Exodus for Normal People, Peter Enns
Exodus for Normal People, Peter Enns
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Exodus for Normal People
A Guide to the Story—and History— of the Second Book of the Bible

Author: Peter Enns

Narrator: Peter Enns

Unabridged: 4 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/19/2021


Synopsis

Behind the scenes of movies like The Ten Commandments, The Prince of Egypt, or Exodus: Gods and Kings is a complicated, and at times, messy biblical story. In this short guide to the book of Exodus, Biblical scholar Peter Enns doesn't just break down the story for the average person to understand but takes us behind the story—to the history and traditions that led us to the story as we have it today. By asking the important questions like, “What kind of book are we reading?” and taking us along Moses's and the Israelite journey, Enns brings the best in biblical scholarship to us everyday people. And, as we have come to expect from Pete Enns, he does it with his usual humor and wit."Pete Enns does it again! In Exodus for Normal People, he provides us with a roadmap for understanding the book of Exodus through the lens of what concerned ancient people. He makes accessible the best of biblical scholarship with humor and insight, reminding us to respect Scripture in all its complexities. A hard task that Pete makes look simple." Richard Rohr, author of The Universal Christ, Falling Upward, and Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality"Enns helps readers to understand Exodus as responding to ancient Israel's questions of identity, theology, and history, to raise their own questions, and frequently to laugh out loud." Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, Vanderbilt Divinity School; coauthor of The Meaning of the Bible: What the Jewish Scriptures and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us

About Peter Enns

Peter Enns is professor of Old Testament and biblical hermeneutics at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Enns speaks at schools, churches, and seminars across the country and is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias. He is the author of several books, including The Sin of Certainty, The Bible Tells Me So, Inspiration and Incarnation, and The Evolution of Adam.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mark on January 26, 2021

As the title implies, this book is for "Normal People," i.e., not specifically for academics or theology nerds. The foundational approach and assumption made by Pete Enns is the documentary hypothesis (DH) accepted by most credible biblical scholars in understanding in explaining the compilation and......more

Goodreads review by Matt on March 25, 2021

Summary: Exodus is mythicized history. There is a kernel of history that the authors build a narrative around to communicate their points. For example, while Israel was probably in Egypt at some point in their history, the authors declare through plagues and deliverance that God is bringing about sa......more

Goodreads review by Joanna on November 02, 2023

I can certainly accept Enns basic premise: We need to read the Old Testament through ancient eyes to be able to understand it, yet I found myself unconvinced by some of his other claims. -First five books were compiled/written 6th century by multiple editors/authors I certainly find the different lite......more

Goodreads review by John on January 19, 2025

*3.5 This is another great commentary in the Pete Enns style with all the pluses and minuses that come with that. It’s a great overview of Exodus that hits a lot of the main points. I wish at various points he would have been less joke-y and spend a little more time analyzing, but otherwise it was s......more

Goodreads review by Marc on March 21, 2025

I read this as a contextual companion alongside a number of other more typical commentaries while preaching a sermon series through Exodus. I really appreciate Enns and his commitment to providing an accessible exploration of scripture that never shies away from intellectual, historical, or literary......more