Our Books

Books Owned and Read

My interest in Christian Origins and the historic Jesus began in earnest in early 2022 due to the influence of Rev. Dr. Henry “Digger” Creel. Then, Dr. James D. Tabor’s book, The Jesus Dynasty, showed me what the origins quest could yield once the message of Paul was understood, the real message of Jesus could be seen, and access to more factual history that is not theologically biased. The italicized text below is from Amazon or other websites. If you found this page then know that when you click a link and find yourself on an Amazon page I will NOT make anything if you buy the book. This is my “library catalog” for personal use and is not a list of books I necessarily recommend.

  1. By Dr. James Tabor
    1. The Jesus Dynasty: A New Historical Investigation of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity ***** – Dr. James Tabor. Ordered on October 5, 2022. Draws on ancient documents and recent archaeological discoveries to present a controversial alternative interpretation of early Christian history that claims that Jesus intended for His changes to be contained within Israel and that Paul deviated from Jesus’s plan by bringing Christianity into the Roman Empire. 
    2. Paul & Jesus, How the Apostle Transformed Christianity *** – Dr. James Tabor. Ordered on January 5, 2023. A very good comparison of what Paul taught versus Jesus.
    3. The Jesus Discovery: The New Archaeological Find That Reveals the Birth of Christianity ****- Dr. James Tabor. Ordered February 19, 2023.
    4. The Book of Genesis: A New Translation from the Transparent English Bible by James D. Tabor. Format: Paperback and Kindle. Good intro about translations.
    5. Paul’s Ascent to Paradise: The Apostolic Message and Mission of Paul in the Light of His Mystical Experiences *** Paperback – Ordered August 19, 2020 – Dr. James D. Tabor. In this “compulsively readable exploration of the tangled world of Christian origins” (Publishers Weekly), religious historian James Tabor illuminates the earliest years of Jesus’ teachings before Paul shaped them into the religion we know today. This fascinating examination of the earliest years of Christianity reveals how the man we call St. Paul shaped Christianity as we know it today.
    6. Selections from the Hebrew Bible: A New Translation from the Transparent English Bible, Paperback – August 2, 2022 by James D. Tabor (Author). Purchased 3/22/2024. The Transparent English Bible is an ongoing effort to produce a fresh new English translation of the Hebrew Bible. The idea behind this unique translation is to allow the read to peer through the English to the underlying Hebrew, preserving the rhythm, idioms, and cadence of the original. It is impeccably accurate and brings into English the freshness and feeling of reading the Hebrew directly. It makes reading the Bible a wholly new experience. The entire Book of Genesis has already been published in 2020.
    7. Restoring Abrahamic Faith ***** by James D. Tabor (Author) ordered 5/19/2025. Attempts to set forth in a clear and engaging style an exposition of the ancient Hebrew Faith as revealed in the Hebrew Bible, with a particular emphasis on Abraham, Moses, the Torah, and the Prophets. It offers a compelling proposal for the 21st century, namely a return to the “ancient paths” of the Hebrew faith with Abraham, the first Hebrew, as a prime model.
    8. The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus, ***** September 30, 2025, by James D. Tabor (Author) “A great leap forward in understanding and contextualizing Mary’s life, after two millennia of her being dismissed and rewritten by patriarchal power structures.” —James Cameron, creator of Avatar, Titanic, and The Terminator
  2. By Dr. Bart Ehrman
    1. Peter, Paul and Mary Magdalene *****: The Followers of Jesus in History and Legend 1st Edition, Kindle Edition by Bart D. Ehrman (Author) Downloaded 3/3/24. – Bart Ehrman … here takes readers on another engaging tour of the early Christian church, illuminating the lives of Jesus’ most intriguing followers: Simon Peter, the Apostle Paul, and Mary Magdalene. …, Ehrman separates fact from fiction, presenting complicated historical issues in a clear and informative way and relating vivid anecdotes culled from the traditions of these three followers. Read March 2024.
    2. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why *****, Kindle Edition by Bart D. Ehrman. Downloaded 8/17/2023. Read by 8/20/2023. When world-class biblical scholar Bart Ehrman first began to study the texts of the Bible in their original languages he was startled to discover the multitude of mistakes and intentional alterations that had been made by earlier translators. In Misquoting Jesus, Ehrman tells the story behind the mistakes and changes that ancient scribes made to the New Testament and shows the great impact they had upon the Bible we use today. 
    3. Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them), ***** Kindle Edition, by Bart D. Ehrman (Author). Ordered 8/14/2023 and read it. This is a great book that is written for a layman with 20% of the pages link to supporting footnotes for his positions.
    4. Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew ***** Kindle Edition by Bart D. Ehrman.  Format: Kindle Edition. Downloaded Oct. 3, 2023.
    5. Jesus Before the Gospels: How the Earliest Christians Remembered, Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior, Kindle Edition by Bart D. Ehrman (Author). This is a great book that presents enlightening info about memories, their fragility, longevity, and impact on the stories past down until the Gospels were written.
    6. How Jesus Became God : the Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee, Kindle Edition, January 1, 2015, by Bart D. Ehrman (Author). Format: Kindle Edition. Downloaded 5/21/2024.
    7. NOT READ – Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium 1st Edition, Kindle Edition by Bart D. Ehrman (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. Downloaded 10/6/2023.
    8. NOT READ – Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament Kindle Edition by Bart D. Ehrman (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition
  3. By Dr. Hugh J. Schonfield – Born Jewish, Schonfield became a liberal Hebrew Christian who sometimes referred to himself as a Nazarene.[2] In 1937 Schonfield was excluded from membership of the International Hebrew Christian Alliance (IHCA),[3] of which he had been a founding member since 1925, due to his unwillingness to affirm the deity of Jesus. (Wikipedia)
    1. The Passover Plot **** – Hugh J. Schonfield, Stephen A. Engelking – Kindle Edition. Read July 2023.
    2. Those Incredible Christians **** – Hugh Schonfield, Stephen Engelking – Kindle Edition. Read June 2023. Very good book. Recommended by Tabor.
    3. The History of Jewish Christianity: From the First to the Twentieth Century Paperback – May 21, 2009 by Hugh J. Schonfield (Author), Bruce Booker (Editor). Written by the late Dr. Hugh J. Schonfield. Re-edited and re-printed by Bruce R. Booker under permission of The Hugh & Helene Schonfield World Service Trust. This is a great book that has been out of print since 1936. It tracks the history of Jewish Christianity since the First Century and why it seems to have virtually disappeared until recent decades – reappearing as the Messianic Movement. Purchased from Amazon on 4/27/2024 as recommended by Tabor and to be a reference for an upcoming series. See Dropbox for the original 1936 edition in pad and epub formats.
