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A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible
To truly understand God's Word, we must know both what it says (content) and how it says it (form). This accessible guide features over 250 alphabetically arranged entries explaining common literary forms found in the Bible. Each entry contains a succinct definition, helpful illustrations, and a representative list of passages where that particular literary form is present.
More than merely a dictionary, this indispensable resource will help Bible readers better understand the underlying structure of Scripture—giving a clearer shape and deeper meaning to each and every page of God's Word.
More than merely a dictionary, this indispensable resource will help Bible readers better understand the underlying structure of Scripture—giving a clearer shape and deeper meaning to each and every page of God's Word.
- GenresTheologyLiterature
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2014
30 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
About the author
Leland Ryken
105 books142 followersDr. Ryken has served on the faculty of Wheaton College since 1968. He has published over thirty books and more than one hundred articles and essays, devoting much of his scholarship to Bible translations and the study of the Bible as literature. He served as Literary Chairman for the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible and in 2003 received the distinguished Gutenberg Award for his contributions to education, writing, and the understanding of the Bible.
He is the father of Philip Graham Ryken
He is the father of Philip Graham Ryken
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 23, 2023
necessary for biblical interpretation
Great tool. Compliments the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery and may benefit counseling where story is valued. Homiletics may be enlivened too.
Great tool. Compliments the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery and may benefit counseling where story is valued. Homiletics may be enlivened too.
March 19, 2015
As a young missionary and student of the Bible, I once received counsel to check out certain commentaries written by scholars who didn't believe the Bible to be true. This counselor wasn't trying to lead me away from the true faith but toward it, because he suggested, "Many liberal scholars are more willing than conservatives to take the Bible at face value. Since they don't care what the Bible says, they have nothing to lose by being honest about its message." Having grown tired of endless word studies and thin defenses of dogmatic opinions on every page of some conservative commentaries, I gave it a try.
And I began learning to read the Bible as a work of literature.
(Please note: Not all commenters are created equal. Some unbelieving scholars take offense at the Bible's message and seek to undermine it at every turn. I'm not writing about them, but about their colleagues who approach the Bible with more indifference than aggression.)
This approach helped me for a time, leading me to learn from brilliant (though spiritually foolish) writers how beautiful and well-written the Scriptures are. I learned how important structure was to ancient authors. I gained a keener eye for devices like characterization, comparison and contrast, inclusio (bookends), and repetition. I realized how important the original audience is to our interpretation. I learned to set aside my preconceptions, since I often had to suspend my disgust for the commentator's assumptions in order to sharpen my ability to observe the text and delight in the ancient artistry.
Enter Leland Ryken.
Dr. Ryken showed me that I didn't have to simmer in unbelieving scholarship in order to read the Bible for what it is: literature.
One of my earliest "wow" experiences was being required to read selections from Ryken's Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible for a seminary course. The book was so good, I finished it on my own as soon as the course ended. And I've returned to it regularly ever since.
Ryken teaches college-level English and trusts God's word. I praise God for his service to the kingdom of God in our generation, through his teaching career and long list of published works. And I was delighted when this man I deeply respect was willing to endorse my book Knowable Word .
Crossway caught my eye when they offered me a copy of Ryken's recent work, A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible, in exchange for an honest review. This handbook appeared to be a useful tool for any student's library.
And Ryken's Handbook delivers on a grand scale. Ryken gets literature, and he gets the Bible.
The Handbook lists about 270 different forms Bible passages follow and gives definitions, explanations, and examples for each form. The handbook's introduction explains why literary form matters: Writers communicate meaning through form. If we ignore form, we often miss the meaning. There is no content in the Bible communicated without a form. And a biblical understanding of inspiration requires us to recognize the inspiration of not only words and content but also the shape those words take.
