The MAP Making the Bible Meaningful, Accessible, Practical

The MAP  Making the Bible Meaningful Accessible Practical    Nick Page                     Zondervan 2002                                                           This book  delivers on the promise to make the Bible meaningful, accessible & practical.   Meaningful in that Page references familiar stories and passages. His metaphor of a map carries through visually as one reads.     It is accessible due to Page’s format.  He uses many graphics and sidebars that are consistent throughout the chapters.  Each book begins with a “Quick Guide”  that gives the author, genre, purpose, a key verse and a memory point.   Practical because the author addresses information that normal readers need.  It is not overly literary or scholarly.                                                                                                                             Page’s choice of key verses does not always make sense to the book’s theme.  He openly admits the book does not require a complete reading of the Bible.  He gives you a “representative sample of the book”.   In my opinion, this book is a good supplement to a more in depth study of the Bible.                                                                                                                                            Page’s conversational style of writing makes his writing easy reading.  However,  some comments can be controversial to the conservative Christian.  His sidebars entitled “Puzzling Points” could be used by skeptics to contradict the truth of the Bible.                                                                      Nick Page identifies as “writer, information designer and creative consultant.”  His website describes him as “writer, speaker, unlicensed historian, information-monger, applied ranter.”   The website also calls him a “popular speaker for churches, church weekends, retreats, book festivals and other events.”  While his books appear written for a Christian audience, no mention of Christ or Christianity is mentioned in his website or biography.  Nor is there any information of his background and/or training. Nick Page appears online to be respected among the Christian community of the UK where he lives and writes.                                                                                       The MAP is a valid resource for the reader looking for more insight to the books of the Bible.  However, having no knowledge of his other writings and no posted credentials or faith statements,  the reader should read discerningly.  The MAP should not be the only resource consulted.  For this author,  The MAP confirmed information from other sources and/or stated a fact in a more reader-friendly format.  As a resource, it was helpful in researching dates and little known Bible characters.  On the few occasions when Page disagreed with other resources,  this author quoted resources with clear statements of faith.

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