  4. By Dr. Richard Elliott Friedman – one of the premier bible scholars in the country. He earned his doctorate at Harvard and was a visiting fellow at Oxford and Cambridge, a Senior Fellow of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Jerusalem, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Haifa.
    1. Who Wrote the Bible? ***** Kindle Edition by Richard Elliott Friedman (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. Recommended by Ehrman, Tabor and Nichols. Downloaded 10/8/2024.A much anticipated reissue of Who Wrote the Bible?—the contemporary classic the New York Times Book Review called “a thought-provoking [and] perceptive guide” that identifies the individual writers of the Pentateuch and explains what they can teach us about the origins of the Bible. Completed 10/14/2024.
    2. The Bible with Sources Revealed **** Paperback – Illustrated, August 16, 2005 by Richard Elliott Friedman (Author). Ordered a used paperback on 10/14/2024. … Friedman offers a new, visual presentation of the Five Books of Moses — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — unlocking the complex and fascinating tapestry of their origins. Different colors and type styles allow readers to easily identify each of the distinct sources, showcasing Friedman’s highly acclaimed and dynamic translation.
    3. The Hidden Book in the Bible *** – September 22, 1998, by Richard Elliott Friedman (Author). Used hardback. Renowned biblical sleuth and scholar Richard Elliott Friedman, author of Who Wrote the Bible?, reveals for the first time his most startling and revolutionary discovery: embedded within the Bible is a continuous narrative that had been sliced apart by ancient editors who interlaced it with other stories, laws, and poetry. It is a singular work of genius, the core of the Bible. Across three millennia, this great work of prose comes back to us–pieced together as it was originally meant to be read–in a fresh and powerful translation.  Far from a primitive first attempt at writing, it is an exciting and complex saga, a passionate work of love, deception, war, and redemption. Readers will experience the story that has not been read as a single continuous narrative for almost three millennia.
  5. By Dr. Marcus Borg
    • The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion To A More Authentic Contemporary Faith, **** Kindle Edition by Marcus J. Borg. Downloaded 10/31/2025. How to have faith — or to even think about God — without having to stifle modern rationality is one of the most crucial challenges facing contemporary religion. In the process of exploring this dilemma, Borg traces his own personal journey. He leads readers from the all-powerful and authoritarian image of the God of his childhood to an equally powerful but more dynamic God who is not only relevant to contemporary seekers, but also more biblical and spiritually authentic. Completed mid Dec 2025. interesting insights along the lines of Process Theology.
    • The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church’s Conservative Icon, **** Kindle Edition by Marcus J. Borg (Author), John Dominic Crossan (Author) John Dominic Crossan and Marcus J. Borg once again shake up the status quo by arguing that the message of the apostle Paul, considered by many to be the second most important figure in Christianity, has been domesticated by the church. Completed 12/26/25. The first half was good history and context, whereas the last half was apologetic.
    • The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith, ***** Reprint Edition, Kindle Edition, by Marcus J. Borg. Downloaded 1/1/2025: World-renowned Jesus scholar argues that the essential ingredients of a Christian life—faith, being born again, the kingdom of God, the gospel of love—are as vitally important today as they have always been, even during this time of conflict and change in the church. Borg wants to show us, as today’s thinking Christians, how to discover a life of faith by reconceptualizing familiar beliefs. Completed 1/5/2026.
    • Not Read — Days of Awe and Wonder: How to Be a Christian in the Twenty-first Century, Kindle Edition by Marcus J. Borg (Author). Downloaded 12/11/2025. Now, two years after the liberal theologian’s death, comes The Days of Awe and Wonder, a selection of his writing, including many never before published works, that explores the Christian faith and what it means to be a Christian in the twenty-first century. Provocative and uplifting, this anthology illuminates Borg’s explorations of the miraculous and wonderful, his understanding of conviction and fulfillment, and his contention that we must keep an open mind and question assumptions and certainties in all our religious journeys.
    • Not Read — Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith, by Marcus J. Borg. Acquired on January 29, 2026. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining.
  6. Concerning the DSS
    1. The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Significance For Understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity **** by James C. Vanderkam. Acquired on October 18, 2023. Very in-depth and detailed but at a layman’s level. Very well organized with good lists of non-canonical books, their contents, and dates.
    2. Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls *** (The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library) Paperback – January 1, 1992 by James H. Charlesworth (Author). Ordered 8/7/2023. A leading expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls explains why they are among the most important archaeological finds in history, and explores how they have revolutionized our understanding of Jesus. Part of: The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library (55 books). Recommended by Tabor.
    3. The First Messiah. Investigating the Savior Before Christ ***** by Michael O. Wise. Used Hardback arrived 10/23/2023. Originally owned by a library in Portland, Oregon. Completed first reading 11/7/2023. A great, thorough book that presents the DSSs and the people who wrote them in a way that made them real. Recommended by Tabor.
    4. The Moses Scroll ***** by Ross Nichols (Author), Daniel Wright (Illustrator), James Tabor (Foreword). Format: Kindle Edition. Purchased on October 25, 2023 and read. A very informative book with great detail and facts. Reads like a historical novel. Recommended by Tabor.
    5. The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation: Info hostinger-com Kindle Edition, by Michael O Wise (Author), Martin G. Abegg Jr. (Author), Edward M. Cook (Author). Downloaded 12/30/2023. 
    6. The Dead Sea Scrolls Today, 2nd Edition, Kindle Edition by James VanderKam. Acquired on December 23, 2023. The premier Dead Sea Scrolls primer ever since its original publication in 1994, James VanderKam’s Dead Sea Scrolls Today won the Biblical Archaeology Society’s Publication Award in 1995 for the Best Popular Book on Biblical Archaeology. In this expanded and updated edition, the book will continue to illuminate the greatest archaeological find in modern times.
    7. The Lost Book of Moses: The Hunt for the World’s Oldest Bible, Kindle Edition by Chanan Tigay (Author). Born in Jerusalem, Tigay holds degrees from Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania, was an Investigative Reporting Fellow at U.C. Berkeley and is a professor of Creative Writing at San Francisco State University. He is currently spending the year at Harvard University as a fellow of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
    8. The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known Bible Translated for the First Time into English Paperback – October 22, 2002, by Martin G. Abegg Jr. (Author), Peter Flint (Author), Eugene Ulrich (Author). Ordered Oct. 19, 2023
    9. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (7th Edition) (Penguin Classics); by Geza Vermes. Kindle Edition
  7. About Mary Magdalene
    1. Gospel of Mary of Magdala, Hardcover, January 1, 2003, by Karen L King (Author). Purchased on Amazon, 11/28/2023. Lost for more than fifteen hundred years, the Gospel of Mary is the only existing early Christian gospel written in the name of a woman. Karen L. King tells the story of the recovery of this remarkable gospel and offers a new translation.
    2. Mary Magdalene Understood, Paperback – October 15, 2006 by Jane Schaberg (Author),  Melanie Johnson-Debaufre (Author). Purchased on Amazon, 11/28/2023. The book begins with a visit to the long-neglected site of ancient Magdala on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Unexcavated and slipping into the sea, Migdal stands as a reminder of the lost history of Mary Magdalene, and of ancient women. From Migdal, the reader moves back in history, looking through Mary’s legends to her fame and notoriety. UNDERSTOOD then explores the silence, conflation, and distortion that characterizes Mary’s afterlife in text and image.
  8. About James, the brother of Jesus
    1. NOT READ – Just James: The Brother of Jesus in History and Tradition (Studies on Personalities of the New Testament – John Painter. Ordered on November 19, 2022. James Tabor said this is the best book about James.— Just James provides a fascinating treatment of Jesus’ brother based on all the ancient sources: New Testament, early church fathers, Nag Hammadi codices, and other early Christian writings. Painter evaluates the importance of this towering figure of the early church whose contributions have been obscured from the consciousness of modern Christianity. The author explores James’ relationship to Jesus, Mary’s perpetual virginity, James’ receipt of special revelations from the risen Lord, and his status as one of the first martyrs of the church.
    2. The Brother of Jesus and the Lost Teachings of Christianity – Jeffrey J. Butz. Ordered January 25, 2005. A great book.
    3. James the Brother of Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Vol. 1 ***- Dr. Robert Eisenman. Ordered on January 22, 2023
    4. NOT READ – James the Brother of Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Vol. 2 – Dr. Robert Eisenman. Ordered on April 5, 2023.
    5. NOT READ– PAUL VS. JAMES: The Battle That Shaped Christianity and Changed The World. FICTION. Kindle Edition by Barrie Wilson (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. Downloaded 5/23/24. Explore the angry world of early Christianity through the eyes of one of the earliest followers of Jesus, a member of the Jewish group headed by James. Enter into the controversy with Paul, a person who never knew Jesus and who radically changed the religion of Jesus to one about him.
  9. The Secret Legacy of Jesus: The Judaic Teachings That Passed from James the Just to the Founding Fathers – Jeffrey J. Butz. Ordered on February 3, 2023. Shows how the true teachings of Jesus were passed down through the centuries and shaped the vision of the Founding Fathers.
  10. The Synoptic Problem: Four Views – Stanley E. Porter & Bryan R. Dyer – Kindle version. Ordered June 18, 2023. This up-to-date introduction articulates and debates the four major views. Following an overview of the issues, leading proponents of each view set forth their positions and respond to each of the other views. A concluding chapter summarizes the discussion and charts a direction for further study.
  11. The Gospel of the Savior, translated from the discovered Coptic version by Charles W. Hedrick and Paul A. Mirecki. The pieces found leave a lot of holes in the text.
  12. Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead?: The Witness of the New Testament (Wipf & Stock, 2000). If you have not read this little 60-page book, but are interested in the history of ideas in western antiquity, it is a must-read. Tabor. Read July 2023. Recommended by Tabor.
  13. The Only True God: Early Christian Monotheism in Its Jewish Context; by James F. McGrath. Format: Kindle Edition. Discussion of monotheism in the time of Jesus and Paul and its various versions.
  14. The Lost Religion of Jesus: Simple Living and Nonviolence in Early Christianity, Kindle Edition by Keith Akers. Read July 2023. Very good presentation of the evolution of Christianity from Jesus’ teaching to what today’s protestants and Catholics teach.
  15. Archaeology of Jesus’ Nazareth Kindle Edition by Ken Dark (Author). Format: Kindle Edition. Read August 2023. Recommended by Tabor here. Archaeology of Jesus’ Nazareth is the first book on the archaeology of first-century Nazareth: Jesus’ hometown in Galilee. Requiring no previous knowledge of biblical history or archaeology, it outlines the latest archaeological evidence, placing the Gospels’ account of Jesus’ youth in the Bible, and the origins of Christian pilgrimage, in a new context. The book concentrates on the fascinating Sisters of Nazareth site in the centre of the present city. Recommended by Tabor.
  16. The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine. Kindle edition was acquired on July 29, 2023 and read in early August. In The Misunderstood Jew, scholar Amy-Jill Levine helps Christians and Jews understand the “Jewishness” of Jesus so that their appreciation of him deepens and a greater interfaith dialogue can take place.
  17. The Quest of the Historical Jesus. Kindle Edition by Albert Schweitzer (Author) Purchased 8/11/2023. A seminal work, Schweitzer’s book brings into focus the social and political currents of Jesus’s time to rebut previous authors’ hypotheses and form an entirely new one of his own. A milestone text in its time, Schweitzer’s book was so dominant that virtually no new scholarly investigations of the historical Jesus were published for decades after its initial release. Recommended by Tabor.
  18. The History of the Church: A New Translation  Kindle Edition by Eusebius of Caesarea (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. Translation by Jeremy M. Schott. Tabor’s former colleague at UNC Charlotte. This new translation, which includes detailed essays and notes, comes from one of the leading scholars of Eusebius’s work and offers rich context for the linguistic, cultural, social, and political background of this seminal text. Accessible for new readers and thought-provoking for specialists, this is the essential text for anyone interested in the history of Christianity. Recommended by Tabor. DL’ed 1/11/2024.
  19. Creating Christ: How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity, Kindle Edition by James S. Valliant (Author), C. W. Fahy (Author) Purchased 12/24/2023. Exhaustively annotated and illustrated, this explosive work of history unearths clues that finally demonstrate the truth about one of the world’s great religions: that it was born out of the conflict between the Romans and messianic Jews who fought a bitter war with each other during the 1st Century. The Romans employed a tactic they routinely used to conquer and absorb other nations: they grafted their imperial rule onto the religion of the conquered.
  20. The Theology of St. Luke, Hardcover – January 1, 1982 by Hans Conzelmann (Author). Ordered 1/24/24. As Robert J. Karris rightly says in  Invitation to Acts: A commentary on the Acts of the Apostles with complete text from the Jerusalem Bible (Doubleday New Testament commentary series) : “A groundbreaking work on Luke-Acts which propounds the view that the delay of the parousia is the occasion for Luke-Acts.” (p. 239) In his Suggestions for Further Reading, Bart Ehrman describes Conzelmann’s book in this way: “This classic study of Luke from a redaction-critical perspective argues that Luke modified the traditions that he received particularly in light of the delay of the end of time.” Ehrman adds, however, that the book is for advanced students only. Recommended by Tabor.
