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/lit/ - Literature

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6689665 No.6689665 [Reply] [Original]

I'm gonna read the bibble. I'm not religious. I'm just interested in it. Amazing Athiests pls go.

My question is, with such a huge fucking work, how do you ensure you'll retain at least part of it? Take notes, excerpts? I'm reluctant to do that because I feel what will happen if I do this is,
1. I take the notes, creating a very small representation of the work in my own words, as a means of retaining the actual work
2. I forgot what was in the actual work and my idea of it will be based on my (inevitably flawed) notes the more time passes

Do you take notes? How do you ensure they're well done and representative of the work? Do you compare them to other people's notes or something?

>> No.6689686

>>6689665
>taking notes for personal reading
There isn't going to be a test except for the one God gives you during the rapture.

You will probably end up reading certain parts multiple times. Don't worry about not retaining it, it's a dense work full of metaphor. Just read one book at a time, Genesis, Exodus, skip leviticus, etc.

>> No.6689694

its really something you must read twice. just yolo read it the first time, then go back through. its an easy fast read the second time and you can just mark interesting passages with tabs.

>> No.6689728

>>6689665
Get a Norton Critical Edition because it will have tons of extra notes in there for you.

>> No.6689731

>>6689686
>skip leviticus
why

>> No.6689738

>>6689728
i have the oxford annotated one. it's got shitloads of annotations, prefaces, endnotes, maps and stuff

>> No.6689751

>>6689738
Oh okay, enjoy.

>> No.6689790

>>6689665
I'd say pay attention to certain symbols that recur throughout the whole book, like the mountain, the city, the lamb, wine, red thread, the wilderness, etc. These can help you get a sense of the sweep of the whole thing. Though it is a collection of books, it is arranged as a vaguely chronological narrative.

Don't get bogged down in the details and if the part you're reading isn't interesting, skim forward to something more of interest.

Enjoy!

>> No.6689799

>>6689738
The Norton Critical is waaaaaaaay bettter

>> No.6689811

>>6689799
the OAB has more content. anyways i think both will suffice.

>>6689790
ty

>> No.6689828

Don't read the whole thing cover to cover in the first go. Genesis and Exodus are amazing and you should read them completely, but when the Jews start wandering around in the desert, the books Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are mostly concerned with recording ancient Jewish laws. There are still some accessible and important parts of these books, but you should really find a guide written by a biblical expert that advises people how to proceed.

>> No.6689830
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6689830

>>6689686
I wouldn't SKIP Leviticus, but I would maybe emphasize that that book has certain laws that really don't apply to us today, but at the same time can be seen as valuable as a means of understanding how a particular society related to God. It's all part of the development of humanity's tale of rebuilding their relationship to God.

>>6689665
I personally don't know if I'd recommend just reading the whole thing cover-to-cover, although I don't have an alternative method to suggest. It's a huge book, and each book within is going to come from a different time and say different things. All are valuable as a means of spiritual growth and learning, not as literal exposition of reality. I personally would recommend having a secondary source or two with you to give you a sense of the historical context that the individual books were written in and put it in a larger theological context. I took a biblical studies course a couple years ago, and we used link-related. There's a newer edition out now, so feel free to pick out a new/used 1st/2nd edition as you please and as your budget allows. As you find particular books you like, look for other writings on those particular books. Obviously the gospels and letters of Paul have hundreds of books written about each of them, but there is plenty written about every book of the bible if you find a particular book you find interesting.
http://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Harris-Exploring-Bible-1st/dp/B00N4FG232/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1434334069&sr=8-5&keywords=exploring+the+bible+harris

>> No.6691716

Read about the divisions of the Bible.

For the Pentateuch, just summarise every chapter in a few sentences. Easy since it's so embedded in popular and folk culture.

For the OT stuff after the Pentateuch, slog through it until you get to the Wisdom literature, then just enjoy that.

Then the NT is easy. Synoptic gospels are easy as fuck, and then epistles you can mostly Wiki for their later theological importance if you care. Then Revelations is fun and Apocrypha is fun too.

Bible really isn't as daunting as it looks. Only the Pentateuch and parts before the Wisdom segments are sloggish.

>> No.6691740

>>6689665
do like the monks did and copy the bible in your handwriting. throw in aome illustrations when youre bored. youll retain loads

>> No.6692161

You know someone's shitposting if they misspell their baitwords on purpose so as to avoid filters.