Michael David Coogan

"A noted scholar looks at how the biblical concept of a chosen people developed and has been exploited by groups throughout history"--

"The Bible is the sacred scripture of Judaism and Christianity. In its pages we encounter some of the most memorable characters in world literature: Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob, Moses, Samson and Delilah, David and Bathsheba, Job, Jesus, and Paul; some of the most well-known religious texts: the Ten Commandments, the Shema, Psalm 23, and the Sermon on the Mount; and some of the most important concepts in theology: covenant,...

The author offers an exploration of the 'Old Testament', illuminating its importance as history, literature, and sacred text. He provides an overview of one of the great pillars of Western religion and culture, a book which remains important today for Jews, Christians, and Muslims worldwide.

Religion has influenced human culture since prehistory, shaping everything from the politics of war and peace to notions of morality and issues of sex, reproduction, and family. On an individual level, it has also offered people a sense of meaning, purpose, and comfort, and even today, when science appears to offer answers to many of the worlds's conundrums, faith persists and many religions--including Christianity and Islam--are still growing. The...