  21. A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus: The Roots of the Problem and the Person, Vol. 1 Hardcover – November 1, 1991, by John P. Meier (Author), Joel Peter Johnson (Illustrator) Part of The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library (55 books). In this definitive book on the real, historical Jesus, one of our foremost biblical scholars meticulously sifts the evidence of 2,000 years to portray neither a rural magician nor a figure of obvious power, but a marginal Jew. Recommended by Tabor. Purchased used 1/19/2024. Read February 2024.
  22. Jesus Christ in Modern Thought, Hardcover, used – January 1, 1990 by John Macquarrie (Author). Ordered 2/21/2024. Recommended by John R. Meier in Notes to Chapter 7, Page 201, of A Marginal Jew, Vol. 1. In this long-awaited book, John Macquarrie turns to one of the few areas of Christian theology to which he has not yet devoted systematic attention that of Christology. Partially read February 2, 2024.
  23. Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist, by James F. McGrath (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. Ordered 6/12/2024. Read July 2024. Also, see the YouTube interview here.
  24. The Hebrew Gospel of Matthew by George Howard. Downloaded 3/17/2024 from Academia.com. See pdf in DropBox under Scholars/George Howard. For centuries the Jewish community in Europe possessed a copy of Matthew in the Hebrew language. The Jews’ use of this document during the Middle Ages is imperfectly known. Occasionally excerpts from it appeared in polemical writings against Christianity. By the end of the fourteenth century, however, the entire Hebrew Gospel appeared in the polemical treatise Even Bonham, by the Spanish writer Shem-Tob ben-Isaac ben-Shaprut. An important thrust to this volume is to establish that the Hebrew Matthew of the Even Bohan predates the fourteenth century. It shares many readings with ancient Christian writings, some of which were lost in antiquity only to reappear in modern times. These included Codex Sinaiticus, the Old Syriac version, the Coptic Gospel of Thomas, and a host of others. It also analyzes the language, artistic touches, and theology of the Hebrew Gospel. Extract from Amazon
  25. The Book of David by Ralph E. Buntyn (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition – For 10 years, author Ralph Buntyn spent many hours with renowned United Nations correspondent and United Israel founder David Horowitz. They engaged in lengthy discussions about his foundational views drawn from his experience and unique vantage point in the two world bodies. The Book of David is based on his personal notes, extensive archival records and reflections from these conversations. In Horowitz’s autobiography, Thirty-three Candles, published in 1956, he wrote: “Thirty-three Candles undoubtedly calls for a sequel because much has occurred on the world scene since 1944, most of it confirming its major thesis. I feel I shall have to bow to this demand.” The Book of David is dedicated to fulfilling Horowitz’s request for a historical accounting of the period that followed. This book documents the life and legacy of David Horowitz and stands as a permanent accounting of the unfolding events in his life and his role in the affairs of the United Nations, the State of Israel, and United Israel World Union during the latter half of the twentieth century.
  26. The Beloved Disciple: Whose Witness Validates the Gospel of John? Hardcover – January 1, 1995 by James H. Charlesworth (Author). Ordered 4/1/24. About Thomas as the Beloved Disciple. I read about 50%.
  27. The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It by Peter Enns. Acquired on January 22, 2025. I acquired it after watching one of his videos.
  28. Introduction to the Bible (The Open Yale Courses Series) by Christine Elizabeth Hayes.  Format: Kindle Edition. This book examines the small library of 24 books common to all Jewish and Christian Bibles—books that preserve the efforts of diverse writers over a span of many centuries to make sense of their personal experiences and those of their people, the ancient Israelites. Professor Christine Hayes guides her readers through the complexities of this polyphonous literature that has served as a foundational pillar of Western civilization, underscoring the variety and even disparities among the voices that speak in the biblical texts. We completed her online course, Intro to the OT (Hebrew Bible) of 24 lectures in December 2024. I finished reading the book on 3/7/2025. The book is as good as the course.
  29. Preaching from the Soul: Insistent Observations on the Sacred Art Kindle Edition, by J. Ellsworth Kalas (Author). Purchased 5/6/2025 for Rob Couch’s Preaching and Teaching class. See my Executive Summary in DropBox. 
  30. Preaching Without Notes Kindle Edition by Joseph M. Webb (Author). Purchased 4/12/2025 for Rob Couch’s Preaching and Teaching class. See my Executive Summary in DropBox. 
  31. You Will Be Peter, Kindle Edition and Paper versions by Jerry Lathan (Author)  FICTION. Purchased 6/2/2025. The extraordinary story of a young fisherman who became the Founding Father of Christianity, the most influential and enduring institution in history. 2023 Paris Book Festival Winner · 2023 New England Book Festival Winner. Book Review at CUC by Rob Couch.
  32. BOY JESUS – Growing Up Judean in Turbulent Times. By Joan Taylor, a world authority on the history and literature of the first century CE, draws both on the latest archaeological findings and on the historical clues to be found within ancient texts of the period. Ordered hardcover 3/20/2025. Jesus grew up at a time of deep social disturbance, as the Jewish people struggled to come to terms with Roman occupation. Written by a leading historian of the period, this book explores the question, What would Jesus have witnessed, experienced and felt as a boy growing up in first-century Galilee?
  33. Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography Reprint Edition, Kindle Edition by Bruce Chilton  (Author) Bought 3/30/2025. NOTE: I only read about half of this book and quit when he kept insisting that Jesus’ brothers James and Jose were half-brothers as their mother was Joseph’s first wife. Likely, other theological dogma permeates his other novel views.
  34. The Experience of God Kindle Edition, by David Bentley Hart, downloaded 7/11/2025. Published 2013, 376 pages. Despite the recent ferocious public debate about belief, the concept most central to the discussion God frequently remains vaguely and obscurely described. Are those engaged in these arguments even talking about the same thing? In a wide-ranging response to this confusion, esteemed scholar David Bentley Hart pursues a clarification of how the word “God” functions in the world’s great theistic faiths.
    • Also bought: Summary of David Bentley Hart’s The Experience of God Kindle Edition
      by Everest Media (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
  35. Jonah, Kindle Edition, by Sandra Richter, purchased by Mary to read for an 8-week series of her video teaching on Jonah, begun on Sunday, August 18, 2025, in the Christ United Sunday School class. In the book of Jonah we find a professional holy man, a lifer in the faith who is about to have the God he thinks he understands challenge him with an assignment that he can hardly get his brain around.
  36. The Valediction of Moses A Proto Biblica by Dr. Idan Dershowitz. See the PDF file in his directory in DropBox The_Valediction_of_Moses_A_Proto_Biblica.pdf.
