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The Year of Living Biblically One Man Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible A J Jacobs 9780743291477 Books

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The Year of Living Biblically One Man Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible A J Jacobs 9780743291477 Books

I was pleasantly surprised by Jacobs' balanced, informed perspective. He is not using the premise to clown or poke fun, like I had initially thought; nor is he claiming to have any kind of psedo-scientific, spiritual transformation. Jacobs begins the book as a skeptical agnostic and ends it as a skeptical agnostic -- just a more informed and worldly one.

I read this with a long list of questions: everything from "what's the deal with mixed fabrics?" to "how can any woman belong to anything that's so expressly sexist?" and Jacobs impressed me by acknowledging everything succinctly. This book isn't just anecdotal, but impressively dense with research. He explores everything from hasidc judaism all the way to baptists and the bible belt, getting an intimate look at the beliefs and percieved benefits of people from all different faiths. I would have liked him to continue his Abrahamic investigation into the quran instead of stopping at the news testament. But perhaps, coming from a jewish family, he felt unqualified.

All in all, I definitely got what I was looking for in this book: an objective perspective on many of the beliefs and rituals of modern Americans and the high-lights of an impressively exhaustive investigation of the bible. I think it should be mandatory reading for everyone, regardless of their personal faith.


Tags : The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible [A. J. Jacobs] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. From the bestselling author of The Know-It-All comes a fascinating and timely exploration of religion and the Bible. Raised in a secular family but increasingly interested in the relevance of faith in our modern world,A. J. Jacobs,The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible,Simon & Schuster,0743291476,Biblical Criticism & Interpretation - New Testament,Personal Memoirs,Christian life.,Religion & Spirituality Christianity,BIBLE COMMENTARY,Bible,Biblical Studies - General,Biography,Biography & Autobiography Personal Memoirs,Christian life,Criticism,Criticism, interpretation, etc,General Adult,Humor,Humor General,Humor Topic Religion,Non-Fiction,RELIGION Biblical Criticism & Interpretation New Testament,RELIGIOUS,Religion,ReligionEthics,SATIRE AND HUMOR,Topic - Religion,United States

The Year of Living Biblically One Man Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible A J Jacobs 9780743291477 Books Reviews

For the past two months, I’ve been talking about this book to just anyone who would listen. No matter what the other person might be talking about, I could easily find a way to bring up some little something about A.J. Jacob’s entertaining, yet educational, book.

Somehow the author manages to shed light on many religious topics and practices without being offensive, preachy, disrespectful, or overbearing. Regardless of the person he’s spending time with, Jacobs always comes away more knowledgeable and open minded. Jacobs met with rabbis, Amish, and Red Letter Christians, to name a few. About the latter, they adhere strictly to the direct quotes of Christ, and Jacobs learned that although Christ didn’t say anything about homosexuality, he had a lot to say about giving and sharing with others.

I often hear people say something is biblical and that it must be followed. I also hear the opposite something is NOT biblical and shouldn’t be a behavior or ideal to subscribe to. Jacobs tried living all the teachings, laws, and commandants in the bible and showed that it couldn’t be done. A person might spout off the story of the good Samaritan, for example, and yet be prejudiced as all get out. Jacobs was earnestly attempting to follow the Ten Commandments when he told his little boy his English muffin was just that, an English muffin and not a bagel like the tiny tot wanted. His son had a tantrum, causing the author to wonder if lying is okay for such occasions.

Jacobs’ year of living as closely as possible to biblical laws, commandments, and principles changed the way he now thinks about things. He’s more grateful and mindful these days, and he completed the project with a greater sense of the spiritual side of his nature; he also feels more peace and appreciation. While Jacobs remains agnostic, I love his statement about his newborn’s eyes “I spot what a nun I know calls ‘God’s DNA.’ Those eyes are alive.”

Read this book. It’s funny, educational, and honest. It’s based, by the way, on the Revised Standard Version. His favorite verse is Ecclesiastes 31, a scripture that I often remind myself of.
I heard about this book a couple of years before I got around to purchasing and reading it. I know a lot of people who claim to take the Bible literally and who claim to live their life as closely to the guidelines set out therein. Well, the author did just that and his results are wildly different than the people I know.

While trying to follow the Bible as literally as possible, A.J. Jacobs discovers contradictions, some explicit, others springing from differences in translation and interpretation. He has difficulties incorporating the realities of modern life (like having to carry a chair with him so he doesn't accidentally sit in a seat a menstruating woman has been in; it's unclean) and it is only due to the eternal patience of his wife that he is able to live within some of these restrictions (although she draws the line at a rule that states he can't touch her at ALL for weeks after her c-section delivering their twins; spoiler he suspends his "quest" for about a month after their birth).

The challenge the author undertakes in this book is something I, myself, would NEVER attempt, but I did find his account illuminating. Like him, I think a lot of people seek to live the best lives they can by following tenets set out in the good book, but being human, fail to varying degrees. Jacobs's quest did lead him to being a kinder, more thoughtful person, so even as a self-described agnostic, by the end of his journey, he felt it was worthwhile.

I don't want to go too in depth about my views on religious; my personal beliefs aren't relevant to this review. It's a well-written, engaging, funny account that answers a lot of questions I had about how would one have to live if they really took the Bible as literally as they said they do. His conclusion confirmed what I suspected it's impossible to follow ALL the rules literally and EVERYONE cherry picks.

But don't take it from me. Read this and be yourself, enlightened. It's not going to make you a true believer (it certainly didn't affect my beliefs in any way), but it might increase your understanding.
I was pleasantly surprised by Jacobs' balanced, informed perspective. He is not using the premise to clown or poke fun, like I had initially thought; nor is he claiming to have any kind of psedo-scientific, spiritual transformation. Jacobs begins the book as a skeptical agnostic and ends it as a skeptical agnostic -- just a more informed and worldly one.

I read this with a long list of questions everything from "what's the deal with mixed fabrics?" to "how can any woman belong to anything that's so expressly sexist?" and Jacobs impressed me by acknowledging everything succinctly. This book isn't just anecdotal, but impressively dense with research. He explores everything from hasidc judaism all the way to baptists and the bible belt, getting an intimate look at the beliefs and percieved benefits of people from all different faiths. I would have liked him to continue his Abrahamic investigation into the quran instead of stopping at the news testament. But perhaps, coming from a jewish family, he felt unqualified.

All in all, I definitely got what I was looking for in this book an objective perspective on many of the beliefs and rituals of modern Americans and the high-lights of an impressively exhaustive investigation of the bible. I think it should be mandatory reading for everyone, regardless of their personal faith.