Literarily: How Understanding Bible Genres Transforms Bible Study

"The power of language rests not just in what words are said, but in how they are said. The words of Scripture are no exception. Perhaps no tool is more useful, or more often overlooked, than a basic understanding of how the Bible speaks. Kristie offers excellent help to those who want to read the Bible as it is written: as a collection of different ways of writing, all telling one marvelous story."
—JEN WILKIN, author and Bible teacher

"Reading the Bible is important, but how we read it makes all the difference. Through a simple and concise approach, Kristie Anyabwile helps readers grasp the literary genres of the Bible. With plenty of aha moments to spare, this book helps us go to God's Word with fresh understanding, giving way to a true, rich, and robust study of the Scriptures."
—EMILY JENSEN & LAURA WIFLER, cofounders of Risen Motherhood; coauthors of Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments

"Most of us know instinctually that we don't read poetry the same way we read historical narrative. And we don't read apocalyptic the same way we read discourse. But most of us need a little help in developing our skills for reading and understanding the types of literature in the Bible we're less familiar with. In this uncomplicated and insightful book, Kristie hands us some tools to use in the text that will help it to open up to us, so that we will become better able to understand and apply it to our lives."
—NANCY GUTHRIE, author and Bible teacher

"The most characteristic failing of preaching and Bible teaching today is the almost total lack of attention to the genres of the Bible. The customary approach to the Bible is to operate on the premise that every passage belongs to the same undifferentiated genre, understood to be a repository of ideas. Kristie Anyabwile knows that adequate analysis of the Bible requires close attention to its specific genres. Her book is an introduction to the major genres of the Bible, and she shows how an awareness of these genres can guide our encounter with a passage in the Bible. This book moves beyond accurate theory (information about the genres of the Bible) to practice, and a major strength of the book is that it contains an abundance of tips for reading and interpreting the Bible in light of its genres."
—LELAND RYKEN, author and professor of English emeritus at Wheaton College