  37. Source Criticism (Cascade Companions), Kindle Edition, by Joel Baden. Bought 9/28/2025. This book provides a concise overview of the major approaches and positions in the field, helping the reader understand where scholarship has been and where it currently stands, and situating each major development within its broader intellectual and social context. Completed early Dec 2025. Good history of how the documentary hypothesis morphed into complexity, then back.
  38. The Great Divorce, Kindle Edition by C. S. Lewis. Downloaded and read 12/26/2025 in preparation for the 6-week class by Rob Couch.
  39. How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers—and Why That’s Great News by Peter Enns. Acquired the Kindle version on December 31, 2025. Controversial evangelical Bible scholar, popular blogger and podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, and author of The Bible Tells Me So, and The Sin of Certainty explains that the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers but instead forces us to acquire wisdom.
  40. Ethics, by Benedictus de Spinoza (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. “Ethics” by Baruch Spinoza stands as a monumental work in the history of philosophy. In this profound treatise, Spinoza explores fundamental questions about existence, God, and the nature of human ethics. Spinoza’s pantheistic views and his rejection of a transcendent deity have left an enduring impact on metaphysical and ethical discourse. This edition preserves the integrity of Spinoza’s original work, providing readers with access to the intellectual richness of one of the most influential philosophers of the 17th century. Recommended by members of SBA in a discussion/conversation about the nature of God. Acquired 11/22/2024. Did not complete. Very long book where the author works to make logical arguments for God’s existence.
  41. The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home, Kindle Edition by John Philip Newell (Author). Downloaded 4/20/2026. In the great tradition of authors who leave church but remain spiritual—such as Barbara Brown Taylor, Rob Bell—the author of Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul forges a new path toward a true spiritual home, embracing a deep connection to the natural world. Completed 4/23/26.

Reference Books on Hand

  1. Anchor Bible Dictionary (6 Volumes) in one pdf file in the USB drive for large files.
  2. HarperCollins Bible Commentary – Revised Edition Hardcover – November 21, 2000 by James L. Mays (Author). General editor James L. Mays is the Cyrus McCormick Professor of Hebrew and the Old Testament Emeritus at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He has served as president of the Society of Biblical Literature and is a widely respected author and editor.
  3. The SBL Study Bible Kindle Edition by Society of Biblical Literature Format: Kindle Edition Purchased 5/13/2025. A thoroughly revised edition of The HarperCollins Study Bible, one of the leading study bibles used in undergraduate and graduate courses, the first study bible offering the full text of the New Revised Standard Version—Updated Edition.
  4. The Jewish Study Bible: Second Edition 2nd Edition by Adele Berlin (Editor), Marc Zvi Brettler (Editor). Ordered 10/22/2024. The Jewish Study Bible combines the entire Hebrew Bible–in the celebrated Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation–with explanatory notes, introductory materials, and essays by leading biblical scholars on virtually every aspect of the text, the world in which it was written, its interpretation, and its role in Jewish life. This second edition includes revised annotations for nearly the entire Bible, as well as forty new and updated essays on many of the issues in Jewish interpretation, Jewish worship in the biblical and post-biblical periods, and the influence of the Hebrew Bible in the ancient world.
  5. The Didache – A Window on the Earliest Christians – Thomas O’Loughlin. Ordered February 18, 2023.
  6. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version, Marc Brettler, Carol Newsom, Pheme Perkins. Kindle Edition
  7. The Books of Enoch: Complete edition: Including (1) The Ethiopian Book of Enoch, (2) The Slavonic Secrets, and (3) The Hebrew Book of Enoch by Paul Schnieders (Author), Robert Charles (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition. Ordered June 26, 2023.
  8. New Testament Apocrypha and Early Church Fathers Kindle Edition by Ante-Nicene Fathers  (Author),  Early Church Father (Author), Pontius Pilate (Author),  Nicodemus  (Author),  Clement (Author),  Librainia (Editor).  Format: Kindle Edition.
  9. The Book of Sirach by Ben Sirach. Format: Kindle Edition.
  10. The Bible with Sources Revealed Paperback – Illustrated, August 16, 2005 by Richard Elliott Friedman (Author) – Richard Elliott Friedman offers a new, visual presentation of the Five Books of Moses — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — unlocking the complex and fascinating tapestry of their origins. Different colors and type styles allow readers to easily identify each of the distinct sources [J, E, P & D], showcasing Friedman’s highly acclaimed and dynamic translation. He was recommended by Tabor, Goodacre, and Nichols.
  11. Ross Nichols’ Torah Tablets: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus acquired as he published them beginning 11/15/2024. Arranged and compiled by Ross Nichols, Horeb Press, 2024. Paperback version (the only format). Key Highlights of The Torah Tablets are:
    • The series features the American Standard Version (ASV) of 1901, chosen for its literal and faithful translation. 
    • Our choice to utilize the American Standard Version (ASV) of 1901 is intentional; unlike other translations that might sidestep the Tetragrammaton, the ASV makes a decisive choice by using “JEHOVAH.”
    • the textual divisions are meticulously based on the ancient breaks as indicated in the Leningrad Codex, the oldest complete copy of the Hebrew Bible. This means that the text flows as a continuous, justified block, interrupted only where authentic breaks exist in the ancient manuscripts. This approach allows the reader to engage with the scriptures in a format that is closer to their original context, free from the influence of later editorial choices. 
    • Inclusion of Documentary Hypothesis Insights
    • Reading Cycles
      • The Triennial Cycle, traced back to the late Second Temple period in the Land of Israel, represents a practice where the entirety of the Pentateuch was completed over a period of three to three and a half years. Despite slight variations in how these divisions are marked, our series faithfully uses the Leningrad Codex as the basis for indicating the precise triennial divisions. This ancient cycle allows readers to engage with the scriptures in a rhythm that closely mirrors the historical Jewish practice, providing insights into the spiritual and communal life of the Israelites.
      • Conversely, the Annual Cycle, developed in Babylon, presents a different tradition where the entire Pentateuch is read over the course of a single year. This cycle reflects the adaptation and evolution of Jewish scriptural engagement in the Diaspora, offering a comprehensive annual journey through these foundational texts.
  12. 40 by 40, Deluxe Two-Volume Set by Hershel Shanks, editor. CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: Nahman Avigad, Gabriel Barkay, Amnon Ben-Tor, Frank Moore Cross, Trude Dothan, Orly Goldwasser, André Lemaire, Thomas E. Levy, Eilat Mazar, Lawrence E. Stager, Ephraim Stern, David Ussishkin and Gyõzõ Vörös.  To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR), founder and editor Hershel Shanks hand-picked 40 articles from the magazine to enhance and enjoy on their own. Ordered from BAS 11/8/2024.
