'B' is for books and some of the most prevalent types of books on my shelves: Bibles and Bible related books. Not only have I accumulated many of these on my own, but a number were given to me by friends or bequeathed to me after my father passed away. He had a lot of books like this. I have followed in his footsteps.
Bibles and Bible Related Books
My first Bible was given to me in 1958 by Pastor Frank Van Valen of the church my family attended when we lived in Pittsburgh PA. This Bible (the black one pictured below) is now well worn with the cover disattached from the body of the book. I've kept it for what it represents, but now I rarely use it. The green Good News Bible was one that I purchased when I was at the University of Tennessee in the early seventies. It's also falling apart so I don't often use this one either. Now, when I am referring to the Bible when I'm at home, I will typically go online to find what I am researching at the time. When I do want a hard copy of the Bible, I have around seven other Bibles besides the ones pictured below. I figure you can never have too many Bibles and it's good to have a number of translations.
I've never counted all of the Bible related books that I have in my home, but I've got a lot. I've got an array of Bible commentaries, dictionaries, and other study books. Once again, I find it easier now to refer to online resources, but if I need a book about the Bible I've got plenty from which to choose. Below you can see a portion of one of my shelves devoted to Bible study books. Many more are to be found scattered throughout our home.
Breakthrough by Stephen Tremp
Stephen Tremp was among the earliest bloggers I encountered in my early blogging days. He was kind enough to send me a copy of Breakthrough, his first book of his Chase Manhattan series. Wonderful book! This is an exciting read with an interesting story.
What 'B' books come to your mind? Are there any that you think should have a place in my collection? Do you own one or more Bibles?
The Bible is an excellent choice. I also have a really old one I rarely use but I keep anyway.
ReplyDeleteStephen was also one of my first blogger buddies.
Alex, I lost track of Stephen in the blogging world, but I still see him on Facebook.
DeleteLee
Love this post! I, too, have a collection of Bibles, each of which meant a lot to me at one particular point in my life. I also love reading other people's Bibles and seeing what passages they highlighted, what notes they wrote in the margins... examining why those particular Words were important to them. Visiting from A to Z and so happy to be doing this again!
ReplyDeleteElaine, every book on my shelves has some special meaning to me or someone else. I think we can "read people like books" when we can peruse their bookshelves.
DeleteLee
Lee, I moved into my home and there was a lot of books left over. I returned some to my friend who grew up in the house, I read a few, and gave the others away. I would never think of burning books, but burning Bibles is a whole other level of "trouble." I have a few from my youth, and keep them around for reference. Now...getting rid of other the "other" religious artifacts is a much more complex problem!!! ZD
ReplyDeleteI am..blasphemous as I got rid of a bunch of bibles and related Bible books I got when I had to go and get confirmed etc but I kept my dad's black Bible. That one looks well worn like yours. I also kept this big Bible that is a coffee table type because of the beautiful painting mainly of Rembrandt I the pages.
ReplyDeleteI have a few books on Lucille Ball.
You have me at books! I am looking forward to seeing what you do all month long.
ReplyDelete--
Tim Brannan, The A to Z of Doctor Who
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteI too have a good number of different Bibles here at home. Some are big and well-worn and full of margin notes in both Testaments. Then I have some smaller portable Bibles that only get read when I go on a trip or get stuck on jury duty. :^)
And like you, I also have a good number of Bible reference books of many different types, such as a Bible Dictionary, a massive Concordance, and books like Lee Strobel's 'The Case For A Creator', 'The Case For Christ', 'The Case For Miracles', and C.S. Lewis books such as 'Mere Christianity', 'The Screwtape Letters', 'God In The Dock', etc., etc.
My favorite version of The Bible is the one translated from the ancient Aramaic by George M. Lamsa, and second is the New King James Version. Last year I read our family's old King James Version for the first time... never again!!
My favorite (non-Bible) Christian book - and the one I recommend immediately to everyone - is John Eldredge's 'BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW: Experiencing The Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality Of Jesus'. That is such an excellent book that I think every Christian should read it, and it has the potential to explain Jesus to a lot of non-believers as well.
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC, I have some of those books you've mentioned including "Beautiful Outlaw" which I bought specifically due to your recommendation. I read it a few years ago.llll
DeleteLee
We also have many Bibles at our house. I find that when I'm at home I prefer the hard copy but when I'm out, my kindle works well. I have a Bible that my great-grandfather, Isaiah White, signed as a gift -- I believe he was a preacher in the 1800s.
ReplyDeleteAre you familiar with the YouTuber Matt Whitman? His channel used to be called The Ten-Minute Bible Hour, but he recently changed it to his name. A lot of his content explores different translations, study guides, what to look for in a Bible that works for you, editions of Bibles geared towards different kinds of people (students, women, people who love deep-diving into scholarship, people who just want the basics, etc.), interviews with Bible cover artists, things like that. My own Bible is the JPS, Jewish Publication Society, translation from the 1980s, which I got as a present when I joined my first synagogue in December '98.
ReplyDeleteCarrie-Anne, don't know that Whitman guy. I tend not to watch too many YouTube shows. I'd be looking at the computer for hours if I got lost in that. But I do like a good deep dive into a subject when I take the time.
DeleteLee
I had a smallish white Bible that zipped closed and I have no idea where it came from. I got a Bible in 4th grade for learning all the books of the New Testament. I managed to learn them for the prize, anyway, then promptly forgot them past II Corinthians :)
ReplyDeleteActually, I have 2 physical Bibles- one is a Catholic version from my Mom's funeral. Never can tell when you'll need that obscure reference from Sirach!
ReplyDeleteCW, actually the green cover Good News Bible that I pictured in my post is a Catholic version. I thought it would be cool to have the extra books for study. A proper library should have many versions that are deemed credible.
DeleteLee
There are a handful of bibles in the house. Something for everybody I guess. I probably had my own bible as a kid.
ReplyDeleteBreakthrough sounds really interesting. A book I've seen more often than I would have expected in libraries of friends and new acquaintances is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
From a different faith, but had Bible Studies at school so was issued with copies of the Bible and other related books, but we had to return them in pristine condition at the end of the school year, so no highlighting any passages and no notes in the margins, all written out separately.
ReplyDeleteNilanjana, I've always had a thing about not marking up my books. Some of my Bibles do have notations, but mostly not.
DeleteLee