Ryken explains:
The most obvious lesson that this handbook reveals is that the Bible is much more infused with literary forms and techniques than we realize. In fact, I predict that anyone who browses in this book for ten minutes will be shocked by the extent to which literary forms and techniques are present in the Bible. (Kindle loc. 381)
Dr. Ryken is a prophet indeed. The Handbook will help you understand forms like soliloquy, three-plus-one motifs, parody, insult, irony, hero stories, fantasy, foreshadowing, envelope structure, apostrophe, coming-of-age stories,stories of villainy, and lament psalms, to name but a small percentage of forms.
I would imagine using this reference often, except for one significant flaw that undermines its usefulness to average Bible readers like me. It has no Scripture index. This handbook is useful only to those already familiar with the extensive literary terms. If I'm reading Job 3, and I want to learn more about how soliloquies work, this handbook offers a marvelous explanation. But if I've never heard the term soliloquy, the handbook will be of no use to me.
I would give this book 5 stars if it had a Scripture index tying Bible references to the names of literary forms found in them. Without such an index, unfortunately, I can't see most readers benefitting from this handbook—unless they're either steeped in the terminology of literature or reading other reference works making use of that terminology.
And I began learning to read the Bible as a work of literature.
(Please note: Not all commenters are created equal. Some unbelieving scholars take offense at the Bible's message and seek to undermine it at every turn. I'm not writing about them, but about their colleagues who approach the Bible with more indifference than aggression.)
This approach helped me for a time, leading me to learn from brilliant (though spiritually foolish) writers how beautiful and well-written the Scriptures are. I learned how important structure was to ancient authors. I gained a keener eye for devices like characterization, comparison and contrast, inclusio (bookends), and repetition. I realized how important the original audience is to our interpretation. I learned to set aside my preconceptions, since I often had to suspend my disgust for the commentator's assumptions in order to sharpen my ability to observe the text and delight in the ancient artistry.
Enter Leland Ryken.
Dr. Ryken showed me that I didn't have to simmer in unbelieving scholarship in order to read the Bible for what it is: literature.
One of my earliest "wow" experiences was being required to read selections from Ryken's Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible for a seminary course. The book was so good, I finished it on my own as soon as the course ended. And I've returned to it regularly ever since.
Ryken teaches college-level English and trusts God's word. I praise God for his service to the kingdom of God in our generation, through his teaching career and long list of published works. And I was delighted when this man I deeply respect was willing to endorse my book Knowable Word .
Crossway caught my eye when they offered me a copy of Ryken's recent work, A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible, in exchange for an honest review. This handbook appeared to be a useful tool for any student's library.
And Ryken's Handbook delivers on a grand scale. Ryken gets literature, and he gets the Bible.
The Handbook lists about 270 different forms Bible passages follow and gives definitions, explanations, and examples for each form. The handbook's introduction explains why literary form matters: Writers communicate meaning through form. If we ignore form, we often miss the meaning. There is no content in the Bible communicated without a form. And a biblical understanding of inspiration requires us to recognize the inspiration of not only words and content but also the shape those words take.
Ryken explains:
The most obvious lesson that this handbook reveals is that the Bible is much more infused with literary forms and techniques than we realize. In fact, I predict that anyone who browses in this book for ten minutes will be shocked by the extent to which literary forms and techniques are present in the Bible. (Kindle loc. 381)
Dr. Ryken is a prophet indeed. The Handbook will help you understand forms like soliloquy, three-plus-one motifs, parody, insult, irony, hero stories, fantasy, foreshadowing, envelope structure, apostrophe, coming-of-age stories,stories of villainy, and lament psalms, to name but a small percentage of forms.
I would imagine using this reference often, except for one significant flaw that undermines its usefulness to average Bible readers like me. It has no Scripture index. This handbook is useful only to those already familiar with the extensive literary terms. If I'm reading Job 3, and I want to learn more about how soliloquies work, this handbook offers a marvelous explanation. But if I've never heard the term soliloquy, the handbook will be of no use to me.
I would give this book 5 stars if it had a Scripture index tying Bible references to the names of literary forms found in them. Without such an index, unfortunately, I can't see most readers benefitting from this handbook—unless they're either steeped in the terminology of literature or reading other reference works making use of that terminology.
