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812 reviews for:
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible
A.J. Jacobs
3.76 AVERAGE
812 reviews for:
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible
A.J. Jacobs
3.76 AVERAGE
i started reading this book in the store and found that i kept coming back to it and by the time i had read half of it i needed to buy it (the 30% off coupon i had helped with this decision). I was intrigued by the premised of the book, especially when i read in the first chapter or so that he was agnostic, but had some family religious background. i felt like his ideas when he started the book were similar to my own, and i feel like his ideas at the end of his year were similar to mine after reading the book. he describes himself in the end as a reverent agnostic.
Very interesting and hilarious. Jacobs is surprisingly reverent while academically poking fun at the bible.
Interesting and at times boring. I'm not one for memoirs so that probably colored my experience.
Don't get me wrong. I really like the book. I just thought it was a little lazy in terms of the writing. Some chapters were researched well and provided a lot of humor and/or insight. Others just felt like filler. Plus, the whole thing read like a though experiment that was much more difficult to follow through on than the author and publisher originally thought. Jacobs even admits that early on in the book. As a result, as you get to later chapters things start to peter out. There are less updates, less interesting historical or theological examinations, and to a degree less humor. The exception was the entry about snake handling. Overall, it's a good book, worth a read, especially if you are interested in what it would be like for a secular man to be dropped into the deep end of the religious pool.
“I've rarely said the word ‘Lord,’ unless It’s followed by ‘of the Rings.’”
I first read this about ten years ago and fell in love with Jacobs’s witty approach. I’ve since read many of his unusual journalistic ventures and I must say his wife is a very patient woman! This time I listened to the audio and loved it all over again. He goes in with an open mind and presents a funny, yet thoughtful and balanced report on his year.
I first read this about ten years ago and fell in love with Jacobs’s witty approach. I’ve since read many of his unusual journalistic ventures and I must say his wife is a very patient woman! This time I listened to the audio and loved it all over again. He goes in with an open mind and presents a funny, yet thoughtful and balanced report on his year.
Yeah! This is my first 5 star review of my A-Z book challenge! I was very excited to take on this book, but I was afraid, like other books I have looked forward to reading on this challenge, that I would be let down by this book that everyone around me had really enjoyed reading. However, this book not only met but exceeded my expectations.
Many people who know me know I have struggled with my feelings on religion for quite some time. My father was a minister, but (long story short) he's no longer a minister because of some things he did and I haven't spoken to him since I was 16 years old. So I grew up with a basis in religion but as I've grown older, I have kept my spirituality but have lost my faith in any organized religion. It has taken me about 10 years to find my new place with my faith.
Coming into this book with that point of view, I looked forward to it because I believe there are certain things in the Bible that are just plain crazy, and I looked forward to A.J. Jacobs exposing that.
What I appreciate in A.J. Jacobs throughout this book is his honesty. He admits from the first page that his parents are Jewish, although his is not practicing, and he is agnostic. He also admits that he is not in this experiment to point out the flaws of the Bible but instead to see if there's something missing in his life because he doesn't have the Bible in it.
The result is a hilarious and at the same time very touching journey through Jacob's life over a year. His Biblical journey coincides with his wife's second pregnancy, and it makes for an interesting story, actually. I found myself at points interested in his own simple biography rather than his Bible stories at points. The moment where his wife (who had wished for a daughter) finds out she is having twin boys is heartbreaking. Especially touching are his interactions with his neighbor, Nancy, and what evolves in the last few chapters.
In the end, I really identified with Jacobs. He and I most likely sit pretty much in the same position on not only the religious fence but the political one as well. Did this make me like the book more? Maybe. However, I think anyone could appreciate the humor and honesty of this book. Jacobs consistently stays an impartial judge whether he is visiting the Red Letter Christians, the Creation museum, Israel, or Falwell's church. I believe he paints the people and the place for who they are objectively.
Particularly touching are the last few pages of Jacob's journey. He ended the book beautifully, taking in the Bible for what I believe it is. . .a great book that can give you guidance when in need but should be taken with interpretation in mind.
Many people who know me know I have struggled with my feelings on religion for quite some time. My father was a minister, but (long story short) he's no longer a minister because of some things he did and I haven't spoken to him since I was 16 years old. So I grew up with a basis in religion but as I've grown older, I have kept my spirituality but have lost my faith in any organized religion. It has taken me about 10 years to find my new place with my faith.
