony!  What made this happen? Multiple students noted that this textbook is 'like a conversation that I can actually follow.'”