Interpreting Biblical Literature: An Introduction to Biblical Studies

Author: Michael R. Cosby
Paperback: 424 pages
Publisher: Stony Run Publishing
Year: 2009
ISBN: 9780982477403

Buy: See Stony Run Publishing Website for ordering information.

I would like to send my thanks to Mike Cosby and Stony Run Publishing for sending a copy of his book, hot off the presses.

Starting Off. In my experience, most introductory textbooks in biblical studies emphasize either the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible or the New Testament, or perhaps some smaller division (e.g., wisdom literature, the letters of Paul, etc.). Only a few have hit the market and not usually written by one person. The reason seems obvious: it’s hard for one person to be able to cover the entire biblical corpus! Most scholars are not only specialists within their “testament,” but also their own little corner of that larger area (e.g., the Gospels)–and even then, within their own particularly methodology (e.g., narrative criticism). But many institutions offer survey courses in the entire Bible, preferably calling for a single textbook to address the entire Bible. From my reading, Michael Cosby’s Interpreting Biblical Literature: An Introduction to Biblical Studies is now the textbook to beat in that market. Overall, Cosby offers an engaging and approachable style, while remaining impressively comprehensive in scope.

Cosby, Pedagogy, and Stony Run Publishing. First of all, Michael Cosby–Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek at Messiah College–is a good scholar. He received his Ph.D. in New Testament from Emory University (1985), where he specialized in rhetoric and wrote a dissertation on Hebrews 11. He worked closely with his dissertation advisor, Arthur W. Wainwright, and with William L. Lane. Cosby has since worked particularly with the rhetoric of Paul (e.g., see his essay, “Galatians: Red Hot Rhetoric”).

Cosby’s excellent textbook, however, was borne not only out of his own scholarship, but also his experience teaching countless introductory courses on the Bible, particularly at Messiah College. Cosby has been engaged in discussions regarding pedagogy of the Bible for some time. His other textbooks, Portraits of Jesus and more recently, Apostle on the Edge (Westminster John Knox Press; due out next month) take an inductive approach to the study of Jesus and Paul respectively, pushing students to engage the biblical texts themselves and try to work through important questions regarding historical and cultural contexts. I understand that he had a difficult time trying to publish a general guide to biblical studies with an attractive and interactive format for students–while also keeping the textbook affordable. That dilemma was the impetus for the creation of Stony Run Publishing, a newly established organization that is off to a good start with this textbook! The end product is a sturdy paperback with a beautiful presentation.

Full Disclosure. Mike Cosby was my undergraduate advisor at Messiah College and played a significant role in my own pursuit of biblical studies. This book is largely modeled after the lessons he would teach in his introduction to biblical studies courses. I can still remember many of his insights and analogies that are now printed in the book. I took the intro class during my first semester in college and it marked a transition for me, going from my fundamentalist high school days into a new, broader and critical engagement with the Bible. If it weren’t for his timely class, I may not be where I am today, pursuing the academic and pedagogical career that I am. I hope that others can now find similar inspiration from his printed introduction to biblical studies.

That said, I want to underscore the fact that my praise for this volume comes out of my own experience and research since my days at Messiah, which have only served to confirm how good I had it there as a biblical studies major.

A detailed review will follow . . .