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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Book Review : Thomas Nelson's Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, 3rd Edition


•    Colorful maps and charts
•    Chronological representation of all books of the Bible
•    Short yet concise overview for each book of the Bible
•    Easy to use reference book for individual or small group study
•    Reproducible maps and charts available for sharing in a large group study

Thomas Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts, 3rd edition, met and exceeded my expectations as a handy resource book and possibly a text for a basic Bible Survey course.  This book could assist my children, my husband and me in personal study Bible study by providing additional insights and information to go along with the reading of the text.

The layout for each chapter is easy to read and covers information on the following components for each book of the Bible;  introduction, authorship, dates, themes and literature structure, the book at a glance (via a chart) and an outline.  If the authorship or dating of the book has more than one commonly held school of thought, different views are explained in brief.  

Following these consistent points of coverage, each chapter highlights various points for further study.  For example, Genesis includes subsections such as;  “The Six Days of Creation”, “God’s Creative Work”, “The Garden of Eden”, “Two Adams Contrasted” (Adam of Genesis and Jesus in the New Testament) and “Ages of the Patriarchs”.  Ruth includes subtopics called, “From Outsider to Royal Ancestress”, “Ruth-A Foreshadow of Redemption and “A Distinguished Descendant”. 

Numerous charts and maps are included throughout the book.   You will find maps on the patriarch’s journeys, Jacob’s life, David’s life, David’s kingdom, the return of the Jews from exile and so many more.  As far as the charts go, in the book of Hosea there is a chart showing Israel’s relationship with God as depicted in prophecies from Jeremiah and Ezekiel and the similarities with Hosea’s relationship with Gomer.  Psalms includes a chart on the images of God referenced.  Prior to the coverage for each gospel there is a detailed harmonization of the gospels that covers multiple pages.

Finally, Thomas Nelson also provides free content for some of their books when you purchase them.  Apparently this sometimes includes an eBook copy.  In the case of this book, ll the maps are provided as free downloads.  This free content can be used by your eBook reader (Kindle or Sony Reader) or just downloaded to your computer. 

One thing that I really wish was included but  wasn’t, however I don’t know of any reference book that does include this, is an alternate possible (and probable) location for Mt. Sinai (search for the movie “Search for the Real Mt. Sinai” to find out what I am referring to).   Regardless, this book serves its purpose well.  If you are looking for in-depth study, this is not it. If you are looking for a starting point for further study on any book of the Bible, this is a great option. I love how easy it is to use and the fact that introductory coverage is provided for every book of the Bible.  The price is right too!  Unlike many other reference books found in the Christian bookstores, you probably won’t see this title in the bargain bins anytime soon.

At the time of this review Amazon does not have sample pages posted. If you want to see sample pages you will need to search for the title at Christianbook.com. 

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255   : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising