This month, I’m giving away a brand new copy of And God Said What? An Introduction to Biblical Literary Forms by Margaret Nutting Ralph. (To read about why I’ve chosen this particular book, click here.)

For a chance to win a copy of And God Said What?, simply follow the instructions below:

Please use the Rafflecopter widget found here to enter. NOTE: You will need a Facebook account to participate. This giveaway is available to residents of the United States and ends tomorrow on Tuesday, February 4 @ 8pm. The winner will be announced on Wednesday 10am at the Leaven in the World Facebook Page and will be contacted via email to arrange shipping details.

Here’s a little more about this great resource for adult faith formation:

Have you ever thought…

• Why would a loving God make the whole human race suffer just because Adam took a bite of that apple?
• Wasn’t it cruel of God to ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in the first place?
• I think the vineyard workers who worked all day should have been paid more.

These questions and observations reflect some of the basic misunderstandings about the Bible caused by not knowing its literary forms.

And God Said What? introduces readers to the importance of understanding the various literary forms that appear in Scripture: myth, legend, debate, fiction, Gospel, parable, allegory, letter and apocalypse. Each genre is clearly defined, and the importance of understanding genre in order to find meaning is explored in relation to many well-known biblical passages: Samson, Lot’s wife, Jonah, puzzling parables, 666, and many more. Written by an experienced teacher who has listened carefully to her students’ questions, this book is an invaluable help to those who want to understand the revelation contained in the old and new covenants.