More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion and Morality Hardcover - 1993

The popularity of Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality led him to take another good look at the good book, a further examination of the Scriptures, designed to interest the average reader in reasonable analysis of the most influential document in Western civilization. Like his previous book, More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, and Morality is arranged alphabetically with totally new entries. Although the Bible has been referred to, quoted from, and applied to broad social issues and private problems for centuries, Allen asserts that the degree of common ignorance as to its content is vast and deep. Noting that adults rarely read the Bible, Allen is convinced that the millions who do read it are not able to understand certain passages at all. Steve Allen's Bible study began during his travels: he would peruse the Bibles found in any hotel room, marking passages that would strike him as extraordinary, beautiful - or extremely confusing. Spellbound by the mystery of it, he became aware that from the very beginning the text leads not just to scholarly argument, but directly to controversy that has, over the centuries and even today, fostered unaccountable slaughter and atrocity. And, he notes, it is perhaps of greater urgency now than ever before that all Americans become conversant with the Bible, because of those who would use it as a weapon to force their views on the rest of the population. Throughout the book, Allen offers direct quotes from biblical scholars - Catholic, Protestant, Judaic - in addition to generous references to the views of various scholarly specialists. His goal - to make people think reasonably about the Bible - is achieved through clear andreadable prose.