  13. The Hebrew Scriptures Tanakh: English Hebrew Edition [Print Replica] Kindle Edition by David Horowitz Memorial Society Editor (Author). Tabor had the pdf converted to Kindle format and offered for only $9.99. Downloaded 8/19/2025. This 1917 translation of the Hebrew Scriptures or Tanakh was published by the Jewish Publication Society and is in the public domain. Its classic accuracy and faithfulness to the Hebrew text has not been surpassed even in recent times. The Hebrew is the traditional vowel pointed rabbinic Masoretic text. 
  14. The Cross-Reference Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments — 1901 American Standard Version with Variorum Readings and Renderings [Print Replica] Kindle Edition by Harold E. Monser (Author). Converted to Kindle with Kindle features by Ross Nichols, Horeb Press, August 2025. The Cross-Reference Bible (1910), edited by Harold E. Monser, is one of the most remarkable study Bibles ever produced. It combines the complete text of the 1901 American Standard Version (ASV) with Variorum Readings and Renderings drawn from the greatest scholars of the 19th century. This edition brings together insights from over 150 leading voices in biblical scholarship—including Delitzsch, Driver, Gesenius, Kautzsch, Nöldeke, Renan, Schrader, and Wellhausen—alongside references to the Septuagint, Vulgate, Peshitta, Samaritan Pentateuch, Targums, and other ancient sources. The result is a study tool that not only preserves the literal clarity of the ASV but also places centuries of critical thought in the hands of every reader.
  15. BIBLICAL PEOPLES, The World of Ancient Israel – This is a BAS free book that is actually a collection of articles. The pdf version is in the BAS subdirectory of Dropbox/Christianity.

Bought But Not Read or Completed in Addition to Those Cited Above

  1. The Gnostic Gospels, Hardcover – November 12, 1979 by Elaine Pagels (Author). Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time. A provocative study of the gnostic gospels and the world of early Christianity as revealed through the Nag Hammadi texts. Ordered 3/12/2024. Go to the Amazon page for a good excerpt from the book: The Controversy over Christ’s Resurrection: Historical Event or Symbol?
  2. Women Remembered: Jesus’ Female Disciples by Helen Bond, Joan Taylor, Joan E. Taylor. Hardback. Ordered 2/20/2024. Inspired by their popular Channel 4 documentary Jesus’ Female Disciples, historians Helen Bond and Joan Taylor explore the way in which Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Martha and a whole host of other women – named and unnamed – have been remembered by posterity, noting how many were silenced, shamed or slurred by innuendo …
  3. The New Testament: History, Literature, and Social Context, 4th Edition by Dennis C. Duling (Author). Ordered 8/7/2023. The latest edition of THE NEW TESTAMENT: PROCLAMATION AND PARENESIS, like its predecessors (originally co-authored by Walter Perrin–Tabor’s guy) takes its primary orientation from recent developments in the social sciences.
  4. The Upper Room and Tomb of David: The History, Art and Archaeology of the Cenacle on Mount Zion, Kindle Edition by David Christian Clausen (Author). Purchased 8/11/2023. It has been a church, a mosque and a synagogue. Jesus is said to have dined there. James, his brother, is believed to have been interred there. King David may be buried beneath its floor. The subject of intense speculation by both scholars and the faithful, the Cenacle on Mount Zion–also known as the Upper Room of the New Testament gospels and as the Tomb of David–has remained a mystery for centuries.
  5. The Fall of Jerusalem and the Christian Church: A Study of the Effects of the Jewish Overthrow of AD 70 on Christianity, 2nd Edition Paperback – June 1, 2010, by S. G. F. Brandon (Author). Recd 11/15/2023. What lies between the authoritative preeminence of the Mother Church of Jerusalem and the virtual extinction both of its life and apparently of all its local records? Dr. Brandon finds that the full significance of the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 has been strangely neglected amongst scholars. In this original and exhaustive study he shows that this catastrophic event was of profound importance not only for the development of early Christianity but possibly also for its very survival.
  6. A Synoptic Harmony of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles: With Related Passages from Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezra Paperback – October 19, 2006, by James Newsome (Editor). Students of the Old Testament have long recognized that in the two histories of the Hebrew monarchies, Samuel/Kings and Chronicles, a literary relationship exists which is akin to that of the Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament. From the Foreword
  7. Jesus the Magician: A Renowned Historian Reveals How Jesus was Viewed by People of His Time Paperback – August 27, 2014 by Morton Smith (Author), Bart D. Ehrman (Foreword). Purchased on March 15, 2024, and completed 3/19/2024. This book challenges traditional Christian teaching about Jesus. While his followers may have seen him as a man from heaven, preaching the good news and working miracles, Smith asserts that the truth about Jesus is more interesting and rather unsettling. The real Jesus, only barely glimpsed because of a campaign of disinformation, obfuscation, and censorship by religious authorities, was not Jesus the Son of God. In actuality, he was Jesus the Magician. Smith marshals all the available evidence including, but not limited to, the Gospels. He succeeds in describing just what was said of Jesus by “outsiders,” those who did not believe him.
  8. The Myth of Christian Beginnings: History’s Impact on Belief by Robert Louis Wilken. Tabor said – If you have never read this important and influential work I highly recommend it. It will transform your understanding of the earliest Christianity and how it unfolded. Bought from Abe Books on 4/7/2024. Used hardback with ragged jacket.
  9. From Jesus to Christ: The Origins of the New Testament Images of Jesus Kindle Edition by Paula Fredriksen (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. Bought 6/1/2024. The book was recommended by Bart Ehrman.
  10. The New Testament: Its Background, Growth, & Content, Third Edition Paperback – December 1, 2012 by Bruce M. Metzger. Paperback ordered 8/2/2024. Recommended by Bart Ehrman. This text is a classic by one of America’s most widely respected New Testament scholars. It provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the New Testament. In a straightforward and understandable style–without distortion or oversimplification–Prof. Metzger closely examines the historical background and content of the New Testament and details the role of scribes and translators in handing the Scriptures down through the centuries. Utilizing the finest modern scholarship, Dr. Metzger looks at the people, societies, and events that produced the New Testament. Palestinian Judaism, Greco-Roman paganism, sources of our knowledge of Jesus Christ, essential aspects of Christ’s teaching, sources and chronology of the apostolic age, the work of Paul, the general letters, and the Book of Revelation are all clearly illuminated.
