Top 5 books

Finally, after a long wait since the last time I got tagged with a meme, I have been tagged by Tonya with the “top 5 books that have influenced the way you read the Bible” meme…  Now that’s a good meme – here are my thoughts:

1. I suppose I have to say Anthony Thiselton’s commentary on the Greek text of 1 Corinthians as first place, given that since then I’ve read a heck of a lot more 1 Corinthians than anything else
2. In next place is not really one book, but a massive group of writings: The apocrypha/pseudepigrapha/early Jewish writings such as Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Jubilees, Pseudo-Phocylides, Sibylline Oracles, Philo, Josephus, etc etc: These writings have profoundly influenced the way I read the New Testament, as I attempt to be sensitive to some of its settings/influences/backgrounds.  If you are looking for a good introduction to this literature, I recommend the big book by George W.E. Nickelsburg
3. The Resurrection of the Dead, by Karl Barth.  If you’re interested in 1 Corinthians, this is a must-read, even though it will annoy you at points.
4. I still have two to go?  Sheesh… ummm… oh well one popular-level book that has made my think a little more carefully about the letters of the NT is the book about Paul and First-Century Letter Writing by E. Randolph Richards (and a couple of other related titles by other authors).  Worth a read, I reckon.
5. Liddell & Scott – mind you I’m never sure of the number of d’s and l’s and t’s in that name – but I love it – it’s soooo impressive when you slam it down on a desk – that sucker’s gotta weigh a good couple of kilos.  Oh and it’s incredibly helpful too!

I shall have to withdraw from tagging others with this meme, as I’m about to go away for a week of family holidays, so I shan’t be around for a bit…  Hadrian’s Wall, here I come!!