This book, Developing Confidence for Reading Narrative, is part of the Let’s Know the Bible series intended to build confidence in reading the Bible one book at a time. The book was designed for a Let’s Know the Bible Conference held in Northern Indiana for people who what to read the Bible with understanding. While the focus of this volume is building confidence in reading Ruth's narrative, the book opens with Herbert Bateman's teaching on Bad Woman of Bible Transformed before moving on to Cynthia Westfall's material on Ruth. The volume has a corresponding video free and available @hwbateman.com. The book closes with a devotional guide for Ruth by Sue Edwards.
Born in Camden, New Jersey, Herb Bateman grew up in Pennsauken, a suburb of Camden. He attended and graduated from Pennsauken High School in 1974. During those years, he played the trombone in the school’s orchestra and marching Band as well as wrestled for their athletic department.
After graduating from high school, Bateman worked as manager of Kushner’s Hardware Store in Pennsauken. He spent five years developing skills in retail business before attending college. Although skeptical about his academic abilities, he graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University (PBU) in 1982. It was there that he met his wife, Cindy Ann (nee Ohner), and was married 1 September 1979. They celebrated their first anniversary in Jerusalem where Herb was completing a one-year study program at Jerusalem University College in Israel (1980-1981).
After graduating from PBU, Herb and Cindy moved to Dallas, Texas in 1983 to attend Dallas Theological Seminary where he earned a four year masters degree and subsequent doctorate degree in New Testament Studies. After living in Dallas for twelve years, he accepted a teaching position in northern Indiana where he taught predominately at Grace Theological Seminary. In 2008, he accepted a position at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, left the Midwest, and returned to Texas where he currently resides.