Bible
Reading the First Five Books The Invitation of the Pentateuch’s Stories Rachel Toombs This book invites readers to rediscover the artistry and transforma - tive power of the narratives of the first five books of the Bible. Reading the First Five Books highlights key literary techniques like brevity, pacing, characterization, and use of the grotesque, demonstrating how these characteristics shape biblical stories into memorable, complex narratives that reward close reading. This accessible guide unpacks what makes Old Testament stories effec - tive while cultivating skills for deeper engagement with scriptural texts. Extended examples drawn from each book of the Pentateuch are included. Bridging literary study and biblical scholarship, Reading the First Five Books models a spirit of open-minded yet careful reading that uncovers profound meaning in sparse details. The book is ideal for courses on the Old Testament or the Pentateuch. Students will find valuable instruction and inspiration for their own journeys through these sacred texts. “Toombs writes lucidly, freshly, and engagingly. She helps us notice and appreciate things in the biblical text that we hadn’t noticed and appreciated previously. With her help we can better under- stand some of the conventions of the biblical writers and thereby become better readers of Scripture.” —WALTER MOBERLY, Durham University (emeritus) “Toombs is a uniquely gifted guide to the reading of Old Testament narrative. She offers wisdom from the realms of biblical scholar- ship, literature, and theology proper as well as a deep respect for the way the Scriptures form the people who read them.” —REBECCA W. POE HAYS, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University “In this wonderful book, Toombs helps us to become ‘attuned to the artistry’ of the Pentateuch. By attending to five important features of biblical storytelling, she demonstrates once again (per her muse, Flannery O’Connor) that ‘the only suitable way to know what a story is about is to read it.’ And read it well, we might add, which is precisely what Toombs models throughout the volume with keen theological-literary acumen, a deft and beautiful hand, and the gifts of a seasoned pedagogue.” —BRENT A. STRAWN, Duke University
OCTOBER 2024 • 192 pp. • paper • $24.99 • 9781540965905
Rachel Toombs (PhD, Baylor University) serves at Ascension Episcopal Church in Stillwater, Minnesota. She previously served as the director of formation and connection at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Waco, Texas, and as a lecturer at Baylor University. She is the author of Flannery O’Connor and Stylistic Asceticism .
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