“You have to be kidding me! The American Patriot Bible? What will they create next, The Former Soviet Union Bible: How Communism and Acts Chapter Two Work Together?” This was my first thought when I read the title. I was also terrified that when I opened the book, I would have a giant picture of an icon from the religious right beckoning me to examine how all of the founding fathers were Baptist preachers or something frighteningly revisionist like that. I am a social studies and language arts teacher with a Bachelors degree in Bible, so I understand the right and the left, but I don’t see the need for the Bible to side with either.
However, I was truly amazed by this Bible. It wasn’t extremely partial at all. It wove virtue and historical fact without revision into a great work of literature that begs to be read if one is to understand American History. I loved how I could truly see the interaction of the concept of God and our history. I also loved that Civil Rights and the rights of humanity were aptly included in it’s analysis. It made me want to actually encourage others to get and read the notes.
I would greatly recommend this book to anyone that wants to be challenged to think about how the Bible interacts with American History. I do have one suggestion for the publisher. I would create another one called “The Bible as Literature”. I would put historical facts along with notes on how great works of literature have been influenced by particular passages of scripture. This would be usable in courses that evaluate the Bible as literature. It would also not alienate potential buyers.