March 11, 2026
Concise, informative, and well-written. A wonderful resource for the student of the Word.
October 22, 2014
Leland Ryken, A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014). Paperback / Kindle
In the introduction to this marvelous little book, Leland Ryken makes a distinction that helps explain why his book is necessary. Some people, he notes, argue that “the literary forms of the Bible are only the forms in which the content comes to us.” By contrast, he argues that the Bible’s literary forms are “the only form in which the content is expressed.” He concludes: “Without form, no content exists. Form is meaning. Meaning is embodied in form.”
If Ryken is correct—and I think he is—then we must pay attention to genres, literary techniques, motifs, archetypes and type scenes, figures of speech, rhetorical devices, stylistic traits, and formulas, for these literary forms are the vehicles by means of which biblical authors, inspired by God, expressed theological, historical, and moral content. Failure to understand the literary form correctly may result in a failure to understand the Bible correctly. We should not interpret a parable as a historical narrative, to cite an obvious example. If we do, we misunderstand both.
The handbook presents literary forms in alphabetical order, beginning with “ABUNDANCE, STORY OF” and ending with “WORSHIP PSALM.” For each form, Ryken provides both definition and example. Most of his entries are noncontroversial, though I think “PARABLE” might ruffle a few pastoral feathers, since it argues that parables are “usually allegorical,” in the sense that “numerous details in most of [Jesus’] parables stand for something else.” My guess is that readers will agree the substance of Ryken’s remarks, even if they chafe at his use of the words allegory and allegorical.
Ryken’s entries, “COMEDY” and “TRAGEDY,” point to architectonic truths about the literary form of the Bible considered as a whole. “It is a commonplace of literary criticism,” Ryken writes in the former entry, “that comedy rather than tragedy is the dominant form of the Bible and the Christian gospel.” Why? “The story begins with the creation of a perfect world. It descends into the tragedy of fallen human history. It ends with a new world of total happiness and victory over evil.” By contrast, as Ryken writes in the latter entry, “The materials for tragedy are everywhere present in the Bible, but the Bible is largely a collection of averted tragedies—potential tragedies that are avoided through human repentance and divine forgiveness.” The biblical metanarrative of creation, fall, and redemption encodes a comic worldview, a hopeful story with a happy ending. No wonder joy is the predominant response to the gospel whenever it is preached!
Those wishing to study the literary forms of the Bible in greater depth can turn to several other works by the same author, including: How to Read the Bible as Literature , Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible , Ryken’s Bible Handbook , and Dictionary of Biblical Imagery , which he co-edited with James C. Wilhoit and Tremper Longman III.
Finally, on a personal note, I was a student of Ryken’s in his classes on British Literature and Milton at Wheaton College (Class of ’91). I enjoyed those classes thoroughly, despite the bullwhip. (Don’t ask!) And I continue to profit from his many writings on the literary qualities of the Bible.
P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
In the introduction to this marvelous little book, Leland Ryken makes a distinction that helps explain why his book is necessary. Some people, he notes, argue that “the literary forms of the Bible are only the forms in which the content comes to us.” By contrast, he argues that the Bible’s literary forms are “the only form in which the content is expressed.” He concludes: “Without form, no content exists. Form is meaning. Meaning is embodied in form.”
If Ryken is correct—and I think he is—then we must pay attention to genres, literary techniques, motifs, archetypes and type scenes, figures of speech, rhetorical devices, stylistic traits, and formulas, for these literary forms are the vehicles by means of which biblical authors, inspired by God, expressed theological, historical, and moral content. Failure to understand the literary form correctly may result in a failure to understand the Bible correctly. We should not interpret a parable as a historical narrative, to cite an obvious example. If we do, we misunderstand both.
