In this volume a leading biblical scholar helps readers rediscover the ancient books of the Old Testament Apocrypha. INVITATION TO THE APOCRYPHA provides a clear, basic introduction to these important--but often neglected--ancient books that is ideal for personal study, churches, and classroom settings. Using the latest and best scholarship yet writing for those new to the Apocrypha, Daniel Harrington guides readers through the background, content, and message of each book. A distinctive feature of this primer is that it focuses throughout on the problem of suffering, highlighting what each book of the Apocrypha says about this universal human experience.
Invitation to the Apocrypha
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament situated between the Old Testament and New Testament. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament situated between the Old Testament and New Testament. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By "krchicago"
Format:Paperback
The Apocrypha are 16 books (or parts of books) contained in and accepted as canonical in one or more Christian Bibles (Roman Catholic, Orthodox or Slavonic), but not contained in the Hebrew Bible. (The Roman Catholic apocryphal works are often printed in Protestant Bibles, but are identified as the Apocrypha and are not considered canonical.)
Harrington provides a concise introduction to each of the books in the Apocrypha. For each book, he provides a one or two page summary of scholarship on the historical origins and themes of the text. He then summarizes the text itself. Finally, he gives a *very* brief indication of the "significance" of the text -- what theological issues does it address, what concerns has it raised for commentators, what influence has it had (both for Christians and for Jews).
The summaries of the texts account for 80% or more of the book, and while the summaries help identify themes and structure, they add very little to the texts themselves. I found the book disappointing, because I was looking for more depth on the historical background and subsequent significance of the Apocrypha. If you are looking for a very basic, short introduction to these texts, however, this book fits the bill.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book represents the first survey of the Apocrypha since Bruce metzger's Introduction to the Apocrypha in 1957. This is also the only survey of the Apocrypha that includes 3 and 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151, which are included in the Bible of the Orthodox churches. Daniel Harrington only very briefly discusses the history of the canonical status of these books; one should look elsewhere for further information on this subject. The focus of the book is a summary of each of the 18 books of the Apocrypha. Here the author does an outstanding job; providing for each book background information, a well written and thorough summary of the contents, and the significance of that book. The author is clearly knowledgeable about and familiar with these books. The author's focus on the issue of suffering in the books of the Apocrypha further adds to the value of this book. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in finding out more about the contents of the books of the Apocrypha.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A book that is long overdue
Oct 4 1999
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This book represents the first survey of the Apocrypha since Bruce metzger's Introduction to the Apocrypha in 1957. This is also the only survey of the Apocrypha that includes 3 and 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151, which are included in the Bible of the Orthodox churches. Daniel Harrington only very briefly discusses the history of the canonical status of these books; one should look elsewhere for further information on this subject. The focus of the book is a summary of each of the 18 books of the Apocrypha. Here the author does an outstanding job; providing for each book background information, a well written and thorough summary of the contents, and the significance of that book. The author is clearly knowledgeable about and familiar with these books. The author's focus on the issue of suffering in the books of the Apocrypha further adds to the value of this book. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in finding out more about the contents of the books of the Apocrypha.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Invitation to the Apocrypha
Sep 2 2010
By Debbie
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
My Bible study group decided to look into the books of the Apocrypha. Since I didn't know anything about these additional writings, I was looking for a simply guide to lead me through the study. "Invitation to the Apocrypha" supplies background and offers step by step commentary. It is a perfect study guide for the beginner.
11 of 16 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Cliff's Notes For The Apocrypha
Sep 8 2001
By "krchicago"
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
The Apocrypha are 16 books (or parts of books) contained in and accepted as canonical in one or more Christian Bibles (Roman Catholic, Orthodox or Slavonic), but not contained in the Hebrew Bible. (The Roman Catholic apocryphal works are often printed in Protestant Bibles, but are identified as the Apocrypha and are not considered canonical.)
Harrington provides a concise introduction to each of the books in the Apocrypha. For each book, he provides a one or two page summary of scholarship on the historical origins and themes of the text. He then summarizes the text itself. Finally, he gives a *very* brief indication of the "significance" of the text -- what theological issues does it address, what concerns has it raised for commentators, what influence has it had (both for Christians and for Jews).
The summaries of the texts account for 80% or more of the book, and while the summaries help identify themes and structure, they add very little to the texts themselves. I found the book disappointing, because I was looking for more depth on the historical background and subsequent significance of the Apocrypha. If you are looking for a very basic, short introduction to these texts, however, this book fits the bill.
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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