  11. From Jesus to Christianity: How Four Generations of Visionaries & Storytellers Created the New Testament and Christian Faith, Kindle Edition, by L. Michael White. Downloaded 8/21/2024. L. Michael White, one of the world’s foremost scholars on the origins of Christianity, provides the complete, astonishing story of how Christianity grew from the personal vision of a humble Jewish peasant living in a remote province of the Roman Empire into the largest organized religion in the world. Rather than reading the New Testament straight through in its traditional, or “canonical” order, From Jesus to Christianity takes a historical approach. 
  12. Reading Acts: A Literary and Theological Commentary (Reading the New Testament) Kindle Edition by Charles H. Talbert (Author). Published January 4, 2016. Downloaded 9/12/2024. 302 pages. The approach of READING ACTS is to ask how ancient Mediterranean auditors would have heard Acts when it was read in their presence. To be successful Talbert divides this approach into two parts— how Acts would have been heard in its precanonical context and in its canonical context. Charles H. Talbert is Distinguished Professor of Religion at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Cited by Joshua Schachterle, Ph.D. here who says “Charles Talbert notes that the description of Paul’s ideas and activities in the book of Acts differs markedly from Paul’s own descriptions of his ideas and activities in his letters.”
  13. Jesus Uncensored: Restoring the Authentic Jew, Kindle Edition by Bernard Starr. Downloaded 8/21/2024. Most people today acknowledge that Jesus was Jewish. Yet a surprising number of Christians and Jews hold the belief that Jesus converted to Christianity at some point in his life or that he actually launched the new religion. In Jesus Uncensored psychologist, teacher, and spiritual writer Bernard Starr draws on a wealth of sources, including a close reading of biblical texts, to portray Jesus’ lifelong commitment to Judaism, the synagogue, and the Torah.
  14. The Evidence for Jesus, Used Paperback – January 1, 1986 by James D. G. Dunn (Author). Tabor recommended his friend Jimmy Dunn’s book and sent the Patreon Group Chapter 1. Professor Dunn’s book deals with four issues which provide a response to the television series, Jesus: The Evidence, which first aired in the mid-eighties, and, according to Dunn, misrepresented the scholarly consensus in early Christian studies. Rather than provide a balanced overview of scholarship, this show favored the eccentric views of a minority of scholars, and thus misled many viewers. This book is a brief reply, and deals with four salient issues: 1. The Reliability of the Synoptic Gospels 2. Finding the Historical Jesus in the Gospel of John 3. Beliefs of the Resurrection in the Early Church 4. The Early Church — Christianity or Christianities? Brief, lucid, and a fine example of deftly blending scholarship with a concern for the contemporary church, this book is a must for every layperson not yet exposed to critical scholarship.” Ordered 11/2/2024
  15. Partings: How Judaism and Christianity Became Two by Hershel Shanks, editor, Publication Date January 2013.  CONTRIBUTORS: James H. Charlesworth, Bruce Chilton, Shaye J.D. Cohen, James D.G. Dunn, Arye Edrei, Steven Fine, Lawrence T. Geraty, Matt A. Jackson-McCabe, Robert A. Kraft, AnneMarie Luijendijk, Doron Mendels, Eric M. Meyers, Annette Yoshiko Reed, Joan Taylor, Geza Vermes, Lily Vuong, Pamela Watson, and Margaret H. Williams.  The Parting of the Ways between Judaism and Christianity was not one, but many. It occurred in different ways in different places and in different times. Never before has this multi-faceted process been documented so engagingly and so authoritatively by so many eminent scholars from the United States, England, Israel and elsewhere as in this book. You get 15 exciting chapters ranging from “The Jewish Jesus Movement” by Geza Vermes to “Did They Ever Part” by James H. Charlesworth—and in between Eric M. Meyers’ “Living Side by Side in Galilee,” Margaret H. Williams’ “Jews and Christians at Rome: An Early Parting of the Ways” and more! Ordered from BAS 11/8/2024.
  16. Ancient Israel, Fourth Edition, From Abraham to the Roman Destruction of the Temple by John Merrill, Hershel Shanks, editors.  CONTRIBUTORS: Andrea M. Berlin, Manfred Bietak, James H. Charlesworth, Jennie Ebeling, Steven Fine, Melody D. Knowles, André Lemaire, John Merrill, Eric M. Meyers, and Gary A. Rendsburg.  Ancient Israel, now in its fourth edition, is the widely acclaimed history of ancient Israel written by the world’s foremost biblical scholars and archaeologists. Each chapter has been updated and expanded to incorporate a decade’s worth of outstanding new discoveries and fresh scholarly perspectives. Also, features student-friendly content and enhancements, including informative sidebars that delve deeper into the field’s most exciting findings and debates.  Ordered from BAS 11/8/2024.
  17. Q, the Earliest Gospel: An Introduction to the Original Stories and Sayings of Jesus by John S. Kloppenborg (Author).  Format: Kindle Edition. Published October 3, 2008. Downloaded 3/3/2025. 184 pgs in paperback. John Kloppenborg offers a succinct account of why scholars maintain it existed in the first place and demonstrates how they have been able to reconstruct its contents and wording from the two later Gospels that used it as a source: Matthew and Luke. Presented here in its entirety, as developed by the International Q Project, this Gospel reveals a very different portrait of Jesus than in much of the later canonical writings, challenging the way we think of Christian origins and the very nature and mission of Jesus Christ.
  18. The Consuming Fire: The Complete Priestly Source, from Creation to the Promised Land, Kindle Edition by Liane M. Feldman (Author). 296 pages. Bought 7/6/2025. Uncovering an ancient foundation myth, and literary tour de force, obscured within the modern Bible. Embedded within the Bible lies a largely unknown story of the founding of ancient Israel and its religion, interwoven with other ancient tales more than two thousand years ago in the process of creating the Torah. Generations of scholars have painstakingly worked to recreate the “Priestly Source,” also known as “P.” The complete text has not appeared until now on its own in either Hebrew or English.
     
    Beginning with the creation of the world and ending at the edge of the promised land, the Priestly Source offers a distinctive account of the origins of the people of Israel and a unique perspective on their relationship with their god, Yahweh—one in stark contrast to what is found when we read the Bible now. With a translation by Liane Feldman, an authority on the text, The Consuming Fire reveals the mythical foundation for the practice of sacrifice in ancient Israelite and Jewish religion. By presenting this fascinating material on its own, The Consuming Fire offers an opportunity to expand our understanding of ancient traditions and to find something new and beautiful at the source.
    Bought based on the review at AncientJewReview.com which was recommended by BSA Resources.
  19. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible: Fourth Edition, Kindle Edition by John J. Collins (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition. 1186 pages. Bought 7/14/2025. John J. Collins’s Introduction to the Hebrew Bible is one of the most reliable and widely adopted critical textbooks at undergraduate and graduate levels alike, and for good reason. Enriched by decades of classroom teaching, it is aimed explicitly at motivated students, regardless of their previous exposure to the Bible or faith commitments. The approach is ecumenical, in the sense that it seeks not to impose any particular theological perspective but to provide information and raise questions that should be relevant to any student.  Recommended by Bart Ehrman.