The handbook presents literary forms in alphabetical order, beginning with “ABUNDANCE, STORY OF” and ending with “WORSHIP PSALM.” For each form, Ryken provides both definition and example. Most of his entries are noncontroversial, though I think “PARABLE” might ruffle a few pastoral feathers, since it argues that parables are “usually allegorical,” in the sense that “numerous details in most of [Jesus’] parables stand for something else.” My guess is that readers will agree the substance of Ryken’s remarks, even if they chafe at his use of the words allegory and allegorical.
Ryken’s entries, “COMEDY” and “TRAGEDY,” point to architectonic truths about the literary form of the Bible considered as a whole. “It is a commonplace of literary criticism,” Ryken writes in the former entry, “that comedy rather than tragedy is the dominant form of the Bible and the Christian gospel.” Why? “The story begins with the creation of a perfect world. It descends into the tragedy of fallen human history. It ends with a new world of total happiness and victory over evil.” By contrast, as Ryken writes in the latter entry, “The materials for tragedy are everywhere present in the Bible, but the Bible is largely a collection of averted tragedies—potential tragedies that are avoided through human repentance and divine forgiveness.” The biblical metanarrative of creation, fall, and redemption encodes a comic worldview, a hopeful story with a happy ending. No wonder joy is the predominant response to the gospel whenever it is preached!
Those wishing to study the literary forms of the Bible in greater depth can turn to several other works by the same author, including: How to Read the Bible as Literature , Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible , Ryken’s Bible Handbook , and Dictionary of Biblical Imagery , which he co-edited with James C. Wilhoit and Tremper Longman III.
Finally, on a personal note, I was a student of Ryken’s in his classes on British Literature and Milton at Wheaton College (Class of ’91). I enjoyed those classes thoroughly, despite the bullwhip. (Don’t ask!) And I continue to profit from his many writings on the literary qualities of the Bible.
P.S. If you found my review helpful, please vote “Yes” on my Amazon.com review page.
November 27, 2014
This excellent handbook by Ryken lists, explains, and exemplifies the full spectrum of literary elements that we find in Scripture. It truly is a remarkable companion to Bible study, and I believe it should be on every preacher’s, teacher’s, and Christian’s shelf.
The thesis of the book states: “if we know what the terms mean and how they apply to reading and teaching the Bible, we will see a great deal more in the Bible than we would otherwise.” And the ‘if-then’ proves true; when you read the examples drawn from Scripture, you will say, “Aha!” unless, of course, you’re prone use “Eureka!” instead.
Even if the Bible student can’t memorize each term and its implications, a single read-through will familiarize her/him enough with the basic categories to enhance study exponentially, and more importantly: they will garner the eyes to see the Bible as literature—an absolutely indispensable tool. Genre, subgenre, motif, character archetypes, plot mechanisms, symbols, and countless other details are expertly explained in concise fashion: just enough for you to understand what it is and how it is used, and then push you back into Scripture. Indeed, the esteem for Scripture is seen throughout every page—A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible is a servant, not a master.
In several places throughout, Ryken references his work Dictionary of Biblical Imagery for fuller explanations, arguments, and examples; similarly Ryken has edited The Literary Study Bible—and while all three are valuable resources, the Handbook occupies the middle ground: offering a push on the swing (instead of the training wheels/guided tour of the Study Bible or the enduring wrestle of the Dictionary). Ultimately I can’t tell you which resource would be best suited for your use, but it is important to recognize the overlap.
The book delivers an insightful introduction which defends the science of literary study in Scripture. And it offers an index of all the ‘forms’ in case you can’t quite remember the name of ‘that one thing’ that bears upon your passage next Sunday. It should be noted that there is no index of Scripture—perhaps a helpful addition in further editions.
I fully recommend this book without reserve, and I look forward to further editions that might improve unnoticed problems, and maybe even a bonded leather edition to handle all the referencing the Handbook is sure to incur.
*I received a copy from the Publisher as part of their book review program "Beyond the Page." My thoughts are my own, and I was in no way encouraged to write a favorable review.