Coming into this book with that point of view, I looked forward to it because I believe there are certain things in the Bible that are just plain crazy, and I looked forward to A.J. Jacobs exposing that.
What I appreciate in A.J. Jacobs throughout this book is his honesty. He admits from the first page that his parents are Jewish, although his is not practicing, and he is agnostic. He also admits that he is not in this experiment to point out the flaws of the Bible but instead to see if there's something missing in his life because he doesn't have the Bible in it.
The result is a hilarious and at the same time very touching journey through Jacob's life over a year. His Biblical journey coincides with his wife's second pregnancy, and it makes for an interesting story, actually. I found myself at points interested in his own simple biography rather than his Bible stories at points. The moment where his wife (who had wished for a daughter) finds out she is having twin boys is heartbreaking. Especially touching are his interactions with his neighbor, Nancy, and what evolves in the last few chapters.
In the end, I really identified with Jacobs. He and I most likely sit pretty much in the same position on not only the religious fence but the political one as well. Did this make me like the book more? Maybe. However, I think anyone could appreciate the humor and honesty of this book. Jacobs consistently stays an impartial judge whether he is visiting the Red Letter Christians, the Creation museum, Israel, or Falwell's church. I believe he paints the people and the place for who they are objectively.
Particularly touching are the last few pages of Jacob's journey. He ended the book beautifully, taking in the Bible for what I believe it is. . .a great book that can give you guidance when in need but should be taken with interpretation in mind.
lighthearted
medium-paced
This book is probably not as good as A. J. Jacobs' last one, The Know-It-All, but I felt I learned more in that he really had one focused topic this time around. He is hilarious and quite a compelling storyteller, so I will never hesitate to pick up one of his books. Can't wait to see where he takes us next!
This book was really really good. There are many many rules in the bible and A.J. Jacobs is going to try and follow them all. His journey turns up some interesting insights from his own life. But he also consults with a wide variety of advisors: rabbis, pastors, academics. My favortie parts are when he talks to and spends the day with the amish, Jehovah's witnesses, snake handling evangelicals, and so on. He even makes a trip to Israel.
The book is a memoir and there is an entry every 3 or 4 days. most of the time this is fine, but sometimes, such as when he is in israel i wish there were more frequent entries detailing what he was doing.
There is a part at the end of the book that i especially liked. He explains the idea of "Cafateria Christians" as being a derisive term to describe moderate christians.
The idea is that the moderates pick and choose the parts of the bible they want to follow. They take a nice helping of mercy and compassion. But the ban on Homosexuality? They just leave that on the counter top.
...
Their point is, the religious moderates are inconistent. They are just making the Bible conform to their own values.
The year showed me beyond a doubt that everyone practices cafeteria religion. It's not just moderates. Fundamentalists do it too. They can't heap everything on their plate. Otherwise they'd kick women out of the church for saying hello and boot out the men for talking about the "Tennessee Titans".
...
You can commit idolatry on the Bible itself. You can start to worship the words instead of the spirit. You need to "meet God halfway in the woods." p. 327-329
The book is a memoir and there is an entry every 3 or 4 days. most of the time this is fine, but sometimes, such as when he is in israel i wish there were more frequent entries detailing what he was doing.
There is a part at the end of the book that i especially liked. He explains the idea of "Cafateria Christians" as being a derisive term to describe moderate christians.
The idea is that the moderates pick and choose the parts of the bible they want to follow. They take a nice helping of mercy and compassion. But the ban on Homosexuality? They just leave that on the counter top.
...
Their point is, the religious moderates are inconistent. They are just making the Bible conform to their own values.
The year showed me beyond a doubt that everyone practices cafeteria religion. It's not just moderates. Fundamentalists do it too. They can't heap everything on their plate. Otherwise they'd kick women out of the church for saying hello and boot out the men for talking about the "Tennessee Titans".
...
You can commit idolatry on the Bible itself. You can start to worship the words instead of the spirit. You need to "meet God halfway in the woods." p. 327-329
AJ is a great writer with a great sense of humor. What an undertaking, and he writes with great humility and self deprication. Yea, so this book spent lots of time on Old Testament, and seemingly little in the New Testament, it was still a worthy read.