  20. A History of the Bible: The Book and Its Faiths, Kindle Edition by John Barton (Author). Downloaded 7/23/2025. 635 pages. Recommended by Michael Waddell in his response to a BSA post by Michael Ureña here titled About Bible Inerrancy In A History of the Bible, John Barton argues that the Bible is not a prescription to a complete, fixed religious system, but rather a product of a long and intriguing process, which has inspired Judaism and Christianity, but still does not describe the whole of either religion. Barton shows how the Bible is indeed an important source of religious insight for Jews and Christians alike, yet argues that it must be read in its historical context–from its beginnings in myth and folklore to its many interpretations throughout the centuries.
  21. Chieftains of the Highland Clans: A History of Israel in the 12th and 11th Centuries BC (The Bible in Its World) Paperback – Illustrated, May 2, 2012 by Robert D. Miller II (Author) with updated preface from the 2005 publication.
  22. A Christian Natural Theology Based on the Thought of Alfred North Whitehead by John B. Cobb, Jr.. was free at the link of the title and below the title in the WordDoc file in his Dropbox directory. Also uploaded to Kindle. 11/19/2025
  23. Paul: The Pagan’s Apostle, Kindle Edition by Paula Fredriksen. Downloaded 11/26/2025. Often seen as the author of timeless Christian theology, Paul himself heatedly maintained that he lived and worked in history’s closing hours. His letters propel his readers into two ancient worlds, one Jewish, one pagan. The first was incandescent with apocalyptic hopes, expecting God through his messiah to fulfill his ancient promises of redemption to Israel. The second teemed with ancient actors, not only human but also divine: angry superhuman forces, jealous demons, and hostile cosmic gods. Both worlds are Paul’s, and his convictions about the first shaped his actions in the second.
  24. Paul the Pharisee: A Vision Beyond the Violence of Civilization, Kindle Edition by John Dominic Crossan (Author). Downloaded 11/26/2025. Paul the Pharisee celebrates not just the New-Paul as Jew but the New-New-Paul as Jewish Pharisee. Granted past Christian, Jewish, and Roman matrices of interpretation, this book explores the historical Paul through the fourth matrix of Evolution. 
  25. Hypomnestikon, SBL 1996, Grant and Menzies, editors. The pdf file is in the Josephus directory in DropBox. Provided by James Tabor, 11/30/2025. For background, see What on earth is the “Hypomnesticon” of “Josephus Christianus”? posted on  by Roger Pearse
  26. Exploring Genesis, The Bible’s Ancient Traditions in Context by BAS Staff. PDF is in Dropbox/Christianity/Genesis.
  27. Forgotten Truth: The Common Vision of the World’s Religions – The Classic Companion to the Unity Underlying World Religions Paperback – October 9, 1992 by Huston Smith (Author) This classic companion to The World’s Religions articulates the remarkable unity that underlies the world’s religious traditions. Ordered paperback on 1/8/2026 as Marcus Borg references it in Days of Awe & Wonder.
  28. Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West,  Kindle Edition by Bart D. Ehrman. Pre-ordered on 2/2/2026. For centuries, Greek and Roman moral philosophers prioritized generosity towards friends and family. Even Old Testament exhortations to love your neighbor gave little reason to consider the suffering of those beyond your own community. Jesus changed all this, introducing a revolutionary new ethical obligation to love those you didn’t even know—unconditionally—and to demonstrate that love through acts of care. The implications of this radical commandment would be debated, misunderstood, and resisted by early Christians. But by the fifth century, a new “common sense” began to transform the moral conscience—and the politics—of the West.
  29. Q, the Earliest Gospel — An Introduction to the Original Stories and Sayings of Jesus. This 178-page book by John S. Kloppenborg was downloaded from here and presents his reasons for supporting Q and his translation. The PDF file downloaded is in his directory in Dropbox.
  30. Paul Was Not a Christian: The Original Message of a Misunderstood Apostle Kindle Edition by Pamela Eisenbaum (Author). Downloaded 3/19/2026. Pamela Eisenbaum, an expert on early Christianity, reveals the true nature of the historical Paul in Paul Was Not a Christian. She explores the idea of Paul not as the founder of a new Christian religion, but as a devout Jew who believed Jesus was the Christ who would unite Jews and Gentiles and fulfill God’s universal plan for humanity. Recommended by Crossan, Fredriksen, Goodacre, et al.
  31. Q Thomas Reader (English and Coptic Edition) by Kloppenborg, John S.; Stephen J. Patterson. ordered via EBay used on 3/21/2026. Crossan credited Patterson in an interview. The best and most readable one-volume introduction available to the Sayings Gospel Q and the Gospel of Thomas-the very earliest collections of the sayings and parables of Jesus. The Q-Thomas Reader includes new translations, lucid commentary by leading scholars, suggested readings and a comprehensive glossary. This work places Q and Thomas texts side-by-side to demonstrate overlapping sayings traditions.
  32. Beyond Fate (The CBC Massey Lectures) Kindle Edition by Margaret Visser (Author). Downloaded 4/17/2026 based on the recommendation of OV at BSA and reading the sample. She is not a scholar of religion but is a very deep thinker about time and opens with a quote of Edwin A. Abbott and the Flatland concept. Margaret Visser (born May 11, 1940) is a Canadian writer and broadcaster who lives in Toronto, Paris, and South West France. Her subject matter is the history, anthropology, and mythology of everyday life.
  33. Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Doctrine: 80 Expert Insights on the Bible, Explained in a Single Minute (60-Second Scholar Series) Kindle Edition by Michael S. Heiser (Author), downloaded 5/4/2026. This book is your guide to quickly deciphering key doctrines, providing expert observations so that you can comprehend more of Scripture than you ever have before.
  34. From the Maccabees to the Mishnah, 3rd Edition, Kindle Edition by Shaye Cohen [Pronounced “shy-ya” short a] (Author). Bought 5/20/2026 based on high praise by Bart Ehrman. This is the third edition of Shaye J. D. Cohen’s important and seminal work on the history and development of Judaism between 164 BCE to 300 CE. Cohen’s synthesis of religion, literature, and history offers deep insight into the nature of Judaism at this key period, including the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, the function of Jewish religion in the larger community, and the development of normative Judaism and other Jewish sects. Cohen offers students more than just history, but an understanding of the social and cultural context of Judaism as it developed into the formative period of rabbinic Judaism.

All books above are owned in the paper version unless otherwise stated.

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