The thesis of the book states: “if we know what the terms mean and how they apply to reading and teaching the Bible, we will see a great deal more in the Bible than we would otherwise.” And the ‘if-then’ proves true; when you read the examples drawn from Scripture, you will say, “Aha!” unless, of course, you’re prone use “Eureka!” instead.
Even if the Bible student can’t memorize each term and its implications, a single read-through will familiarize her/him enough with the basic categories to enhance study exponentially, and more importantly: they will garner the eyes to see the Bible as literature—an absolutely indispensable tool. Genre, subgenre, motif, character archetypes, plot mechanisms, symbols, and countless other details are expertly explained in concise fashion: just enough for you to understand what it is and how it is used, and then push you back into Scripture. Indeed, the esteem for Scripture is seen throughout every page—A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible is a servant, not a master.
In several places throughout, Ryken references his work Dictionary of Biblical Imagery for fuller explanations, arguments, and examples; similarly Ryken has edited The Literary Study Bible—and while all three are valuable resources, the Handbook occupies the middle ground: offering a push on the swing (instead of the training wheels/guided tour of the Study Bible or the enduring wrestle of the Dictionary). Ultimately I can’t tell you which resource would be best suited for your use, but it is important to recognize the overlap.
The book delivers an insightful introduction which defends the science of literary study in Scripture. And it offers an index of all the ‘forms’ in case you can’t quite remember the name of ‘that one thing’ that bears upon your passage next Sunday. It should be noted that there is no index of Scripture—perhaps a helpful addition in further editions.
I fully recommend this book without reserve, and I look forward to further editions that might improve unnoticed problems, and maybe even a bonded leather edition to handle all the referencing the Handbook is sure to incur.
*I received a copy from the Publisher as part of their book review program "Beyond the Page." My thoughts are my own, and I was in no way encouraged to write a favorable review.
January 9, 2015
It’s a book. And one that I have in Kindle format, and I will say straight up: I would recommend that you get this in print. It’s more of a reference type work, and I just prefer that type of resource in print. I don’t find Kindles as “search friendly” as some people. It may just be me.
What book is it? A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible by Leland Ryken. Dr. Ryken is an English Professor and served (and I assume, serves in an ongoing fashion) as literary consultant to English Standard Version translation of the Bible. He should know literary forms.
First, let us consider the format. The format is why I would recommend a print version, because you have an alphabetical dictionary layout. It makes things easy to find, assuming one knows the alphabet, and makes for easy reading for those of with short attention spans. SQUIRREL!!
However, I don’t find this a text that makes for a read “cover-to-cover.” I’m not convinced that was intended, so that’s not a shot at the work. I think Ryken intended a reference book.
Second, let us consider content. The entries are alphabetized, with a descriptive definition for each literary type like “Anthropomorphism” or “Type Scene.” This includes some descriptive examples from the text of the Bible.
There is not an exhaustive list of every example of the form. That is not as much a drawback as the lack of an index of the passages mentioned. I would have liked that list in the back matter: each Scripture reference used, indexed to its type.
(And in all, I’d love to get my hands on a cross-reference of every Scripture passage indexed to literary type, or have that as a feature in either a commentary series or study Bible.)
Third, let us consider “completeness.” This is the “Complete Handbook,” after all. I’m inclined to think it’s complete, as Ryken knows what he’s doing. But I do wonder about the lack of reference to original language concepts. I’m curious of “story of abundance” is a universal literary form, a Western form, or a Hebraic form.
That does not diminish the value of this book as it is, but does show a limitation or two. I think more could be said in those areas, making a bigger book. Which is likely why there are limitations on what was presented.
In all, a worthwhile addition to the shelf.
EBook provided by the publisher in exchange for the review.
What book is it? A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible by Leland Ryken. Dr. Ryken is an English Professor and served (and I assume, serves in an ongoing fashion) as literary consultant to English Standard Version translation of the Bible. He should know literary forms.
