The Book of Genesis: Question by Question

This volume represents the launch of The Bible Question by Question series. Intended for Bible study groups, individual reading, or classroom use, the volumes in this series provide a methodical approach to Bible study that incorporates the practical insights of modern biblical research. The Book of Genesis: Question by Question was designed to assist individuals or groups who are planning to read the entire book of Genesis, and who want to gain a full understanding of its meaning, its authorship, and the circumstances under which it was written. This book is not intended to compete with major commentaries, but rather to guide readers who want to work with the Genesis stories right away, and who can subsequently develop an appetite for some of the wealth of fine details found in other modern reference works. Readers are encouraged to develop religious appreciations and overviews as they progress toward the end of the journey, rather than at the start. This book is divided into a series of sections based on individual stories or remarks made by the various authors and editors of Genesis. For each section an introduction provides the basic information needed to read that biblical story in line with current scholarship, but much comment and analysis is held in reserve until the readers have moved on to try their hand at the questions. The answers at the end of the book should be consulted by readers after they have invested time in reflection and in writing down their own responses. In each section the conclusions that follow the question and answer process are meant to be practical rather than exhaustive, since the goal is to move on to the next section with the same plan―to get hands on the verses of the next story. Taken together, this book provides an excellent introduction to Genesis, and constitutes the ideal launch of what is destined to be a widely popular series for Bible study. †