The Year of Living Biblically (priest, experience, agnostic, bible)

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Last week, I saw a TV interview with A.J. Jacobs, the author of the just-released The Year of Living Biblically - One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.

From the author's web site:

The Year of Living Biblically is about my quest to live the ultimate biblical life. To follow every single rule in the Bible – as literally as possible. I obey the famous ones:

• The Ten Commandments
• Love thy neighbor
• Be fruitful and multiply

But also, the hundreds of oft-ignored ones.

• Do not wear clothes of mixed fibers.
• Do not shave your beard
• Stone adulterers

Why? Well, I grew up in a very secular home (I’m officially Jewish but I’m Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant). I’d always assumed religion would just wither away and we’d live in a neo-Enlightenment world. I was, of course, spectacularly wrong. So was I missing something essential to being a human? Or was half the world deluded?

I decided to dive in headfirst. To try to experience the Bible myself and find out what’s good in it, and what’s maybe not so relevant to the 21st century.

The resulting year was fascinating, entertaining and informative. It was equal parts irreverent and reverent. It was filled with surprising insights almost every day. (I know it’s not biblical to boast, so apologies for that).

One comment he made in the interview I found to be especially interesting: he said that at the end of the year, he was still an agnostic, but a priest friend of his said that he had become a "reverent agnostic".

So... has anyone here read the book? What did you think?

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

So... has anyone here read the book? What did you think?

I somehow doubt he actually stoned any adulterers.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

I somehow doubt he actually stoned any adulterers.

Maybe he interpreted "stoned" as "getting high."

[angellous_evangellous]

Angellous will live by the Kama Sutra, interpreting it literally, for at least a year.

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by angellous_evangellous

Angellous will live by the Kama Sutra, interpreting it literally, for at least a year.

I'm going to do the same thing with Moby Dick. I'll update you as the project progresses. Anybody seen a white whale around here?

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

I somehow doubt he actually stoned any adulterers.

He did, actually. That story is described in the sample chapter on his web site: look about halfway down this page.

Short version: the Bible doesn't specify the size of the stones, so he used pebbles.

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

He did, actually. That story is described in the sample chapter on his web site: look about halfway down this page.

Short version: the Bible doesn't specify the size of the stones, so he used pebbles.

If only it were that easy.

BibleGateway.com: Search for a Bible passage in over 35 languages and 50 versions.

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Originally Posted by angellous_evangellous

Angellous will live by the Kama Sutra, interpreting it literally, for at least a year.

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

I'm going to do the same thing with Moby Dick. I'll update you as the project progresses. Anybody seen a white whale around here?

You're going to live by the Kama Sutra for a year with a white whale?

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by doppelgänger