First, let us consider the format. The format is why I would recommend a print version, because you have an alphabetical dictionary layout. It makes things easy to find, assuming one knows the alphabet, and makes for easy reading for those of with short attention spans. SQUIRREL!!
However, I don’t find this a text that makes for a read “cover-to-cover.” I’m not convinced that was intended, so that’s not a shot at the work. I think Ryken intended a reference book.
Second, let us consider content. The entries are alphabetized, with a descriptive definition for each literary type like “Anthropomorphism” or “Type Scene.” This includes some descriptive examples from the text of the Bible.
There is not an exhaustive list of every example of the form. That is not as much a drawback as the lack of an index of the passages mentioned. I would have liked that list in the back matter: each Scripture reference used, indexed to its type.
(And in all, I’d love to get my hands on a cross-reference of every Scripture passage indexed to literary type, or have that as a feature in either a commentary series or study Bible.)
Third, let us consider “completeness.” This is the “Complete Handbook,” after all. I’m inclined to think it’s complete, as Ryken knows what he’s doing. But I do wonder about the lack of reference to original language concepts. I’m curious of “story of abundance” is a universal literary form, a Western form, or a Hebraic form.
That does not diminish the value of this book as it is, but does show a limitation or two. I think more could be said in those areas, making a bigger book. Which is likely why there are limitations on what was presented.
In all, a worthwhile addition to the shelf.
EBook provided by the publisher in exchange for the review.
August 12, 2017
Leland Ryken’s contribution to our understanding of how God’s Word operates has been of immense value. Ryken has given us so many resources to help us better grasp what the Bible is, how we can interpret it, and why we should rejoice in it. He has opened up for us new lenses for looking into the Word, and gaining undiscovered insights from it.
In this handbook released by Crossway, Ryken has dissected the Bible cover-to-cover in search of discovering how God speaks to us through literary forms. We’ve all spent time in school studying the literary forms used by Shakespeare, Homer, and such, but the Bible boasts these same themes and subjects as well, and to ignore such literary analysis of the Bible is to be exegetically lazy.
I am so thankful for the labor and patience Ryken put into this project. It will be a widely-used reference point in everything from personal Bible study to sermon preparation. I know I will be using this resource decades down the road in my quest to know the Bible better and to read God’s Word for what it is.
Inside, you’ll find a complete concordance-like list of literary forms Ryken has expounded on, providing descriptions of what these forms are, how they operate in some example texts, and some significance for those terms being used measured against the whole of the Bible. While a book of true “completeness” would be thousands upon thousands of pages, Ryken has labored to highlight and pinpoint the most significant of the literary forms. Some have said that not all literary forms are included in this volume, but I feel that doesn’t diminish the handbook’s value and worth. My only complaint for the book is that I wish some of the forms were a little more thoroughly explained and applied to Biblical examples. While a great majority of these forms have Scriptural examples, a few don’t, and some have little explanation altogether. Nonetheless, I am very glad to have gotten this handbook.
I am really looking forward to seeing how this book transforms my studies of the Scriptures, and I encourage anyone who wants to get to know God’s Word better, whether for preaching, teaching, education, or simply personal study, to check this book out.
Stars: 4.0/5.0
Thank you to Crossway who sent me this book in exchange for my honest review.
In this handbook released by Crossway, Ryken has dissected the Bible cover-to-cover in search of discovering how God speaks to us through literary forms. We’ve all spent time in school studying the literary forms used by Shakespeare, Homer, and such, but the Bible boasts these same themes and subjects as well, and to ignore such literary analysis of the Bible is to be exegetically lazy.
I am so thankful for the labor and patience Ryken put into this project. It will be a widely-used reference point in everything from personal Bible study to sermon preparation. I know I will be using this resource decades down the road in my quest to know the Bible better and to read God’s Word for what it is.
