THE STORY OF THE BIBLE

Peter Whitfield’s accessible introduction to the Bible, aimed at the secular listener, approaches literary and theological material from historical and cultural perspectives. However, the contents of the brief audiobook are disappointingly narrow, with only a cursory overview of the range of the entire Old and New Testaments. The bulk of the material deals with the history of biblical scholarship and the influence of the Bible on Western—primarily Protestant—civilization. The highlight of the production is Oliver Davies’s reading, in which he presents the material like a skilled Oxford don. Even where the contents are wanting, Davies’s silken articulation makes for a listening experience that has both melodic elegance and a scholarly patina. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2011]