Talking Back to the Bible: A Historian's Approach to Bible Study

In a fascinating rumination, Edward G. Simmons combines a lifetime's experiences and biblical research in a voice that is as comfortable and welcoming as if one was seated in an easy chair in his study. With his fierce intellect and honesty, Simmons layers his philosophical lessons with personal insights and the latest discoveries of science.

"The audience, I hope, will be anyone who enjoys studying the Bible and prefers seeking new and challenging insights rather than devotional rehashing of traditional messages. Pastors, scholars, students, and anyone in quest of spiritual insight through Bible study should find these conversations entertaining, challenging, and inspirational. My hopes would be met if such readers found the insights presented here did indeed promote a stronger sense of relationship with God."

Edward G. Simmons

About the Author

Dr. Edward G. Simmons was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1943. A graduate of Mercer University, he earned both an M.A. and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Simmons taught history at Appalachian State University until he was drafted to serve during the Vietnam era. Stationed in California then Georgia, he served in the Air Force.

Following his military tenure, Dr. Simmons became an expert in the field of organizational management as a result of thirty-four years of service for the Georgia Department of Human Resources, during which, in addition to consulting for top-level managers in various

Whether one is religious, historically minded, both, or simply a passionate student of rhetoric, Talking Back to the Bible is essential reading for understanding Christian texts equally through a factual and spiritual lens and, ultimately, applying this balanced and open approach to all facets of study and life. -- Charles Asher, Phi Beta Kappa Reviews

2017 Illumination Awards Gold Medal Winner
Jenkins Group is proud to announce the winners of the Fourth Annual Illumination Book Awards. The awards are designed to honor and bring increased recognition to the year's best new titles written and published with a Christian worldview.
The Gold Medal Winner in the category of Spirituality is Talking Back to the Bible.-- Announcement by Jenkins Group

Talking Back to the Bible can be a unique and useful tool in Christian education. It would be a valuable resource for church groups - including Sunday School classes, special study groups, and Bible study groups - to confront challenging and confusing Biblical passages. Edward Simmons offers up insights and perspectives that will give rise to thoughtful and penetrating discussion.

Rev.Dr. Benjamin T. Jordan, Associate Professor of the Practice, Engineering Management,
Vanderbilt University School of Engineering
Retired Elder in the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church
 
 
In working through the book I have enjoyed it and found it helpful with some new lenses to use in looking at the biblical narratives. The format of starting with questions that people naturally ask and then responding to those questions with a clear distinction between what a historian sees and what the "eye of faith" sees is a very good invitation to a way of thinking that will be helpful to many.
 
Rev. Dr. J. Colin Harris, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies,
Mercer University
 
Talking Back to the Bible, is the most honest account of a spiritual journey that I have ever read. The author concludes that it is most important for human beings to affirm a God with whom they can have a relationship. Having relationships with others is a human need. The Bible, it turns out, is the record of human beings documenting their relationship with God.  This opens up a new way of reading the Bible. When human beings read the Bible they are engaging in an ongoing conversation.  As in all relationships, there is give and take, talking to and talking back, asking and listening, becoming closer and at times pulling farther apart. 

Dr.Andrea Croce Birch
Dean,College of Fine Arts and Humanities
Dean,Undergraduate School
Professor of Philosophy
Brenau University
 
When I was a child, I would get in into trouble talking back to my parents. So naturally,  I was intrigued with the book's title and context. The book pleasantly surprised me with the fluid movement of the text and the lens through which it was interpreted. The story line sheds new light on aspects of familiar verses that I have tended to overlook when delving into scripture from a homiletical perspective. I appreciated how the writer infused personal testimony with impactful insight to help make the text even more meaningful to contemporary life. This is truly a remarkable text that has reminded me not to limit how we approach the various ways in which we study the Bible. I would recommend this book to anyone who has doubts about faith and life while on this journey we all walk.

Rev.Shon Peppers
Associate Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
Gainesville,GA

Simmons, a continuing-education teacher at Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga., combines Bible study with historical perspective to challenge traditional views on the life of Jesus and the themes of the Old Testament. In 38 chapters that he calls conversations, Simmons offers his take on various topics that he examines in light of their historical context. His study can be controversial at times,especially for readers from more-conservative backgrounds, with chapters titled "Did Jesus Use a Bathroom?" "Why Jesus Wasn't a Christian," and"Can God be Trusted?" But the author believes that asking these sorts of questions and measuring them against the historical context will allow the reader to go deeper into a personal understanding of God and the Bible. Simmons argues that viewing Jesus through modern glasses results in different, more useful interpretations. When examining Jesus in the context of what people believed at the time, for example, Jesus becomes more human (with all the attendant temptations of humanity) and a man with a mission rather than a messiah. Although it is somewhat scattered, the book offers fresh perspectives on everything from passages about Daniel's visions to modern worship. (Book Life)
Publishers Weekly