Inside, you’ll find a complete concordance-like list of literary forms Ryken has expounded on, providing descriptions of what these forms are, how they operate in some example texts, and some significance for those terms being used measured against the whole of the Bible. While a book of true “completeness” would be thousands upon thousands of pages, Ryken has labored to highlight and pinpoint the most significant of the literary forms. Some have said that not all literary forms are included in this volume, but I feel that doesn’t diminish the handbook’s value and worth. My only complaint for the book is that I wish some of the forms were a little more thoroughly explained and applied to Biblical examples. While a great majority of these forms have Scriptural examples, a few don’t, and some have little explanation altogether. Nonetheless, I am very glad to have gotten this handbook.
I am really looking forward to seeing how this book transforms my studies of the Scriptures, and I encourage anyone who wants to get to know God’s Word better, whether for preaching, teaching, education, or simply personal study, to check this book out.
Stars: 4.0/5.0
Thank you to Crossway who sent me this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 24, 2014
Scripture is literature of varying types. This I have always known. What I didn't know is how vast the list of literature forms is that encompasses the Bible.
Leland Ryken has gone to great lengths in order to amass this handbook that contains an overview of all the literary forms that we find in the book that God has given us. Laid out in a very readable format, the book examines these forms starting with categories that fall under the letter A right down to the last entry of "Worship Psalm". Never before have I seen such a comprehensive list.
While I loved it, others may find it daunting to sit down and read through this encyclopedia of sorts; however, I believe there is great value in doing so. I think that I'll be much more likely to return to this book as a reference in the future now that I have thoroughly read through it. I'll have a good idea where to look when there is information I need during scripture work or preparation for writing or reading.
Each entry explains the form in layman's terms, and then gives excellent examples. Ryken does a good job at providing examples from both the Old and New Testament where applicable. One of the most fun parts of reviewing this book? Learning new and nerdy words that I'd never heard of before. Love that.
An added bonus: I think this book will have use not only with Scripture work, but with other reading material as well. While many of the forms are Scripture-centric and unique, there are also many that are universal. Poetry, ancient works, modern works--all seem to fall within the pages of this book. I can even envision suggesting it to my kids for use as they do book reports and write papers for school.
Overall, I am-once again-in all of the creative nature of God in His gift of scripture to the world.
I'm glad to have this book in my reference collection. I am sure that I will visit it again.
I received a free review copy of this book from Crossway Publishers.
Leland Ryken has gone to great lengths in order to amass this handbook that contains an overview of all the literary forms that we find in the book that God has given us. Laid out in a very readable format, the book examines these forms starting with categories that fall under the letter A right down to the last entry of "Worship Psalm". Never before have I seen such a comprehensive list.
While I loved it, others may find it daunting to sit down and read through this encyclopedia of sorts; however, I believe there is great value in doing so. I think that I'll be much more likely to return to this book as a reference in the future now that I have thoroughly read through it. I'll have a good idea where to look when there is information I need during scripture work or preparation for writing or reading.
Each entry explains the form in layman's terms, and then gives excellent examples. Ryken does a good job at providing examples from both the Old and New Testament where applicable. One of the most fun parts of reviewing this book? Learning new and nerdy words that I'd never heard of before. Love that.
An added bonus: I think this book will have use not only with Scripture work, but with other reading material as well. While many of the forms are Scripture-centric and unique, there are also many that are universal. Poetry, ancient works, modern works--all seem to fall within the pages of this book. I can even envision suggesting it to my kids for use as they do book reports and write papers for school.
Overall, I am-once again-in all of the creative nature of God in His gift of scripture to the world.
I'm glad to have this book in my reference collection. I am sure that I will visit it again.
I received a free review copy of this book from Crossway Publishers.
August 15, 2015
Okay. A little repetitive at times. A little argumentative at times. A hair too advanced for the average joe, yet not detailed enough for the literary-minded reader. Not meant to be read straight through, probably, but illuminating to do so. Really good at providing Biblical examples in some entries, and then extremely mystifying in others. I will probably give my copy away.
Want to read
August 28, 2016Reviewed in Christianity & Literature 65.4 (September 2016): 532–35.
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